My Passion of French Language and Linguistics

French has always been something I have been interested in since I was a child, because it is a big part of my life as a large number of my family are French. I have always loved France and the French language and find it extremely fascinating which drove my desire to do more than just 'learn' the language. As my interest in French grew, so did my ability to use it and implement it into my daily life. I do this by listening to French music, watching French TV and reading French literature. I have visited France many times and because of this I have an extremely good knowledge of France and its culture. I was also extremely fortunate in doing a week’s work experience at Lycée Gabriel Fauré, Annecy as I would love to be a teacher in France. Anyone who knows me well is made aware of my obsession of French and France almost immediately. I see French as more than an academic subject, I see it as a pleasure in life, something that I really enjoy and a passion that I would like to pass on to others. I would like to share my passion of languages by teaching English to French students, giving back to them what I have been able to experience through learning languages.

To build up my experience in French I volunteered to help in KS3 French lessons where I took students out to assess their speaking ability and to be a guide to them in class. This has been extremely helpful for me as it allows me to understand what works best for everyone and not just certain individuals, thus establishing an immersive but fun learning environment as I believe this is the best way to learn languages. I travelled to France to do a week's work experience where I observed a wide range of lessons and interviewed teachers in order to get a feel of how the French education system works and whether it would suit me in my career choice. As well as learning in the classroom, a lot of my learning is independent as I am constantly exposed to French meaning that I always learn new words and phrases and generally interesting things that further my ability. I have studied films and books during my French A Level studies such as 'Au Revoir les Enfants' and the book 'L'étranger' however I also do my own study by watching French TV programmes such as 'La carte aux trésors' which has a fascinating cultural side to the programme - visiting destinations in France and all over the world with a heavy cultural and heritage side to the programme which enriches my interest in France and its culture. I am reading a book called 'Un appartement à Paris' which is a bestselling novel at the moment in France. As well as indulging in French media, I extend my learning by setting every single device I own into French which renders English into a language I only use to communicate with others and this allows my French to continuously grow by having non-stop access to French. I also read and watch French news and I have an extensive list of articles that are relevant to my A Level course as well as current affairs and French culture.

I find Linguistics fascinating as it allows an individual to discover how languages are structured and where they originate from which allows us to better understand the languages we speak. To broaden my knowledge and passion of English, along with French, I read newspapers and articles from various types of media to become more familiar with analytical techniques and to deepen my understanding of texts as I learnt from my work experience that this is beneficial when teaching students English.

In Year 13, I was fortunate to be Subject Rep for French which has been a great experience for me, allowing me to expand my experience across the subject and giving me an insight into the job of a teacher. I think that I would be a great undergraduate student because I am extremely enthusiastic about these subjects and I am prepared to work hard and to take every opportunity given to me, which will allow me to exceed beyond expectations.

At the age of 11, my Primary 7 teacher introduced my class to the world of French. While she had only taught us how to count from 1 to 10, this experience instilled in me my adoration for the sound and the feel of speaking another language. I carried this feeling through with me to my GCSE’s, where my love for the language was only consolidated as I learned about the grammar - the lovably bizarre structure of the language, and truly began to find my footing as a French speaker. Being able to truly talk and form sentences inspired me in a way nothing else has and sparked a passion for not only the language itself, but the culture and traditions of the country.

In my current A-Level French classes, we partake in many parts of the culture, like literature, in which last year I studied ‘No et Moi’ by Delphine De Vigan and I am currently engrossed in François Mauriac’s ‘Thérèse Desqueyroux.’ I especially love watching French cinema, like the witty comedy ‘Les Profs’ and the classic 2001 movie ‘Amélie’.

Last summer, I visited Bordeaux for a week with my family, where I was completely immersed in the French lifestyle, the delicious food and the history of the country. Most importantly, I was able to communicate with the locals, native speakers of the language. I have this opportunity at home too, as twice a week we have a class with our French Assistant, who discusses and debates social issues with us, and prepares us for our oral exam at the end of this significant year.

Nelson Mandela once said that “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” This quote perfectly encapsulates the importance of learning a second language in our ever-growingly multicultural society. In addition to achieving fluency in French, I aspire to learn Spanish and Italian in the future too. I also took part in Mandarin Chinese classes in my school and achieved my HSK2 exam in 2016.