Megan Lane

Philadelphia area, Pennsylvania

Senior majoring in French and secondary Education

Subjects studied: French

Currently, I am a senior at Western Michigan University with a major in French and secondary education, and a minor in English.  I grew up in a small town outside of Philadelphia before moving to Livonia, Michigan. Entering WMU I knew I wanted to become a teacher, but I did not know what to major in. Science and math bored me and I wanted something more challenging, new, and different. I decided to go with my gut instincts and stick with French, which I had taken for two years in high school. Next, I saw my counselors and made my course plan at WMU, with intentions of studying abroad one day.

Each semester of French classes, the professors would speak about the study abroad programs that WMU offered, and often students would come into class and talk about them for a short period. I checked into the programs offered through the foreign language office, and found out was a variety of scholarships offered not only through the department, but through the Study Abroad office as well.

I enrolled in the program at the Centre de Linguistique Apliquée in Besançon, France. When money was initially an issue, the school and teachers in the department helped me a lot in applying for scholarships. I received two scholarships, one through the French Department and the other through the Study Abroad office, and then I realized that my dream to live overseas would finally come true!

I was more afraid than ever to leave. My friends and family were sure that I would back out since I have always been the ‘homebody’ girl, but I was determined. When would I ever get a chance to study in another country, learn their culture and language, have the experience of a lifetime, meet people from countries I’ve never even hear of and get credits for it? WMU provided me this excellent opportunity.

With the director of the French Department, Professor Cynthia Running-Johnson, we had monthly meetings in preparation for leaving on January 1, 2006. She was extremely helpful not only before leaving, but even after my return when I had questions about transfer classes and my degree plan at WMU. Professor Running-Johnson also came to France with us for the first week as we settled in, and in April to see how we adjusted to the culture. In addition, e-mails sent back and forth with any questions or concerns were helpful.

My perspective of the world has changed greatly. I look back to before I left and realize I was actually narrow-minded (which is normal for someone who has never left the country). Due to the intense change in lifestyle, pace of life, and cultural behavior, I experienced many culture shocks. While living with a French family I learned first-hand the French way of life. Initially I was the most unsettled from our group about living with a foreign family alone in a country where I cannot speak their language well. To my surprise Les Gonne (The Gonin’s) were just as nurturing as my parents at home. They made me delicious French dinners every night along with a traditional French breakfast, which included a baguette and tea or coffee. They helped me with my homework, watched TV with me, educated me, and helped me learn new vocabulary and anecdotal information about the country. It was just like being at home, but with a French lifestyle. This first two months was probably the best part of my experience. They even helped me find an apartment for the remainder of my stay in France, along with the CLA (the school I attended).

My family drove me to school the first day, and of course I was just as nervous as the first day of kindergarten. Once again, to my surprise all the staff was genuine and very accepting of all the new students from all over the world. We had a large group meeting, and then a placement test. We placed into levels according to our knowledge and background of the language, and then had a month of ‘brush up’ courses to prepare us for our semester courses. At the end of the month, we took the same placement test to measure our progress and then enrolled in the semester-long courses.

Many courses offered correlated to the classes I would be taking at WMU. I chose the classes I wanted, just like how we would at Western, and pursued my studies.  By this time, a month into my stay in France, I had already adapted very much to the language and culture. It was amazing how much I learned in one day and how one day affected my skills. All of the students progressed rapidly, which was very encouraging. In the meantime, Molly Recchia and Cynthia Running-Johnson (advisors at WMU) helped me choose the best classes for my course path (French and secondary ed.), as well as courses that would replace required classes at WMU.

Overall, the program in France through WMU was perfectly coordinated, and convenient for a student studying abroad. Normally students believe that if they study abroad it puts them behind in graduating, but in my case it was the exact opposite. I completed many of my French courses required to earn my WMU degree, IN FRANCE, taught by French teachers. I can only brag about how drastically my language skills have improved.

On a personal level aside of my academic advancements, this was and will always be a part of my life that I will never forget. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would be there in a heartbeat. Europe, especially France, is so beautiful. The historical values, the natural beauty of rivers and mountains, and the sincerity of the people all created this incredible experience. Everyday life was always a new and exciting adventure, especially as communication became easier and easier. Traveling to other cities in France is convenient because the trains run almost every where, and students buy tickets for half price.

A trip to Paris with a professor from WMU is included in the trip, which was another highlight of my stay. Paris is a world in itself, completely mixed with culture and a splash of liveliness. The students and I had an amazing time there, and often we went back to Paris for a short weekend because it was so convenient.

Because of the scholarships I received, I was able to see other parts of Europe, including Spain, Ireland, England, The Netherlands, and Italy. The CLA also offered an activity program with events including ski trips to Chamonix in the Alps, and to famous cities like Strasbourg (city occupied by the Germans during WWI). These trips were always well coordinated, affordable, and included food and transportation.

Now that I have returned to WMU, I plan to take the MTTC French teacher certification test in one month. I am so grateful for this experience and for the scholarships that made it possible for me to turn the dream of living abroad into a reality, as well as completing a stepping-stone in my academic career. I hope that you too pursue this dream and have the time of your life, while enhancing your knowledge and life experiences.