Trois-Pistoles ... a student's experience
For five weeks in the summer of 2006, I was subjected to one of the most rigorous and intense experiences of my life. I had to endure neither harsh physical strains nor hours of mind-numbing work, and in the eyes of every sunburned Floridian I was in a veritable paradise where the temperature rarely rose above 80 degrees. I was surrounded by new friends, with plenty of free time with no supervision. I had three fantastic meals a day prepared for me; my only chore was to make my bed each morning.
So what made it such a challenge?
I had to conduct every aspect of my life in French. From the moment I woke up to the moment I went to sleep (and sometimes even after that), I could say not a word in English. This was the program of the Ecole de Langue Francaise in Trois-Pistoles, Québec, a tiny town on the Saint Lawrence River. The town of around four thousand Québécois has one traffic light, two supermarkets, and three bars- all of which are taken advantage of by the two hundred mostly university-age students who come each summer. But as I pulled out of the train station at the end of the session, with final exams and workshops and concerts and all other activities behind me, I realized that I had changed for the better. Before I left for Quebec, I had avoided confrontation of any kind- whether it be with people I knew, salespeople, anyone. But being forced to conduct everyday business in French made me more resourceful, more confident. I remember on one occasion I went to the one national bank in town to cash my traveler's checks. After explaining (with wild hand gestures, I'm sure) what I wanted to do, I was told that the national bank would not cash them for me; instead I had to go to the Caisse Populaire, a local branch. I asked for directions; it was only a block away, and off I went. By the time I left the branch, I had money in hand. A moment later I thought about what had happened. I had done only a simple task, but it had been made difficult because I was speaking in a foreign language. But it made doing absolutely anything in English look elementary in comparison.
Therefore, as a result of this experience, I believe that I will now have the necessary aptitude to make use of all opportunities available to me.I will no longer be afraid of confronting them. Going to Trois-Pistoles, speaking French, and meeting new people: it was the experience of a lifetime, not just du jour.
