<p>Yes to the dreaming in French! Although that happened for me not when I was living there but when I was back home and taking something like 3 out of 6 of my classes in French. It’s like a physical activity – the more you do it, the more naturally it comes to you.</p>
<p>This program is only 3 weeks. I think they are wasting her money by putting her in a level that is too high. She can still enjoy her trip but might not advance in French fluency in a class that is too fast, that only goes for such a short time. I don’t understand why she cannot choose her own level and wonder if this is just a case of not being assertive enough. How do the parents feel? If I had paid for this program I would be very upset, but it would still be up to the kid to resolve the situation.</p>
<p>I like the idea of recording class and listening to it again later. A smartphone can probably do this. </p>
<p>I was going to type what @dustypig did - your friends and acquaintances are probably worried about you. For some reason, I find people, especially extroverts, accept explanations that include action or an activity. Maybe they picture you sitting and stewing in your room. Instead of just saying no you’re tired and need to be alone or even recharge say something along the lines of you were planning to [take a walk] to clear your head. Substitute what you want between the brackets.</p>
<p>Dustypig is right, living in a place that has a different language is very stressful. After a while, you need to decompress. Some people go out socializing. Others read a book. And still others find yoga or running works best. Do what works for you.</p>
<p>Have to jump in and give my CC namesake some support. Whats the worse that can happen? You lose a few extra credits or go home with a little less knowledge of the language than you thought? Either one is not so bad. I agree with the posters that have said give your brain and body a little more time to adjust to the new environment. Recording the class is a terrific idea. </p>
<p>And if you feel like staying in rather than going out then do so. I love a party but I also love my own company and need it every once in a while. Feel no guilt for wanting to re-charge and get away from the crowd. Keep us posted on how you are doing!</p>
<p>Thanks so much for all of the support! I really, really appreciate it!</p>
<p>i do agree that this level isn’t really my best fit, but according to my teacher here, the only difference between the class I’m in now and the one below mine is the grammar. They still speak rapid French in the intermediate class and they still expect you to express your opinions and give presentations, so since my speaking and comprehension is what’s getting to me, it would be the same in both places. That’s what made me think it would be better to stay because if I’m going to struggle so much, i might as well learn some more advanced concepts. </p>
<p>And actually, I just talked to my professor from my home university and she told me not to fret over the credit situation. Apparently the class here is a non-credited class but our institution will still accept the 4 credits. Since my professor is the Chair of the Modern Languages Department, she said she’ll give me a general 4 credits of electives if I can pass with even just a 60% and I can get 4 credits towards my degree if I do a little better. Ideally I can get an actual class knocked out of the way, but it’s nice to know that I won’t be completely losing out (hopefully).</p>
<p>As for the price, it was quite cheap and cost even less than a 3-week vacation would cost. I’m not so worried about that because even though I’m struggling in class, I’m having one heck of a vacation! :)</p>
<p>However, in the end, I just really want to get a lot out of this experience because I don’t know if I’ll be able to ever study abroad for a full semester.</p>
<p>HM, I hope you’ll let us know how things work out, a you get nearer to the end. Enjoy. Soak up whatever you can of life and local culture, at the pace that works for you.</p>
<p>Mine just finished 4 weeks of French language, I don’t know much about her class except she told me French people are cold(IIRC), food prices are expensive, but she did a lot of things she’s normally wouldn’t be able to do like saw the Tour de France in person and somehow navigating the metro system on her own to go places. She is now soaking up the local culture at Noting Hill much better. Maybe she will see Hugh Grant :D.</p>
<p>Well, having traveled a bit and not being fluent in anything–my vote is to go shopping and eat out and use all the French you’ve got on a community level rather than worrying about how fast the classroom dialogue goes.
Tape the class. Listen to it for getting the cadence–like a song. Don’t try to translate it. Once your ear gets used to the speed and hearing it–it’ll be easier to translate. And learning local customs is the most fun part of any trip.
. Don’t speak any English–once you know you actually CAN make it through the city, read the signs, navigate the map/transportation system, talk to people, you’ll be more at home. </p>
<p>And (as you know) French is just like English–would you like your English with a southern drawl, a Texas twang, a New Joisey accent, New York, Bahston? We had records in HS that we would listen to–until the French exchange student we had declared she couldn’t understand anything on them. And we could understand her French perfectly–up until then we hadn’t realized that we had learned any French at all.
We also had a student from New York (we were in the South)–and nobody had a clue what she was saying. No amount of taping her would have helped…</p>
<p>I have lived in France. French people are NOT “cold.” There certainly may be some among them, but one cannot generalize like that.</p>
<p>Hang in there. I have been in your shoes twice—two different languages. I was also freaked out and thought I was in the wrong class. At about the end of three weeks I had found my footing. I hadn’t necessarily caught up to the top people in the class, but I knew what was going on around me and could contribute with preparation. I couldn’t offer paragraphs of spontaneous speech, but I was following what others said and could offer up a pithy reaction. </p>
<p>And I was exhausted at the end of class and wanted to go off and hear some English. I watched bad Australian soap operas because that was all I could find. </p>
<p>Since you aren’t being graded, you really have nothing to lose. Do the best you can. Enjoy France! I second going out on your own and speaking to natives, even just simple stuff like "where is the bathroom?"Is reading easier for you? It was for me. I could browse a news stand or read a map or a menu pretty readily, even when I couldn’t speak well. </p>
<p>Nrdsb4, I agree, but it’s her impression of the French people near where she lived or maybe her character is too happy and anybody who is not friendly is considered “cold”. Maybe a better term to use is reserved more than cold. </p>
<p>Have to try to speak French to them.<br>
As DH once said, if that 3 year old can speak German, you can. At the time, I was all baffled and tears- and in the bottom level of a German immersion course (I went knowing two sentences.) </p>
<p>The point of immersion isn’t all class. It’s no problem to have an evening in, but make sure all your senses get engaged. It’s a brave opportunity. Three weeks will fly by. i think this OP can do it. :)</p>
<p>The French can be warm if you give them a chance. That, or happen to be very pretty. ;)</p>
<p>^^^^LOL. Well, now that I think about it, when I lived in France, I was in fact rather pretty. :D</p>
<p>@Harvestmoon, glad to hear you sounding more positive! I hope your professor’s reassurances help you feel less stressed out in class and enjoy your experience more. </p>
<p>Funny story–my son just did travel abroad in Belgium last year–you’ll hear LOTS of languages there. And you can’t tell anybody apart until they open their mouths.
He was on the train and the lady next to him sneezed. He said “Gesundheit” and she started rattling in German–he didn’t know a word…
We met him in Belgium–shopping at the stores is fun–the clerks run through every language they know to talk to their customers who are from literally everywhere.</p>
<p>One thing to add, is that speaking a foreign language all day is exhausting until you get used to it. So that may be fueling your anxiety. I spoke Germany fluently, but I hadn’t spoken it in a couple of years and had a friend visit. We spoke German on a long car drive to the Cape and I have never been so exhausted by a drive, I’m pretty sure it was the strain of having to get back into the swing of speaking German.</p>
<p>That said, the best thing you can do is to immerse yourself completely. Watch TV, don’t worry about not understanding. </p>
<p>My son was in a similar position in Jordan where he got placed at an Arabic level that felt too advanced. He took a history class in Arabic and said he missed the whole first half of the course because he understood so little of it, but eventually he caught on. Three weeks isn’t a lot of time, so I can’t guarantee you will have caught on before the end of the class, but I can guarantee that you are learning more than you realize.</p>
<p>Thank you all so much for the continued support and advice! It definitely helps a lot.</p>
<p>And also, just to clarify since I realize I was quite vague, I’m actually not studying in France but in Montreal. This definitely makes it harder to speak French since almost everyone speaks English and will switch once they hear my accent, but when I insist on speaking in French, they do go with it. We’re also residing on the east side where it’s predominantly francophone. The accents sure are different than the ones I’ve been studying back home, but I think I can adjust just fine.</p>
<p>And okay, I’m sorry to just add this in here, but may I ask what the appropriate amount of contact with my mother would be?? We got into a huge fight last night because I hadn’t contacted her since 10am on Saturday and she was crying and screaming about how I contact everyone but her…</p>
<p>To elaborate, she doesn’t have Facebook, doesn’t text, and doesn’t Skype, so we have to communicate by email. My phone also doesn’t receive phone calls for some reason, I don’t get great service in my dorm, I don’t always have access to the Internet, and I’m just really busy.</p>
<p>Basically, i told her all of that yet she still accused me of contacting others and said it was embarrassing for her that others knew more about my trip than she did. Additionally, when i WAS contacting her often because I was freaking out, she told me to grow up and put my big girl shoes on. Well, I’m getting better and better and am adjusting more, yet now I’m in the wrong again???</p>
<p>I’ve posted about her on here before, and i am just completely done. I never win and am always going out of my way to appease her, and from what I’ve experienced and read, this isn’t normal.</p>
<p>To be honest, now I just really don’t want to even go home.</p>
<p>My best friend is fluent in Canadian French–can be very different from France. And you’re right most people there will turn to English for you.</p>
<p>As to mom, you’ll have to make some choices. You cannot be contacting her to “freak out” and expect support without contacting her to say everything is going well. All a parent does is worry constantly after outbursts if they don’t hear anything more. We tend to “freak out” too. Especially when kid is in a different country.
OTOH–if it’s a pattern of her guilt-tripping you constantly then time to set some boundaries. “Mom, love you but I’ll talk to you after you calm down. Just called to say I’m fine. Talk later.” Or “Hard to get internet connections here and my schedule is very busy–I’ll e-mail Xday…”</p>
<p>Why does she think everybody else knows about your trip except her? Facebook? Friends? She made it up?</p>