French at Stirling: “Go for it!”

Following on from Amy’s tales of Study Abroad in Aix and elsewhere in the spring, time to round off the week with another profile of one of our Year 1 students, just starting out on their time with us at Stirling:

“Bonjour! I’m Tom, currently in my first year studying French at Stirling. As my photo shows, leaving school was something I did a while ago now. Going to university to study French has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I’ve recently been lucky enough to see it come true. 

I’ve been fascinated by France for years. Its people, culture, countryside, and history are so close to ours, and yet so different. Although I’ve enjoyed lots of trips, many holidays and even a honeymoon there, it still felt as though I was only scratching the surface of France and the French. The next step for me was to take away language as a barrier to understanding and engaging more, and a university degree seemed like the best way of doing that.

When I started looking around at where to go, being able to commute from home in Falkirk was vital, so that narrowed it to the five universities across central Scotland that offer degrees in French. Visiting each of the campuses, speaking with the tutors and looking into the details of the various courses made it an easy decision to come to Stirling. 

The focus of the course at Stirling is on the today’s French-speaking world, and the university delivers that as a modern, outward-looking institution. The university has also invested a lot of money recently in campus facilities, and it shows. Campus Central is a great facility, with places to sit, eat and study, and with easy access from there to the library, lecture theatres and seminar rooms. Nowhere on campus is more than a 10-minute walk away.

The campus itself is gorgeous, and there is no other learning environment like it in Scotland. This photo was one I sent to my work colleagues during the first week of the semester and having views like this when you’re taking a quick break from your studies is wonderful and really adds to the experience.

So, six weeks in, what is it actually like? Fantastic! 

The range of module options available means that there is something for everyone. In addition to French, I’m studying modules in Politics and Religion in first year, and all three courses are excellent, with great material and really engaged tutors. In French, the formal split between language and culture studies works very well, adding a great additional dimension to the course. We’ve just completed an analysis of a French movie, which was a lot easier than it sounds, and next week we’re starting on a short French novel. The approach to language teaching works really well, with seminars building on top of independent learning.

I was concerned that my big gap between school and university would be a problem, but the university’s Student Learning Services has really helped take those concerns away. They deliver a huge range of support to students, from online courses in study skills and essay writing, to 1-2-1 sessions offering direct support on specific topics.

My advice to anyone leaving school and thinking about a degree in French? Come and have a look at Stirling. It’s a great place to learn.

And, for anyone like me, for whom leaving school was a long time ago and is thinking about going to university? If my last six weeks in Stirling are anything to go by, you should go for it! You will not be disappointed.”

Many, many thanks to Tom for sending through this great post and we’re really pleased your first semester has got off to such a positive start! We’ll look forward to catching up with you over the course of the semesters ahead.

Semester Abroad in Aix: ‘The Best Thing I’ve Ever Done!’

As we head into the second half of our autumn semester, many of our Year 3 students are already thinking (and planning) ahead for their spring semester which they’ll spend on Study Abroad. Depending on degree combinations, for some of them, this will mean time in France or at one of our partners in other French-speaking countries, while others will be off to Spain or Latin America for the semester. And many of this year’s finalists will be thinking back to this time last year when they were making plans for their own time abroad. With that in mind, we thought it was a good time to ask one of our current finalists, Amy, who is doing Single Honours French with us, to reflect on this past spring which she spent in the South of France:

“For as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to live in France at some point in my life and the semester abroad was the perfect opportunity to do so. After finding out that I was going to study in Aix-en-Provence, I was ecstatic. It was my first choice and I couldn’t wait to experience life in the south of France. After going through the whole visa process, packing my bags and saying goodbye to my friends and family, it was finally time to leave. On the 6th of January 2022, I flew from Edinburgh to Marseille where I began this new chapter of my life.

Before arriving in Aix-en-Provence, myself and Rose, one of the other students who was also placed on her semester abroad there by Stirling, decided to do a bit of travelling. I had no idea that I was about to make a lifelong best friend. We explored Marseille, St Tropez, Cannes and Nice before moving into our uni accommodation in Aix. I was placed in a building called “Gazelles, Pavillion 7” which was predominantly for international students. My room was small but cosy. I had my own bathroom and fridge and plenty of desk space to do uni work. It was basic but had everything I needed. The kitchen on the other hand was an experience. We had no oven, one hob, one microwave and one sink that the 36 of us on my floor were expected to use. At first, it was a little difficult to get used to, but after a while, I got into a routine. I ate a lot of pasta, salads, baguettes and we also ate out quite a lot! Student accommodation was quite different compared to Scotland, everyone tended to keep to themselves so I would recommend joining an Erasmus group to meet people and going to events that they host. In Aix, they had an Instagram page where they would post regular social events for Erasmus students as a way of meeting people.

I absolutely loved daily life in Aix. There are so many things that you are able to do! Whether this be the cinema, bars and restaurants, the gym, a scenic walk or coffee shops, you are never stuck for choice. Le Cézanne fast became one of our favourite places for dinner and drinks, and the French wine definitely lived up to expectations!! Place des Cardeurs is also a lovely little square, full of music, bars and liveliness – ideal for students and those wanting to make new friends. La Rotonde is the centrepiece of Aix and is an absolutely stunning monument also. The weekly markets were also a firm highlight – so authentically French and a perfect way to spend your Saturday morning! Waking up every day in such a beautiful place is something that I tried never to take for granted !

Uni itself was such a fantastic experience. It is a ten-minute walk away from students halls and definitely isn’t as daunting as the confusing corridors of Cottrell! Classrooms are easy to find and students are always happy to help you find your way. We had to choose our classes before moving to France. The translation class was mandatory and was only for Erasmus students, as was our FLE class, which focused mainly on grammar. To ensure that we were awarded the correct number of credits by Stirling, we also chose to take a European Societies class where we learned about the history and politics of European countries and an Anthropology class. All classes were in French and although it seemed daunting at the start, it massively helped to improve my French. I was in classes every Monday and Friday and had an optional lecture on a Tuesday which left me a lot of time to study and travel!

Travelling played a massive role in my time abroad. Every opportunity that we got, we travelled somewhere new. Some of these places included, Courchevel, Paris, Bordeaux, Brussels, Vienna, Rome, Cassis, Lyon and La Ciotat. We always prioritised finding cheap flights and hotels so that we were able to go and do and see as much as possible. One of my favourite memories from my whole time away was our trip to Courchevel. Rose and I decided to go skiing in the French Alps and I was absolutely amazed at the way of life there. This was such a once in a lifetime experience and one that I’ll forever have fond memories of.

Whilst I was in France, we had a speaking exam and a mini dissertation for Stirling and a number of assessments for our uni in France. The biggest piece of advice I could give to others is start your mini dissertation early and don’t leave it until the last minute!! Researching something to do with where you’re staying in France can be really interesting and gives you something to focus on too.

If I could go back and do my semester abroad again, I’d do it in a heartbeat. It’s without a doubt the best thing I’ve ever done and I would recommend it to anyone. It’s such a life changing experience and you meet so many amazing, like-minded people!”

Many, many thanks to Amy for taking the time to write this post – it’s always great to read about our students’ time abroad and we hope this will also offer some useful pointers and advice for other students thinking ahead to their own semesters or years abroad.

Language Learning: Logical or Ludicrous?

As we reach the mid-semester point at Stirling, it seems like a good time for a new series of profiles of our students. As regular blog readers will know, we have students who start with us as Beginners and others who come to us with a secondary school qualification and who join our Advanced stream. We have students on our Single Honours programme and others doing French alongside another subject or subjects, everything from English to Psychology via Business Studies, Education and Law. And we have others who study French with us for a few semesters, not as part of their core degree focus but to develop their language skills and cultural awareness. And, as you’ll see through the profile posts that’ll go up over the coming couple of weeks, our students are a fascinating, diverse, international and enthusiastic group of individuals!

We’re really pleased to start this series of posts with an article by Kirstin who is studying Law at Stirling and has picked up French modules in her 2^nd year:

“Initially, I thought picking up a language that I had never studied before was an absolutely terrible idea. I had no prior knowledge of French, its origins, its culture, nothing. The only French I had ever spoken was an occasional sarcastic “au revoir!” on the phone to my friends. It was something that I hadn’t considered incorporating into my degree, until the option came up the day I had to pick my modules.

The selection was vast, but my interest was limited. A lot of the modules focused on business or mathematics, topics which I was more than happy to put behind me in high school. I looked at the content and method of assessment and, whilst being slightly traumatised by the thought of taking another speaking exam, decided to investigate further.

As a law student, I figured that I had enough on my plate as it was. I didn’t have the time to sit down and learn a completely new language and conjugate verbs whilst trying to understand and apply Scots law in my other studies. Despite this, the more I researched careers in the law profession, the more apparent it became that a language was a vital component in order to practise internationally. I didn’t and still don’t know which field of law I want to practise in, but being able to speak more than one language significantly increased my chances of being considered for commendable roles in the international sector of law.

For French, most companies required a minimum B1 qualification in the language. As certified by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, this ultimately means that the language can be spoken without too much strain for the learner or native speaker. They are able to communicate spontaneously about a range of topics and participate in everyday conversation. Seems easier said than done! This was daunting to read at the time. Nevertheless, it was something to work towards, and whilst I knew that I wouldn’t achieve this straightaway, the opportunity to try was there and I knew I would be disappointed if I didn’t. So, after much deliberation I concluded that I would, in fact, try. I reinstalled Duolingo (we all know how that ends), ordered my textbooks and prepared for my first seminar.

The class went okay, I was relieved that we were all on the same level in that we were all starting from the bottom of the ladder. I am aware that it was an introductory module I had signed up for, but even so, the thought of being the one who knew the least was a prevalent one. They were easy to follow and steady paced, a lot of revision took place of the previous weeks’ content, which I was very thankful for! The classes themselves are certainly far better than those I had in school, due to their independent nature. As valuable as the teachers are, I found it a lot easier to ask questions about my own study as opposed to the entire group’s, a common trait found in secondary classroom learning. There is definitely a difference in attitude towards language learning at university, the teacher is an asset, a tool to your own independent study. They are not relied on for spoon-feeding purposes. While they are beneficial in providing support, much of the learning is individual. It is up to yourself to choose to learn the grammar, practise pronunciation and generally do the work.

As the weeks proceeded, I found learning French was more of a hobby than necessity to my degree. It was an enjoyable process which I used as a wind-down from other study. I wanted to learn more and work harder, not because I was told to, but because I enjoyed the problem solving and challenging nature of the course. The best way to explain it is that it felt like I was working a different part of my brain, I didn’t have to worry about the legality of irregular verbs, just learn them. It must be noted that an accelerated course is not something that can be achieved easily, there is a certain level of commitment that must be sustained. But, in keeping up with the classes and staying on top of the work, it is rewarding. 

It is easier to say all of these things than demonstrate them of course, everyone has moments where they don’t understand and want to quit. I think overall learning a language is something to keep chipping away at. It will be frustrating and some things will be forgotten now and again, I myself am terrible at pronouncing consonants, but it is something that I want to work at and improve. If nothing else, it is important to keep an open mind and take it easy on yourself when mistakes are made, and learn from them. If all of that fails, the image of myself strolling through the streets of Marseille and ordering coffee like a pro is a pretty good incentive to keep at it.

So, to answer the question in the title, logical or ludicrous? Both! It will get me where I need to be, it is a life skill and a potential asset to my future career. It is also a lot of work, extra stress and ultimately, effort. But! It is invaluable professionally and socially, and I couldn’t be gladder that I started.”

Many, many thanks to Kirstin for taking the time to write this post and we hope you enjoy the rest of your time studying French with us, and are able to put your language skills to good use in your future career!

Working with schools

Alongside all the usual activities happening in our classrooms and across our programmes (including our Year 3 students making plans for their upcoming Semester Abroad…), our outreach work centred on language learning in schools has also started up again.

On the European Day of Languages, a team of our Language Ambassadors were invited along to Wallace High to talk to the pupils there about the benefits of language learning. For Patrick, who is in his 2^nd year studying French and Spanish with us, this was his first in-person school visit and a really positive experience: ‘The afternoon was a great success, pupils were engaging with the activities we had set out for them and have asked to be included in the future planning of similar events. From my point of view, it was an invaluable piece of my time used to hopefully persuade young pupils to continue to study languages.’ Feedback from the S3 pupils at the school was equally positive and huge thanks to Modern Languages teacher, Michelle McCaffery, for inviting us. We’re delighted our Ambassadors helped to convey the fact that, in the words of one pupil, ‘languages can take you places you would not expect!’

Despite some pretty atrocious weather, many of the Ambassadors got together at the end of that week, too, for a training and information session about the Ambassador scheme over the coming year. And while we were talking about that on campus at Stirling, some of the Ambassadors from our Strathclyde partners were out at St John Ogilvie High School, meeting with pupils and teachers there, including our own graduate Sam Evans! We’ll be joining forces for more school visits over the weeks ahead, working with Cédric Moreau from Strathclyde and Emma McLean from SCILT so watch this space…

And on Saturday 1^st October, Cristina Johnston, Pete Baker, Fiona Noble and Elizabeth Ezra ran an online workshop for senior phase secondary school pupils, focusing on the multiple benefits that can come from using films as part of the ways we study languages. The event was part of a series of workshops organised by SCILT and was supported on the day by Sheena Bell, Suzanne Ritchie and Alice Lister. We were also really pleased that three of our current students, Dagmara, Alex and Helena, were able to join us on the day to talk about their experiences learning languages and, in particular, the ways in which film and visual culture have formed part of their own language learning. And we’re especially grateful, of course, to all the pupils who attended, from across Scotland, students of French, Spanish, German and Italian. They asked brilliant questions and worked hard on listening exercises involving songs from Encanto, as well as thinking about the wide range of topics that might emerge through the study of that kind of film.

Thank you, merci, Danke, grazie, gracias… to all the pupils at our SCILT workshop and to everyone who has been involved with our outreach activities so far.