Inspiration

I think it is important to keep up with international news and conflicts around the world, especially in places I have visited, want to visit, or find to be important in current events. Over the summer I studied abroad in Paris for the foreign language program, and recently one of the hot topics the Hijab ban in France and the ever-increasing muslim influence. When I went to Paris, I was able to put some of my language skills to use to talk with people about how they felt about it when it came up in conversation. During my time there, I would casually browse articles on the internet- the ease of access of information is so convenient, especially when I had to be informed about my surroundings since I was there for a month. I usually was lazy and read the articles in English, but sometimes I would change the settings on my facebook or Yahoo news page to French to get in the habit of switching over my normal daily internet check-up to take my experience to another level. Sometimes I would even buy fashion magazines in French (because fashion is just more fun that way anyway!) and I even browsed through the Cosmopolitan website in French to make learning outside the classroom more entertaining!

Through the internet, it is so much easier to learn new words and have access to a whole different language so that I may continue what I started without letting it fade when I'm not in the classroom. I really want to be fluent in French since it is the official language of various international political and social organizations, and it opens up opportunities for jobs with travel. Plus, immersing myself in different cultures is fun and exciting! I hope to be able to translate and write in English and French, and who knows- maybe I'll pick up another one along the way!