I’m having to take a online French class while I’m here in college. It’s required to get my Bachelor’s. I’m not crazy about learning a foreign language online, but I have to have it and online is the only way it’s offered.

In this online French class we’ll be asked to make a journal/blog entry. I didn’t really want to start a new blog just for one class, so why not just add it to the blog I currently have, it’s up and running, and it’s active.

So, sit back and learn the French culture and language along with me.

Journal question:

“If you’ve studied a foreign language before, What was the most difficult part of the experience? Be specific. What made that as difficult as it was?

If you haven’t studied foreign language before, what specifically do you expect will be the most difficult for you? If you have no idea, take a few minutes skimming over the course content, and base your answer about what seems trickiest. Don’t forget to include why you think it will be difficult.

Finally tell how you plan to approach this learning experience differently because of your experiences or expectations. ”

I grew up learning many languages verbally. I couldn’t read nor write them. It was good enough that I was learning a different language other than English. What is even better is that I was able to speak and understand it. I didn’t have a problem until I had to learn a foreign language in a classroom. The worst part was conjugation; changing the ending of the word, the using the appropriate he, she, they and make sure the word has a similar ending. That sentence sounds just as confusing as learning a foreign language in a classroom. It was also awkward seeing how the word was spelled different than how it sounded. I was lost in translation, literally. I honestly didn’t learn anything from taking two courses of Spanish in high school. We really didn’t speak Spanish to one another, we spoke English. Then I had to move again and I didn’t have anyone to speak another language with, other than English.

When I decided to go back to college I found out that I had to have three years of a foreign language just to get my degree. I just knew I wasn’t going to do well and I didn’t, but yet I passed the class with a B. I still didn’t learn anything that I hadn’t known before taking the class.

My third attempt was taking Spanish 2 in the classroom was beyond ridiculous. I had a hard time with the teacher, as did everyone else. Not to mention she always showed up twenty minutes late. She then tried to rush the assigned work because we only had twenty to thirty minutes left of class, what should’ve been a fifty minute class. She refused to help anyone…seriously! It was beyond sad and so I ended up dropping the class. I couldn’t have one class ruin my GPA on the sad fact the teacher didn’t want to help her students out when they were having trouble. I was one of those students that needed help. I did ask for a tutor, but I would have to drive to the North campus, to which is way out of my way.

I find French much different than Spanish, though I am familiar with both. I was trying to learn Spanish because of the many Spanish speaking people that live here in the United States that I may work with in my chosen profession. Though I have never learned French from a classroom, I have learned it from being around people who speak it and also from watching many French movies. I’m hoping it’ll be a different challenge, but a good challenge. I’m not crazy about taking online classes, as it’s much harder to learn that way, especially a foreign language. But alas, I have to have it to get my degree, plus I want to be able to learn more about the language and culture.