Kevin
Introduction
My language story truly started in high school when I opted to take French instead of Spanish. This decision was motivated by how my high school's Spanish classes seemed oversaturated, as opposed to the French class being overlooked by my peers. In addition, I had no previous understanding of French other than it seeming elegant and suave.
Coming from a household that only spoke English, I had no idea what to expect with language acquisition and cultural exploration. Thankfully, my choice to experiment with French served as a foundation for the passion and drive to analyze and uncover the beauty of languages and the cultures they originate from. Thus far, I've been taking French classes for the past six years and am glad to witness my proficiency and cultural understanding increase consistently.
Alongside having a better grasp of the language academically, I now find myself playing video games, watching tv and movies, and listening to music in French – all being practices advised over the years by my French instructors. My favorite video game series, Fire Emblem, is a great example of a piece of media that provides the option to experience its narrative in French. I was surprised by how competently I was able to comprehend the story and efficiently play the game, despite it being a tactical RPG that requires a extensive reading. While playing this video game in French made gameplay a slightly slower due to my developing proficiency, the experience was invaluable and demonstrated how my hobbies can serve as non-academic strategies for French in my everyday life.
Looking forward, I am excited to work with diverse populations throughout my career as a healthcare professional, and hope that French will amplify this work and broaden the reach of my medical work. Someday, I hope to be competent enough to navigate and potentially live in a Francophone country as the ultimate milestone of success with French. Until then, I will continue working with this goal by integrating French into my everyday life.