Loyola students of the French Program and French exchange students met at an open house Le français parmi nous (“French Among Us”), organized by the Department of Languages and Cultures’ French program. On Dec. 6 in Bobet Hall, local students brushed up their French and spoke, in some cases for three hours, in the language they had been learning during the fall semester of 2023.
A group of French exchange students from IÉSEG School of Management (Paris Campus), SKEMA Business School (Suresnes, a Parisian suburb), and Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis prompted local Loyola students to engage in personal conversations that often led to informal, unexpected exchanges. While enjoying some French snacks and soft drinks, the local students find a relaxing environment to browse their vocabulary, develop fluency, and hear how the French language sounds when pronounced by native speakers. The French group also saw an opportunity to connect with their American classmates and answer questions about their experience at Loyola and the United States.
Scott Tilton, founder and director of the Nous Foundation, whose aim is to promote the strategic collaboration between the United States and France and advocating for French speaking Louisianians communities, attended the event.
“We want Loyola to know that French has a vital presence on campus, and French students also form part of our community,” French professor Claire Lebas said to explain the importance of the open house.
For his part, the director of the French Program, Leo Tablante, declared that the event “is an opportunity for the students to understand that languages are first and foremost a social experience and not so much a list of grammatical rules.”
Listening to Serge Gainsbourg’s playlist, French exchange students and their American classmates took a deserved break at the end of the semester. Everybody–the professors included–enjoyed the occasion to gain momentum to face the exam week, finish strong, and leave for the holidays.
