My time abroad was one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. I spent the summer of 2018 in La Rochelle living with a French family and immersing myself into the French Culture. I took French class each day at l’Université de La Rochelle with students from around the globe. My French class was accompanied by English 400 HN, which is an advanced writing class geared toward developing strong citizens. By developing an understanding of what being a citizen in another country is like, I was able to become a more knowledgeable citizen leader here in the United States.
My time in France helped me gain so many communication skills that I didn’t know I was lacking. Since I was interacting on a daily with people I had a language barrier with, I was able to develop my verbal, non-verbal communication skills as well as cultural and emotional awareness. I gained an understanding of paralanguage, prosody, and how culture changes proxemics, haptics, and oculesics. These communication skills are ones that I gladly take forward with me as I go forward in my professional development.