The Other Reason I'm Here

So today I finished my second week of classes, and I have much to write about. There are, of course, a ton of differences between the classes I am taking at the post-secondary institution and the ones I took at the other post-secondary institution. The material is college level, but the presentation is very different.

Francais des affaires- Monday and Wednesday
First, I should mention that all of my classes start at 2, which is an ideal time for me. Afternoon is when I feel like I have the most of my energy, and if I eat my lunch around noon then I don't get that sleepy feeling after eating, and hence don't waste my precious time here taking naps. This class is about Business in France. It is the central course required for my degree and is course that presents material that leads up to taking the French Commerce exams that will get me certified to practice Business in France. Of course, me actually working in France isn't terribly likely since I have much to come back to in the states, but it looks really nice on a resume and sounds good when explained to potential employers. We get taught everything regarding French business in this course. Everything from basic vocabulary to memos, you name it. It's nice though that I took a few business courses at Illinois last semester because that prepared me a little bit for the business terminology that translates from its French counterparts. This is also a very interesting time for business because of what's happening in the stock market. It's scary to understand, but it's good to be informed.

The coursework in this class is mostly done in class. There are a few projects that we will be doing on our own in groups, but when I saw only a few, I mean it. It's not as extensive work as the projects I did in the states (please see 72 page report made for Int'l Marketing last semester). The work done in class is pretty easy and if there's a concept we don't understand very well the professor is very happy to explain (en francais of course). The class is set up like a discussion section at U of I, with only about 15 people in the class. No huge lecture of 300-500 people. This is true of all of my classes here at the Institut Catholique.

Les Medias en France- Tuesdays
This class is all about the different media outlets in France, including newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. It's hasn't been a terribly exciting course yet, but once we get past the newspaper and print section of the media it might be more entertaining. LIke the francais des affaires class, the coursework is very light and I have not yet had homework, except to buy a French newspaper and compare it to the internet website. A few projects, a final test, and that's about it.

Cinema francais contemporain- Thursdays
This is by far my favorite course. It's contemporary french films and an in depth study about them. Unlike the other classes that are 3 hours long, this class is 4 hours long, with a movie being shown for the first two hours and a two hour discussion ensuing. Those of you who know me well know that I looooove to watch movies, and it's becoming more of a favorite thing of mine to analyze them, break them down, and talk about all the little subtleties that directors and writers represent in their work. It's pretty fascinating. Two assignments for this class, one is a paper on a film and the other is the final exam, which is basically a take home test essay.

Communication professionelle- Fridays
I was very unsure about this class after the first week. I knew that it was going to be easy, but I didn't know if it was going to be interesting. The professor has a soft voice which I thought was going to be difficult to follow, but he knows what he's talking about and is always prepared with activities for us to do. We write letters and memos and e-mails, it's pretty much a supplement to francais des affaires. But what is great about this professor is that he is a stickler for our grammar and our pronunciation, which none of the other professors seem to care too much about. If we say something wrong, he will stop us, correct us, and make us repeat it back to him. Seems tedious but it is extremely helpful when trying to learn all of the subtleties to a language. I am more excited for this course than I thought.

My Thoughts
So after the first week, I began commenting to my friends that I felt like I had returned to high school. And I still stand by that. For me, high school was a breeze (besides calculus). The teachers didn't challenge us a whole lot and a lot of the homework could be completed in class. Seems the same way here, though the material is a little more specific and advanced. Also my choice of classes seems to be aiding my lack of out of class work time. I remember taking a literature class two semesters ago in French and the work I had to do for that, the reading and such, was constant. And if I ever got behind I never had a chance to catch up. Amazing how easy things become when you have time on your hands, even in a city as grand as Paris.

I suppose the true test of how effective these classes are will be how much I remember and retain at the end of the semester. If it's more than what I hold onto taking multiple tests and reading a whole bunch, then I will definitely be a proponent of this system. Yes the classes are long (3 hours each session) but they are only once a week and we get a break after about the first hour and a half, at which time I usually go and have a little cup of cafe from the cafe machine.

Such concludes the courses post. I know some of you were concerned that I wasn't actually studying here and just playing around and climbing the Eiffel Tower and such, but there's a little work to be done...

A la prochaine!
Justin

P.S.- Nana! I got your letter today and it brightened my whole morning. Thank you and I will be writing back shortly.