French immersion at Sainte-Anne - Nathalie Fortier (B.A. '22)

Two UL Lafayette French majors attended the French immersion program at Université Sainte-Anne this summer: Esther Lafontant and Nathalie Fortier. Nathalie will be graduating in December 2022 with her degree in Modern Languages with a concentration in French. Read about her recent trip to Nova Scotia where she participated in the French immersion program at Université Sainte-Anne!

"This summer I attended the Université Sainte-Anne’s Summer French Immersion Program in Point-de-l’Église (Church Point), Nova Scotia, Canada. It was five weeks of only speaking French! At first, this was quite an adjustment. There would be things I’d like to say but didn’t have to words in French to do so. As the weeks went on, everyone’s conversation skills improved, and we were able to communicate so much better! People say they’ve made friends for life at this program and now I understand how. We were all together on this tiny campus, many people struggling with the language. It wasn’t easy but we weren’t not alone. It was a group effort. Everyone was in the same boat and the only way to keep rowing was to help each other along the way. The professors and animateurs (RA/camp counselor) really made the program a nurturing, patient, and overall entertaining environment. They kept us very busy with all sorts of fun and engaging activities: live music, skits, films, various sports tournaments, group exercise, arts and crafts, game nights, themed parties, and daily trips to the beach, park, and shops. We even went whale watching in the Bay of Fundy! There was never a dull moment. Even while fighting COVID, we managed to have good times. I’m so grateful that I had this experience where I improved my French skills, created fun memories, and made some amazing friends from all around the world!" -Nathalie Fortier (B.A. '22)