For French this year I chose to try out a different provider, and I’m taking a year-long class at Well- Trained Mind Academy. I liked my French class last year, but I was feeling like I was ready for a change after working with the same teacher for two years in a row. My experience with French IV at WTMA has been great so far!

The teacher, Mme. Agena, is from France, though she now lives in the US.  She speaks not only French and English, but she is also fluent in (and teaches!) Spanish as well.  My classmates are really engaged and have great comprehension, something I really appreciate.  One thing I love in particular about the way the meetings are structured is that during every class, we are assigned  into breakout rooms to complete a small project or to chat in French. It’s been great for my discussion practice, and I’ve gotten much better at thinking of smoother sentences to say on the fly. 

Our units so far have been mainly focused on grammar and comprehension, with a lot of writing in French as homework. This week, we began reading Le Comte de Monte Cristo, or The Count of Monte Cristo. I’m enjoying it so far! We’re reading an abridged version as the original is impressively long (over 1300 pages!), but I think I’ll read the complete English version after finishing it in French.

My family is starting to plan a Paris trip in May 2027, and I’m so excited to speak French daily throughout that stay! One thing I love about these visits is that I can essentially chameleon into conversations, because French people don’t realize I can understand them when they hear my family speaking English. It’s also always fun to surprise people by speaking French with a mildly convincing native accent and then immediately turning around to my grandparents and speaking English. 

Bonus: a picture of me enjoying my very first French crepes, in July 2014.  Can’t wait to visit my favorite creperie next summer!