Doug Sprague – Why do a French Immersion Course in France?
To gain a deeper understanding of the general experience of learning French I’ve decided to interview my fellow students at the ILA French Immersion School in Montpellier France. We will be discussing what they hope to utilise the French language for and there are a few questions just for fun. Doug was my first interviewee and an extremely interesting chap with altruistic ambitions of using his French in West Africa.
Doug, age 54, Hometown: American/ Pittsburgh
What is your hometown like?
Nothing like Montpellier! Pittsburgh is an old industrial powerhouse but has worked a lot on its image recently and is striving to become a destination city. Sports are a huge thing there with 3 national sports teams and the town has more bridges than any other city.
If you could learn 3 languages apart from French instantly what would they be and why?
- Spanish because of the huge hispanic presence the US.
- Mandarin because China is such a growing world force.
- Arabic for a deeper understanding or Middle Eastern culture.
Which countries are you excited about using the French you’ve learned at during your French immersion course?
Martinique and St Martin in the Caribbean; I’ve heard from other travellers they are perfect holiday destinations and if you speak French it’s even better. West Switzerland is somewhere else I would like to go and although almost everyone speaks English to a good level I would love to be able to speak in their own language. West Africa as this is the main purpose of me undertaking a French immersion course in France.
What are your reasons for learning French?
Here I must let you know in advance it is hard for me to explain my motivation for learning French in France without using religious language. My reasons for starting my French immersion course in Montpellier are very spiritual and are deeply connected to my Christian faith. About 2 years ago I started to feel in my heart a very deep feeling that is hard to describe but I kept hearing the word ‘go’. I heard this word again and again and it took root in my mind but I wasn’t too sure what the word meant for me. So I spoke to my pastor about it and told him I felt like I was being called to act somehow, to help people and to inform them about the Christian message but I wasn’t sure about what was the most practical way to do this. My pastor asked if I had ever considered working with Bongolo Hospital in Gabon, Africa which the church had a long standing partnership with. Although having no real prior interest in going to that part of the world the more I ruminated on the idea the more it began to make sense. I thought about the impact I could have and how I would feel about doing it and it made me feel wonderful. The idea began to gain momentum in my heart and I became convinced that this was exactly what the longing I felt had been pulling me towards.
A year down the line and things are in motion for me to embark on my mission. Wanting to be as effective as possible with this calling I felt learning French was imperative and I believe the best way to do that is through an intensive French course in France.
How is this French Immersion Course in Montpellier Going to Help you?
As my work is going to involve gaining contributions for the hospital I need to be able to communicate delicately and convincingly. So a strong command over the language was going to be necessary and an intensive French course here in France seemed the best option for developing to the level I want to be at. I will be talking to individuals and companies to inform them of the amazing work the hospital does and hoping to gain donations of money and equipment. Further down the line I’ll be looking to set up work placements for people to come and work with us, as you can appreciate I’m going to need to have mastered the subtle nuances in the language to achieve my goals. It is ambitious but I have infinite motivation as I believe I am serving a far greater purpose and with the ILA French Immersion School’s help I know it’s possible.
So there we have it. Doug’s noble reasons for learning French in France were unarguably inspiring. I’m not planning on becoming a missionary any time soon but it made me think hard about all the altruistic opportunities there are to utilise what I have learned during my French immersion course at ILA in Montpellier.