Je parle Francais un petit peu-I speak a little bit of French

I speak English and Spanish, learning French will be easy! Right? I got this!

That was my mindset when I walked into the room yesterday, but in reality French can be complex and hard to understand. However that is the beauty of a culture. An individual can be exposed to a different environment and way of life, but it is hard to grasp the language which connects two different people. This connection is beyond communication, it is being a part of a culture and lifestyle.

During colonization, nations explored the world and gained territory to build up their power. For France I learned yesterday that they expanded because they were a small country and needed to be a powerful nation. Now, French language and culture has developed in many places. Like in the French Islands in the Caribbean. Some Islands that have been influenced by French are La Guadeloupe and Saint Martin, today some parts of these Islands are resorts for travelers. The French influence in these areas connect people to French culture. The influence on these places can be strongly or light way presented, but overall shows part of French history and people.



Wikimedia commons: Eric Gaba 

Wikimedia commons: Eric Gaba





Learning the basic greeting and expressions in French was fun and awkward. I felt like I was not pronouncing the words right but know that I have practiced I have more confidence and I am more motivated to learn the French language. The fact that individuals try and make an effort in learning a new language, shows that they acknowledge their culture. These basic greetings and expressions help create relationships and understand a bit of their culture. Coming from a Hispanic background, I have experienced a different way of greet people than most other ethnicities. For example, in my family we say hello and greet each other with  a kiss on the cheek, this is a sign of respect and warm welcoming as family. This shows how greetings can influence individuals because they get to experience a different culture just by saying hello. In France, when a person is talking to an elderly woman an individual will say “Bonjour Madame” and for a young women it would be “Bonjour mademoiselle”, similarly to my culture we say “Senora” to an elderly women and “senorita” to a young women to show respect. However, the language in a culture make people experience a different way of communication and that creates good relationships, even if you are different. People can draw connections between the two cultures and improve their communication skills.

Wikimedia commons:"Flag map of the world (1942)" by Elmor

French culture is different and unique, if I get the privilege to go to Paris I will be able to experience this my self and draw my own connections with three different cultures.  I have learned many things about France but being in France will expand my overall knowledge of French lifestyle. Speaking to people in France will make me in a way part of its culture and understand it better than now that I have been exposed to French history and culture. I believe that a culture evolves from the language and that language is important to understand the culture overall. How do you see language play a  role in culture? 

-Rebeca