So I have been in France since Friday and Besancon since Saturday. I was really nervous to meet my host family on Saturday because in their email they said they could speak a little English. However, I did not know what “a little” meant. It could mean they can say “hello” and “good bye” or hold some basic conversations. So when I met my host mother on the tracks of the TGV in Besancon, I was not sure what to expect. My host mother is actually rather fluent in English because her mother was an English teacher. She told me she would speak to me in English for the first week so I could get used to the flow of things in the house. However, she warned me that her husband, who is a 5th grade teach, won’t speak to me in English because I am in France to learn French.

The area here is beautiful. Besancon is located by the Jura mountain range and is surrounded by the Doubs river. It is located about an hours ride from Switzerland. The streets in the city centre are very close together and are lined by buildings in the typical French architecture. The streets are just wide enough for the Ginko (their form of the CATA) to drive down the middle of the road. The center of town has many shops and boutiques for clothes and shoes. However, it also has a Claire’s and a Subway, and I smile every time I walk past them. The United States’ influence has reached even the rural east side of France.

The city has a citadel which looks over the city. There are frequent bus rides to the top of the mountain to visit the citadel which has different museums. It houses baboons, ostriches, lamas, and has an aquarium as well as a museum on the Holocaust.

On Monday, I took my placement test to see which level of French I should be placed in. I have always tested bad in French in high school and in college so it was no surprise when they placed me in the easiest level of French, A2.1. Since Monday, I have moved up three levels to A2.3, which fits much better. The entire class is in French, and since living with my host family, I find that I can understand more and more of the spoken language. In my class, there are Americans, Saudi Arabians, South Koreans, Italians, Lebanese, and Turks. Our only common language for the majority of the people is French. I hope to learn a lot from these students about their culture and language and become proficient in French.

Location: 25000 Besançon, France