Meet Allison, a learner, a drummer and a language lover!

"THE tutors inspire excellence under an umbrella

of infinite patience”

Meet Allison! She just finished her PhD in physics and is learning French. She is also intrigued by the possibility of living and working abroad, where she’d be immersed in another language and culture. Discover her story and her experience with LRDG!

Did you have any experience with the French language before studying with LRDG?

Ultimately, I think I have to say I started learning French because of toilets. Since 2013, the most important part of my year is playing Drums for Toilets, an annual benefit concert that funds latrines in sub-Saharan Africa. Most of these latrines have been built in schools, improving sanitation and helping girls continue their studies when they reach puberty. I’m always looking for songs with fun and/ or challenging drum parts, and this year, I learned “Escale à Madrid” by Evelyne Brochu. The percussion is kick-ass, and the challenge was in learning lyrics I didn’t understand. I had so much fun that I decided to start studying the language.

How did you hear about LRDG?

I began with Rosetta Stone and soon realized I needed a conversation group. I found LRDG from an Internet search, telling myself I could always cancel if it wasn’t a good fit. Sometimes I feel stressed in social situations, and I wasn’t sure how adding a new language on top of that would fare. I shouldn’t have worried. Every tutor so far wants us to succeed and knows how to create a true learning environment. They inspire excellence under an umbrella of infinite patience. I can risk trying to put together a sentence I’m not totally sure of, knowing that if necessary, I’ll be gently corrected without embarrassment.

What do you like most about your language learning program?

I have made friends with the wonderfully curious people in my conversation group, and I look forward to our weekly meetings. The tutor writes discussion prompts that allow us to talk about what’s important to us, tell stories from our past, and of course practice everyday work-life interactions. My motivation to study throughout the week is not only the weekly accountability of the conversation group but also the connection.

So, the human aspect helps you in your learning…

For me, human connection is the primary appeal of language. I studied Spanish for four years in high school, but I don’t think I valued connection as much back then. I didn’t really use Spanish except to read billboards or product labels or other signage in my home state of Arizona. Grad school was a different story. I formed strong bonds of friendship with most of my research group. Because many of them spoke Mandarin as their first language, I started to learn out of a desire for more connection. French is far easier for me than Mandarin, but in both languages, I imagine myself connecting with current friends as well as interesting and deep people I don’t yet know and wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to have a conversation with.

How has learning a second language impacted your everyday life?

My second favorite thing about learning a new language is the new worlds that open, the opportunity to read books and articles that haven’t been translated into English. I am extremely interested in the work being done in the global South to combat climate change and climate injustice, and I look forward to reading resources that are only available in French.

Was it hard for you to begin this language learning journey?

I really like the playfulness that comes with learning a new language as an adult. One time, I was in a colleague’s office pointing to every object whose name I knew in Mandarin and practicing my vocabulary. She told me it reminded her of teaching her little brother how to speak. Another time, I visited a friend who had returned to her home in Wuhan after graduation, and I played a game with her then five-year-old daughter. She recited a word in English, and then I would try to say the same word in Mandarin. Then I said a word I knew in Mandarin, and she said it in English. The five-year-old won by a landslide. Returning to a child-like state of learning is both freeing and humbling, and I try to carry the openness and receptivity of this state into other areas of life.

Do you have any tips to help other learners?

The most challenging aspect of learning French for me is understanding the spoken word. I like to think of myself as an auditory learner, but in French, I struggle much more with listening than with reading or even with speaking. I’m confident this skill will improve with patience and persistence. I’m also finding that watching French-language movies and TV shows with English subtitles helps my ear pick out words and phrases, and eventually I hope to lose the subtitles. So far, my favorite is “The Break” (La Trêve) on Netflix. Musically, in addition to Evelyne Brochu, I also enjoy listening to the Avalon Jazz Band.

How do you feel about your experience with LRDG so far?

When I first started learning French, a little voice in the back of my mind wondered whether I was just giving my brain something healthy to do to keep my sanity while sheltering alone at home during the pandemic, and whether I would quit when I returned to “normal life.” But almost a year later, after receiving both doses of Pfizer, I still want to learn, and I think I have my conversation group to thank for that. I’m grateful for the kind and encouraging people I have met through LRDG and would recommend them to anyone wanting to learn the language.

What’s your favourite word or expression in French?

I still have so many words to learn, but I imagine my favorite will always be a tie: la batterie (it makes me so happy that drum set is feminine) and les toilettes.

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