While in France, coping with the language was pretty hard at the beginning because I do not speak French. I felt rather insecure whenever I tried to speak it. Now that I have been here for two months and have been learning the language, it’s been getting a little easier. When talking to French people, for example in restaurants, I now try to order in French. At the beginning, I always ordered in English, but now I at least try to do it in French.

Even when I get into a situation with someone who doesn’t know English or whose English is very bad, we still manage to get our message across with my very broken French and their mostly broken English. Honestly, it hasn’t been a big problem here in Lyon, because a lot of people know English. Still, I feel much more secure in the language now. I can make sentences, which I couldn’t when I first got here. I always had a bit of understanding for French because I speak Spanish as my second mother tongue. My French has definitely gotten better I understand more, get the context better, and people don’t immediately realize I’m a foreigner. They only notice after the second sentence, which feels like an upgrade to me.

At the beginning, speaking English all day with other international students was also exhausting. It wasn’t hard, but it was tiring not to speak German at all. I talked about this with the other Germans, and they really related it’s something we all felt. Speaking English all day was tiring at first because we weren’t used to it, but now it’s not that bad anymore. I’ve gotten super used to it.

So, to the question “How are you coping with the foreign language?” I would say I’m coping with it pretty well now. I’m happy to be learning a new language, and that’s something I really appreciate. Was it difficult or surprisingly easy? It was definitely difficult, but I’m surprised by how much I’ve learned in such a short time especially how much I can understand now compared to when I arrived. Back then, it was impossible to have a conversation. Now, I feel much more confident.

The strategies I’ve developed to overcome communication differences are basically speaking with hands and feet, sometimes even acting things out. I often throw around words in a few languages or describe things very simply so that understanding is easier.

Thinking about how these skills will be useful later in life, I believe this experience has taught me to get out of my comfort zone. Even if I’m not perfect in the language, I can still try to speak and learn. The best way to learn a language is to speak it that’s something I’ve really realized. It also took away my fear of being in a country where I don’t speak the language perfectly, because even with just a few words, you can get around quite well. You really start learning a language once you’re in the country, and that’s something I’ll always remember.

Reflecting on all this, I think it has affected how I see myself as a communicator and speaker of a foreign language. I’ve been the weaker speaker, so it gave me more understanding for people learning my language and the struggles they face. I also understand the frustration now when you try to speak someone’s language and they immediately switch to English. It happens to me sometimes I try to speak French, and people just answer in English. That can be frustrating.

Overall, I’ve learned to appreciate the comfort of speaking my own language, but I don’t see it as a bad thing to speak English or French here. I’d like to be better than I am, but I’ve come to accept that progress is slow and that I won’t just wake up fluent one day.