The Perils of French Class

As someone who has spent years studying the language of French, I couldn't help but relate to Sedaris’s piece “Talk me Pretty”. Despite the differences in the harshness of our learning experience, Sedaris and I shared a common fear of failing the language.

For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to learn how to speak French. Growing up hearing it described as “the language of love” solidified my desire to understand the language into a resolute goal. Unlike Sedaris, when I began taking classes, I was met with nothing but understanding and faith. My teachers made it clear it was ok to make mistakes and that, although learning a language was a challenge, it was one I could accomplish. Sedaris, on the other hand, was repeatedly called “lazy” as well as being threatened with chalk to the head. Naturally, he developed a fear of messing up in class and facing further ridicule from his sadistic teacher. Although I have never faced the abuse Sedaris went through, I too dreaded coming to class and being faced with a problem I couldn’t answer correctly. Our situations may have been different, but our feelings were the same. The pressure to succeed doesn't always come from an external source, such as a teacher or parent. Sometimes it comes from within. Especially in a place like Troy High, where seeing classmates achieve incredible academic feats is an everyday occurrence. It's important to remember that the success and expectations of others shouldn't limit your own growth and accomplishment.






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Truth of the Past

Image
  The fascination with ancient Greek history has plagued western society for centuries. It was a time when people could be who they wished. Homosexuality was not only accepted, but normal. It was the start of democracy, and the philosophies discussed inspire even today’s great thinkers. The arts flourished and science bloomed. By all accounts, it was a progressive and idealistic age. Unless of course, you were unfortunate enough to be born a woman. Sadly, this seems to be a common theme throughout history. Like art and media, history too is corrupted by prejudices and injustices. Though men like Lord Henry and Dorian Gray may be able to look back on the Hellenistic age as a time of inclusion, the same can't be said for everyone. The women of this time were not given any of the benefits received by men and were forced to live their entire lives as property, their only value coming from their ability to create children. As we discussed this age in class, many of us wondered why today...
Read more

Born a Blonde

Image
For the most part, I still look remarkably like my childhood self. I have the same blue eyes, chubby cheeks, and wide ears. Obviously I’ve matured and grown, but most of my features have remained the same. The only glaringly obvious difference is my hair                As you can see in this photo, I was born with light, fair, and incredibly blond hair. In case you weren't aware, that is no longer the case. Every year, my hair got increasingly darker, until eventually the blond disappeared and I was placed firmly into the category of brunette. When I was younger, I would say that I was losing the blond because I was getting smarter, which was rather clever for a 6 year old, but also stereotypical and just plain wrong. At such a young age I didn't truly understand the “dumb blond” stereotype or why it had been created, but because I had heard it in casual conversation and on TV I assumed that it was ok to joke about. Of course, I had blond fri...
Read more

Adversity at Troy High

Image
  An interesting question was posed this week due to the nature of our In Class Essay, do Troy High students face true adversity in their schooling? Obviously everyone has their own personal struggles, but when it comes to school we are afforded every luxury.      Sometimes it can be hard to recognize the privilege we have because it’s our version of normal, but compared to many other school districts we are incredibly advantaged. We have access to high level classes and well educated teachers. If we ever have any trouble in school, we are provided countless resources to get us back on track. If we have basically any questions at all, our guidance counselors are an email away and always supply helpful information. We’re expected to succeed and given every opportunity to. In fact, when someone doesn’t get into a top college, they face judgement from their peers. Despite the fact that for many around the world simply going to college is a huge accomplishment. Of ...
Read more