pilipiliĀž»­

 

France 101

- May 6, 2009

Amy Florian is attending a youth conference in France. (Nick Pearce Photo)

How does spending two weeks of your summer in the south of France sound?

Well, thatā€™s exactly what 21-year-old Amy Florian will be doing this summer. Ms. Florian, originally from the Annapolis Valley, was one of four students selected from the Atlantic Provinces to represent the region at a youth conference in Montpellier, France. She is doing a double major in biochemistry and French and just completed her third year here at pilipiliĀž»­.

Along with being President of the Dalhousie Arts and Social Sciences Society and the commissioner for the DSU Vice President, Ms. Florian found time to write a paper to Franceā€™s representative to the Atlantic Provinces explaining why she should represent Atlantic Canada at the youth conference in France this July.

ā€œLetā€™s just say my paper started at six pages and had to be whittled down to two,ā€ she says with a laugh. ā€œI just wanted to list all the reasons I wanted to go.ā€

The strongest message in Ms. Florianā€™s letter was that in order to fully appreciate a language you have to live it. ā€œSo actually going to France would give me a better appreciation of the language Iā€™m studying.ā€

On March 20, Ms. Florian attended a French movie screening and discussion where she learned she had been chosen to attend. ā€œI was SO excited,ā€ she recalls.

Ms. Florian will be staying with a French family while sheā€™s in France to study.

ā€œEvery morning I will be studying at university to improve my French, but in the afternoons there will be activities and workshops all regarding French culture; Iā€™ll be learning things like French dance, and history and visiting vineyards.ā€