One of the things I was most excited about was hearing another language constantly. Since I minored in French, I was ready to learn all I could through immersion and constant practice. I didn’t get as much practice as I would have liked, but I was still challenged in many ways. In Benin, there are also native languages that I got to hear. Many Beninese people are fluent in at least two languages. I thought I had prepared enough simple French phrases to get around, but the problem wasn’t my fluency; it was my anxiety. I would know what words to use, but I got too nervous about my accent or continuing a conversation, so I often didn’t try at all. The classes were also not structured to allow much constant practice, so my language learning mostly consisted of comprehension. I still made the most of it, especially when I realized the Beninese accent is different from what I’m used to hearing. I love learning about languages, including accents. When I become fluent in French, I do not doubt that understanding multiple dialects and accents will come in handy when translating or traveling. To make the most of this trip, I decided to focus on the things I could do well and tried not to worry about areas needing extensive work. Dwelling on mistakes is something I do often, but traveling to different countries and immersing myself is a rare experience that should be enjoyed. Next time I visit a French-speaking country, I hope to be fluent enough to speak more comfortably.
