My journey with French began in the 7th grade when everyone in my public middle school chose their foreign language. Something about the French language’s je ne sais quoi called to me, and I’m so glad I chose it. French was challenging for me to grasp at first; however, I fell deeply in love with the language once I reached high school. Since then, French language and culture have shaped my life in ways I could never have imagined at the time.
One day I discovered two American polyglots on YouTube who were based in Paris. They traveled around the world and frequently made videos in French with English subtitles. I soon became obsessed with their lives. I immersed myself in the Haussmann architecture they were surrounded by, the hustle of the city, and their love for learning languages.
Serendipitously, one day in 10th grade, inspired by their multilingualism, I took my seat in French class and declared to my teacher that someday she would watch me go to France and learn to speak French fluently – and she took me at my word. By random chance, she informed me that one student pulled out of our school exchange program for the upcoming Spring, leaving an open spot. If I wanted, it would be mine. Suddenly, I was preparing to stay with a French host family outside of Toulouse for 3 weeks in just a matter of months.
Despite the fearless strike of confidence that pushed me on this trip, deep down, I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to communicate at my beginner level. I knew that my host family did not speak English, and at 15, I was the first person in my family to ever leave the country.
Once I landed, my experience could not have been more contrary to my fears. Even at my A1 level, it was the most incredible feeling to see just how much French I actually did have inside me. I understood a great deal of our dinner conversations, made friendships, and built a community. French transformed from something abstract that I was required to learn at school into a community of friends who shared our language mistakes, learning English from me at the same time. Through our collaboration to understand each other and be understood, I was so moved that it changed the trajectory of my life. To say I was hooked would be an understatement.
Ever since, French has remained a central pillar to my identity, my dreams, and my daily routine. I continued studying French in college and finished my French minor by my junior year. At that point, I remember sitting in my advisor’s office getting emotional because I had finished the short track of courses for the minor. Alors, I kept taking extra classes and even took advantage of an amazing abroad internship program my school offered where I worked at an art gallery in Paris.
Leaving Paris, I knew I would be back. This past year I served as an English language assistant in Nantes where I fell even deeper in love with French and gained confidence in my usage of the language.
Most days I was humbled by the many more mistakes I made than fully accurate sentences, but I soon realized how little it really mattered. I was communicating, thriving, making connections, friendships, and a community with my students, teachers, and friends. Each day was a cycle of mistakes, correction, learning, and growth towards becoming a stronger technician of the language.
I often arrived home exhausted with only a few Franglais words left when I called my family or friends back home, but I was so incredibly fulfilled by my ever-growing community who made the huge effort of language acquisition very well worth it.
Leaving Nantes was a much more tender goodbye. Knowing I would never lose my love for French, I was daunted by my hopes to maintain all of the progress I had made, feeling like I was leaving my French life across the ocean. A tearful goodbye later, I turned to the French Library to rebuild my community back at home. I could not be more excited to be immersed, once again, in Francophone language and culture!
At every crossroads where French challenged me, it was building community, with my high school French teacher, my host family, and my friends whom I now keep up with à distance, that my fluency and comfort in the language skyrocketed. With every meaningful connection that I’ve made in the language, French has continued to embed itself as a permanent fixture in my heart.
I have been so lucky to have had the opportunity to live and work in France; however, you don’t have to have a visa to learn French, or any language for that matter. Wherever you find your community, be it in language classes, conversation clubs, theater, or game nights, the French Library is an invaluable local resource to form friendships, take advantage of exceptional and caring language teachers, and build lasting connections.
One day I discovered two American polyglots on YouTube who were based in Paris. They traveled around the world and frequently made videos in French with English subtitles. I soon became obsessed with their lives. I immersed myself in the Haussmann architecture they were surrounded by, the hustle of the city, and their love for learning languages.
Serendipitously, one day in 10th grade, inspired by their multilingualism, I took my seat in French class and declared to my teacher that someday she would watch me go to France and learn to speak French fluently – and she took me at my word. By random chance, she informed me that one student pulled out of our school exchange program for the upcoming Spring, leaving an open spot. If I wanted, it would be mine. Suddenly, I was preparing to stay with a French host family outside of Toulouse for 3 weeks in just a matter of months.
Despite the fearless strike of confidence that pushed me on this trip, deep down, I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to communicate at my beginner level. I knew that my host family did not speak English, and at 15, I was the first person in my family to ever leave the country. Once I landed, my experience could not have been more contrary to my fears. Even at my A1 level, it was the most incredible feeling to see just how much French I actually did have inside me. I understood a great deal of our dinner conversations, made friendships, and built a community. French transformed from something abstract that I was required to learn at school into a community of friends who shared our language mistakes, learning English from me at the same time. Through our collaboration to understand each other and be understood, I was so moved that it changed the trajectory of my life. To say I was hooked would be an understatement.
Ever since, French has remained a central pillar to my identity, my dreams, and my daily routine. I continued studying French in college and finished my French minor by my junior year. At that point, I remember sitting in my advisor’s office getting emotional because I had finished the short track of courses for the minor. Alors, I kept taking extra classes and even took advantage of an amazing abroad internship program my school offered where I worked at an art gallery in Paris.
Leaving Paris, I knew I would be back. This past year I served as an English language assistant in Nantes where I fell even deeper in love with French and gained confidence in my usage of the language.
Most days I was humbled by the many more mistakes I made than fully accurate sentences, but I soon realized how little it really mattered. I was communicating, thriving, making connections, friendships, and a community with my students, teachers, and friends. Each day was a cycle of mistakes, correction, learning, and growth towards becoming a stronger technician of the language. I often arrived home exhausted with only a few Franglais words left when I called my family or friends back home, but I was so incredibly fulfilled by my ever-growing community who made the huge effort of language acquisition very well worth it.
Leaving Nantes was a much more tender goodbye. Knowing I would never lose my love for French, I was daunted by my hopes to maintain all of the progress I had made, feeling like I was leaving my French life across the ocean. A tearful goodbye later, I turned to the French Library to rebuild my community back at home. I could not be more excited to be immersed, once again, in Francophone language and culture!
At every crossroads where French challenged me, it was building community, with my high school French teacher, my host family, and my friends whom I now keep up with à distance, that my fluency and comfort in the language skyrocketed. With every meaningful connection that I’ve made in the language, French has continued to embed itself as a permanent fixture in my heart.
I have been so lucky to have had the opportunity to live and work in France; however, you don’t have to have a visa to learn French, or any language for that matter. Wherever you find your community, be it in language classes, conversation clubs, theater, or game nights, the French Library is an invaluable local resource to form friendships, take advantage of exceptional and caring language teachers, and build lasting connections.
Kaitlin Howlett
Social Media & Administrative Assistant
A Massachusetts native, Kaitlin grew up on the South Shore and began learning French in middle school. She graduated from Boston University in 2025 with a B.A. with honors in History and a minor in French. Kaitlin has worked in France both as an intern at the Parisian art gallery Area Corps and as an English Language Assistant in Nantes. Following her most recent séjour en France, she comes to the French library with a background in university and non-profit administration as well as foreign language education. She is thrilled to contribute to the French Library’s Social Media presence and Marketing Team and foster greater involvement in the Greater Boston Francophone community, which has given her so much. When not at the French library, Kaitlin loves to read, hike, kayak, travel, and fish along the coasts of Massachusetts!
