I must admit I felt like a bit of an intruder when I entered the spacious, contemporary classroom with its floor to ceiling windows, allowing sunlight to stream in on an eclectic group of women, all seated in a circle and looking intense, with their notebooks open and eyes towards the white board, giving attention to the welldressed woman in front of it.
I was three weeks late to the start of the Intermediate French course taking place at the Westbrook Community Centre, which I had registered for two months previously.
I am a firm believer learning should not stop upon the graduation of high school, college or university. Studying does not have to be undertaken with an articulated goal, for example, to gain entry to a specific profession, or to increase employment prospects.
There are many benefits to stretching the mind and the body in a multitude of stimulating ways. Taking courses in pickleball, crochet, bridge, computer programing, water colour painting, the guitar, environmental science, or learning another language enriches a life. Programs like these offer chances to make new friends, share my interests, and achieve personal goals. Learning can happen, and should happen, at any and every age.
I had attended the French language course about three years previously, given by the same wonderful Francophone teacher, Catherine Black. Although I had every intention of taking the course again, which is very reasonably priced at $150, for some reason life took over and I lapsed until October 2024. Even then I was weeks late to the first class.
I entered the classroom apologetically with a rush of déjà vu, immediately recognizing about half the students who were in the class the last time I attended. It was a firm endorsement, if I even needed one, that this course delivers. Later Catherine told me her regular students refer to themselves as “the lifers”, as they have been coming regularly for years.
For the next nine weeks, during the Autumn of 2024, I attended the intermediate French language course along with fourteen other women. I found it to be well structured, informal, entertaining and not at all dry. The fact the cohort of students all knew each other meant any tensions or nervousness about opening my mouth and attempting to speak in another language was gone.
The “lifers” had done their time, they understood the drill, liked the routine, were confident and relaxed, and comprehended their colleagues, which meant I was put at ease. Speaking French, at any level, was not an issue in this welcoming environment.
Although the course is designed to teach a second language, many of the students already speak two or three, with English often not their mother tongue. Ukrainian, Korean, Russian, and Mandarin were other languages spoken by my cohort.
Frequently the class was tasked with describing personal experiences from their country of birth, such as their primary school experience, holiday customs and traditions, modes of transportation, recycling, and markets. And in detailing what occurs in their country, the class learns not only the French language, but of another way of life. This sharing is special, as a new vocabulary is taught in addition to the norms of a foreign country.
While the stated objective is to improve language and comprehension skills, I found this also to be a social group of friends with a common interest- to learn another language, enjoy the experience and continue along the path of lifelong learning. There is a serious possibility I too could become a “lifer”.
JAYNE SEAGRAVE IS A B.C. RESIDENT AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF “CAMPING BRITISH COLUMBIA, THE ROCKIES AND THE YUKON”. SHE WRITES FICTION AND NON-FICTION, AND OCCASIONALLY TEACHES WRITING AND PUBLISHING COURSES.