It’s been over a month now since I’ve made a post here, so I’m long overdue for a new one. That, in part, was because I spent two and a half weeks at home for Christmas and New Year’s, which was wonderful for me. It was really great to see everyone again and spend some time back in my “old life.”
Of course, by that I don’t mean to suggest that one place is better than the other. That’s not true at all. It’s just… different. It’s strange living across the sea… I’ve always been so used to being able to get everywhere by car. It sort of enhances this idea that I have two different lives. I loved being home because I felt like I was really able to relax… it gave me a break from having to think about how to express myself and let me see a lot of the people I’ve really been missing. It’s good to be back, too, because now I’m back to work and continuing to improve my French, but I do miss being able to drive home to see my family whenever I want.
Speaking of work… unlike most American universities, French universities (or at least the Mirail) wait until after the Christmas holidays have finished to give their exams. Personally, I’m not sure I agree with this approach… it seems like the students, rather than spending their holidays studying, end up doing nothing and forgetting everything that they’ve learned and been practicing. Of course, as with just about everything here, “ce n’est pas mon choix.” (It’s not my choice.)
Over the past week and a half I proctored two exams and gave seven and a half hours of oral exams… so it’s been a lot of work. The oral exams were particularly frustrating because many of the students (about 80%, I would say) did little or no work over the course of the semester and had nothing to show for it. Moreover, they complained that they weren’t told that they had to go to workshops or do anything (which I find hard to believe). This seems to be an ongoing trend here… students like to complain a lot and find any possible way to get out of their obligations. That can be frustrating, but I try not to let it get to me. There were several students who were a real pleasure to interview and talk with as well.
On top of that, I have over a hundred exams to correct as well. However, the deadline for grading exams and submitting grades isn’t until February 27th (a month and a half from now — I can’t believe it!) so I have a lot of time to finish. What’s more important right now is that I plan my classes for next week. I’m a bit nervous, particularly for the US Civilization class that I’m teaching, but excited too. The classes for this semester are more focused on speaking rather than comprehension alone, so it’ll be exciting to be able to encourage the students to participate more frequently. We’ll see how things go…
P.S. I got a TV! But more on that later, once I actually get a cable so that I can watch it…
