My Experience in Nice

Why I Chose to Go Solo!

Hello, my name is Kate and I am a fifth-year student from Galway. I chose Tribe Study Abroad to enhance my previous French knowledge while developing a deeper understanding of the language to support me in the upcoming school year! I noticed that they were offering a tailormade Leaving Cert preparation course specifically for my age group.

I chose to go by myself solely because I felt I would be more intensely immersed in the language by encouraging myself to speak French with new people while I was there. I was a bit nervous about who my roommate might be since I was alone, and I remember seeing my name on a board with my host family after I had landed in Nice Airport and at once felt reassured and excited.

Bonjour, Nice!

Straight away, I noticed how rusty my spoken French had been but was determined to strengthen it, even if I made mistakes. I took all opportunities to speak, even if it was only small words at the beginning. But naturally, by having conversations, I felt my pronunciation and vocabulary increased as time went on.

I arrived at my host house and received a welcoming tour along with meeting my new roommate. It was such a relief to see we had the same interests, even though we came from miles apart. Luckily for me, the school was less than a five-minute walk!

French Lessons & New Faces 📚

I arrived at school, checked my name on the list and noticed there were four people from Galway in my class. I was shocked. I arrived at the lesson to both familiar and new faces, equally exciting!

We started by introducing ourselves. The classroom environment was very friendly, with the teacher being exceptionally helpful with correcting our pronunciation. As the classes went on, day by day I noticed how much vocabulary, well-structured sentences and phrases I had gained to put into my work in the future.

My teacher perfectly recognised when we were ready to be challenged and when we needed additional support. I received many useful handouts on topics I previously was uncertain about that I can now review to refresh my memory.

I felt as though all my weaker areas, particularly grammar, had been improved. Since the class was small, I was able to ask necessary questions one-to-one with the teacher.

Getting Ready for the Leaving Cert ✍️

I would, without a doubt, encourage the Leaving Certificate classes. Here, I worked on written pieces, reading comprehensions, aural tests and, of course, the orals. These were heavily specialised for our final exam next June.

The balance between our general classes in the morning with the Leaving Certificate classes in the afternoon paired perfectly together.

Friends From Around the World 🌍

Throughout the week, I had met a variety of different nationalities, including Slovakian, Swiss, Swedish, Italian, English and, of course, a few Irish people!

I found it easy to get to know people as we were all in the same boat and all had one language in common which we communicated in. I learnt so many new words from speaking to these people and definitely made friends for life!

Exploring the French Riviera ☀️

My new friends and I went on a trip to Antibes; it was so beautiful and felt very authentic.

We also went to Cannes to watch the fireworks show, which we were lucky enough to be there for. It was incredible and so many people had come together to watch it – although the train station afterwards was quite an experience with how busy it was, but definitely worth the wait!!

A Very French Bastille Day 🎆

One of the most moving nights was the 14th of July, known as Bastille Day, when we watched a drone and light show on the beach which paid respect to the history of Bastille Day in Nice. It was certainly touching and memorable.

My Home Away From Home 🏡

Dinner with my host family was very enjoyable. I found myself understanding each other better as the days went on but struggled with the speed of French that native people spoke compared to our listenings at my school!

I found that taking in the words I understood and piecing together the others at a more capable pace helped me figure out what was being said.

Why I’d Definitely Do It Again 💙

If anyone is thinking of going solo while studying French with Tribe Study Abroad, I would more than happily encourage them to go for it, even if you are nervous, as the outcome is so much greater than the initial nerves, and everything definitely works out!

I returned home with lifelong friendships, improved confidence in French, unforgettable memories and a deeper appreciation of French culture. I am beyond grateful for this experience and believe this language course has helped me immensely for the Leaving Certificate.