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Tuesday, December 27, 2022

A Letter from Ella in Deauville

 

I arrived in Deauville on November 2nd, just in time for la rentrée after the October vacation. The first month in Deauville has been a whirlwind, settling into life in France, getting to know my students and colleagues, and seeing some old friends from my high school exchange back in 2018.

The first weekend in town Kira, our roommate from Nashville, and I went to Rouen for some shopping. We stopped into the church, checked out the gold clock that has been ticking since 1389, and of course stopped into some stores. Rouen is one of my favorite "cities" to visit near Deauville—it not only has the same selection of stores as your average mall in France, but in the beautiful setting of charming medieval Rouen, complete with cobblestone streets and a beautiful Gothic cathedral.                    


The following Monday was my first day on the job, and the first day back after vacation. I followed Ivan and Kira to observe their classes, older and younger kids, respectfully.I soon began working with the younger kids—the U.S. equivalent of preschool through 1st grade. It’s amazing how much even the youngest kids knew already, and how easily they retained English. My favorite group to work with so far have been the first graders. I love their enthusiasm and the extent of activities and content that I can do with them.

 

I’ve also enjoyed getting to know the older kids during extracurricular time like recess and lunch. I’ve been really impressed with not only their level of English, but also their comfortability around us Americans. Having worked elsewhere in France in a similar capacity, I’ve seen how kids can view foreigners as some kind of extra-terrestrial. I love that the Deauville kids are super used to having Americans around, so they understand that sometimes we say things wrong or misunderstand. I’m curious how this changes the kids’ openness and patience towards non-French speakers as they grow up.

On the social side of things, Kelly, Kira, and I have enjoyed getting closer to our fellow animateurs, many of whom live in Deauville. Towards the end of the month, we were invited to one of our colleagues’ birthday parties. We enjoyed a nice dinner in Deauville with our colleagues and some of their friends. We’ve all felt very accepted and welcomed into their group which not only makes work more fun, but also makes Deauville feel more like home.

 

My time in Deauville is off to a great start, and I can't wait to get back after the Christmas vacation.

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