I’ll be honest with you, the reason I initially started learning French isn't very glamorous. My mom heard of a place that gave French classes and I thought it would be a fun skill to impress people with, so I thought I’d give it a go. As I started diving deeper into the language, I started to really see it enrich my life in more ways than one. 

French has given me a new way of looking at the world. The more I learn the language, the more I can connect with and appreciate the work of French movies, literature and even YouTubers and rap music.

During the lockdown I decided to challenge myself and reread the Harry Potter séries in French. I’ve also been exploring the works of the famous French author and poet Charles Baudelaire.

And if you love traveling like I do, you’ll probably know that sense of unfamiliarity you feel when almost everything you come across is written in a language you can’t understand.

Even little things such as being able to read signs or asking someone for directions can make places as culturally diverse as Paris and Marrakech feel familiar and homelike.

If you’re considering joining the Alliance Française and trying the language out I’d recommend you take the plunge. I think one thing that most people find intimidating is that you may be the only one learning the language amongst your peers, but don’t worry, that’s the case for a lot of people here. You’ll make friends here.

I often have to take gaps between French courses owing to university and have to join entirely new groups and it’s always easy to adjust.

The teachers are welcoming and are always willing to help make things easier for you (and, if there’s time after classes, we might all gather around and play a game in French!)

Trying something new may seem daunting but you never know what you may gain from it if you don’t.

—Maryam