Saturday, 26 January 2013

Research at the Library and Easier Conversations



I spent most of today doing research for my senior thesis at the Emile Zola library in the Antigone district.  The library’s collection was very impressive and I found a number of good sources, including one book that I may end up purchasing from the bookstore in town to bring back to the states with me.  I am looking forward to doing research in the National Library when I’m in Paris in a month.  I took a study break at one point to peruse the library’s extensive collection of bandes déssinée, French comic books.  Study break well spent, in my opinion.  I also got quite a bit of homework done in the library’s café.

I am finding that I am getting better at French.  When I went out the other night, I communicated nearly entirely in French, even though most people present were fluent in English.  I find that being in a social situation I am under less pressure, which helps me stay relaxed and reduces the number of times that I blank out in the middle of the sentence and forget what I’m trying to say.  It is also easier to understand the people I hang out with as they do not have the accent of Southern France, which is just different enough to throw me off when talking to various people on the street or in stores.

So yeah, getting better all the time.

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