Our speaker for August 2 - Iris Dudek

Today’s program was from Iris Dudek, a Rotary District Exchange student sponsored by our Club to France.  She just returned from her year and greeted us in French.

She stayed with three families in the Rhone Alps, specifically in Saint Just – Saint Rambert near Lyon.  This is a very small town of less than 10,000 people without even a supermarket.  However, nearby Lyon, with a population over 400,000, has everything.

Although she was lived in France for a year, she had not previously studied French at all!  Her initial host family also spoke Spanish however, and she was also fairly fluent in Spanish.  This became the bridge to help her communicate while she learned French.  Her second family hosts were professors at the local university.  The third family hosts were sticklers for using French correctly, but since this was toward the end of her year, it served to polish the language for her.

She expressed appreciation for the hospitality extended to her from not only her host families, but the local Rotary club as well as the Rotary District.  She and the other exchange students felt welcomed and included in various activities.  Her host families took her on some trips, including Spain and Italy.

Most of her time was spent in a French high school.  Their school system is different from ours in several respects.  First, they are in school from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.  They have almost no social activities at school, and “school spirit” doesn’t exist.  Also, there are very strict teacher-student relationships.

She mentioned one of her language gaffes.  Sometimes a minor change in a word causes a very different meaning.  She introduced herself to one group saying she was 19 years old.  Later, a woman privately asked her to clarify – did she really have two children?

She gave us a humorous “How to be French in Five Steps:  Use hands; add noises and whistles; use “Ooh la la”, know cheeses, and don’t smile for pictures!

She also told us what going to France for a year taught her:

    Give yourself a break!
    Always give your best effort
    Don’t feel you always have to say something
    We are all human
    Laugh off mistakes but learn from them.

Iris has plans to go to Ventura College for two years, then she would like to transfer to France to study International Relations and Foreign Diplomacy.  She loves France!

Thank You, Iris, for the talk about your exciting year!  And keep us up to date as you continue your studies!

Rocky Ludes