It’s officially August, which means that there’s not even two months left until I leave for my second round as a Teaching Assistant in France. Where did the time go? As excited as I am to be back in France, this quarter-life-crisis train that I’ve been on for the past several months is still chuggin’ along, so I thought I could use some accountability in my life. What a better way to do that than by putting my goals for the year on display for the world to see? So, here we are.
- Explore different parts of Alsace.
- This is my second year in the same city, and I am positive that I have not seen all there is to offer. And since my school placement is waaaaaay up there in the northeastern part of Alsace (literally, the eastern-most corner of France), why not start there?
- Visit more of France.
- One of my regrets from last year is not visiting enough French cities, so this year we’re going to remedy that. The first two cities on my list will include Lyon and Marseille.
- Take the DALF OR TCF.
- Honestly, I haven’t decided which one. Either way, I need to get my “official” level of French if I want to apply to grad school, which brings me to my next goal.
- Figure out a non-TAPIF plan for next year.
- I love the TAPIF program, I really do. But I can’t do it a third year, even if they let me. Avenues I’d like to pursue are getting a Lectrice position or getting into grad school in France. Failing both of those, I’d have to go home, regroup, and start working and saving money for Plan C, which honestly, is A Big Fat Nothing at the moment.
- Live with roommates and/or speak more French.
- I lived alone last year, which made it extremely easy to stick to my Anglophone bubble. Between that, and the fact that I’m absolutely terrible at meeting new people, I need to do better this year.
Bonus, non-TAPIF-related goal: Never have to work in a restaurant again. Please, God, I am so. Incredibly. Tired. Of working in restaurants.
So, there we are. Five (and one bonus) goals for next year. What do you think? Do you have any similar goals for yourself? Let me know!
Those are worthy goals! Like you, I lived alone my first year, then with other assistants my second year, and it really made a difference in speaking French regularly. Especially if you room with Spanish, German, and other non-Anglophone assistants, it gives more opportunities to practice French.
I’ll be near the Lyon region, so let me know when you decide to visit!
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Yeah! Living alone was kind of lonely, I found. Having someone to talk to when I get home at night would be really nice!!
Definitely will let you know when I go! Let me know if you make a visit to Strasbourg!
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I took the TCF just because of the price, but if you can afford the DELF/DALF and dedicate the time to studying it, I’d recommend doing that one! The certification lasts for a lifetime, whereas the TCF you have to retake after 2-3 years. Great goals for year 2 in France! ❤
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Yeah! I have a DALF C1 practice book, but it’s honestly been a little hard to concentrate on, haha. Did you take the tcf for the tapif program, or something else? just curious. 🙂
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I did the TCF as well for uni admissions because it was the only one that still had testing dates near me in March… Honestly, the TCF was really easy (I got a C2?!!?) so once my TCF results expire, I’ll probably opt for the DALF instead if I need a preuve for something.
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Yeah! That’s honestly one reason I might take the tcf as bad as it sounds, hahaha because I’ve heard it’s easier. wooops
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I did it because I was looking into some masters programs, but if I could do it again I think the DALF would be more worthwhile! Also I heard from a friend that did it that the C2 DALF is easier than the C1 because it’s less nitty gritty than the C1 and more geared towards overall expression and mastery of the language. So maybe give it a try!
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YYEEEESSSSS See you in Marseille!!!!!! And Lyon is the best, you’ll love it! My French cities I want to visit this year are Strasbourg (heyyy) and Lille 🙂
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Yes definitely!! Ooooh Lille would be fun too, I’ve not been there yet, either. 🙂
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These are excellent goals! Very excited for you!
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