VALDOSTA — Nathalie Faure finds the English language fascinating.
A native of France, she learned English through time spent in Britain.
She now hopes to learn the American way of speaking and delve into the United States’ rich tapestry of culture.
Faure is part of the J. William Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program for the 2010-2011 school year. She traded schools, classrooms and even apartments with Lowndes High School French teacher Kristin Webb.
Webb is currently teaching English at Faure’s school in Bordeaux, France.
Faure began teaching French at Lowndes High School on Aug. 2. She has been teaching English in France for 14 years, five of which were in Paris, the other nine in Bordeaux.
Teaching French, she said, will be a change and a bit of a challenge.
“It makes you disoriented at first,” Faure said. “It’s interesting because it makes you reflect more about your own language and how it works and how to adapt your teaching practices.”
Faure said she wanted to be a part of the teacher exchange program to have the opportunity to fully immerse herself in American culture. She has visited the United States several times, even bringing students here, but this is her first time in the Southeastern portion of the country.
“I wanted to discover American culture from the inside, discover how things work in an American high school,” Faure said.
The year-long experience will also be a personal discovery as Faure tests out her adaptation skills in a culture different from her own.
“It will be the first time I spend such a long time in the United States,” she said. “I want to discover what daily life in a small town is like in the Southern United States.”
Spending time in a place and getting to know its people are the best ways to understand its culture, she said.
As a tourist, it can be hard to fully understand and appreciate a culture, she said.
The warm and welcoming nature of everyone she has met so far has been delightful, she said.
“The students have been helpful as well. They have told me what to do when I am at a loss with things like the intercom,” Faure said.
During her year here, she hopes to dispel some of the clichés about the country and work to dispel some of the things Americans may assume are true about the French.
At LHS, Faure teaches several levels of French courses. The students have been receptive in the first two weeks, but Faure said she is waiting for them to break out of their shells and begin asking questions.
Faure said she has already been asked by a student if she has ever eaten frog.
That, Faure said, is not a dish she has ever eaten.
The main challenge, as far as teaching, will be to open the students up to the French culture and language.
She hopes the year spent in the American education system will give her a better understanding of her practices as a teacher and how she can improve and transform as a teacher and as a person, Faure said.
“You are changed by the people you meet,” Faure said. “It all has an impact on what you do and who you are.”
Faure said it was unexpected to be assigned to Valdosta, but having never traveled in the Southeast, it made the assignment all the more interesting.
“The Southern accent is something to get used to,” she said.
Faure said she also knows very little about Titletown’s favorite pastime — American football.
Sweet tea and boiled peanuts are also Southern staples Faure has been introduced to. The former, she said, is too sweet, but the latter was delicious.
The Fulbright program is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. The program, which is America’s flagship international educational exchange program, was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas.
To learn more, visit http://fulbright.state.gov.