Mary Andrus

12/9/20
FRN 1010
E-portfolio Reflection

When I registered for an Intro to French class this year I could say the days of the week,
numbers up to 100 and “hello” and “goodbye,” in French. I could not formulate sentences more
than three or four words long. Now, at the end of the semester, I feel comfortable having a basic
conversation with another French speaker (as long as they don’t talk too fast!). I am even more
comfortable writing in French and, although I am somewhat restricted by vocabulary, I can
communicate much of what I’m thinking. I also find that when I don’t know how to say something
I usually only need to look up one word--not put the whole sentence into a translator! This is a
huge improvement for me and I can’t believe that it only took one semester! For my final
assignment I composed a 350-word “letter” explaining what Utah is like--the weather, holidays,
and some activities common here. I wrote all but two or three words without using a translator
and I just briefly referenced vocabulary lists from the class. Enough of the French language has
become part of me so that I can think and formulate sentences in the language! They may be
basic, informal sentences, I may only know how to conjugate certain verbs, and I may only be
familiar with the present tense, but I am so much more capable and confident in the French
language than I was at the beginning of the semester.

At the beginning of the semester I learned that French is spoken by around

three-hundred-million people on earth today, and that it is one of the official languages of the
United Nations! In this class I began to learn how to ​communicate effectively​ with over
three-hundred-million people that I would not have been able to speak to before! I also gained
important skills in ​thinking critically and creatively!​ Because my vocabulary in French is limited, I
have had to practice coming up with ways to say what I think with the words I know. This can be
difficult, but I’ve developed some of the patience and persistence needed in succeeding even
when your resources are small.

In French 1010 I learned how to write basic information and have a basic conversation in
French. I also got more of a “feel” for the language that enables me to formulate my own
sentences even when I must use an English-French dictionary for a specific word. I am now
farther along the path of fulfilling Salt Lake Community College’s college-wide learning
outcomes, including ​communicating effectively​ and ​thinking critically and creatively.