William Lejeune: a first step between two shores of the Atlantic

I am studying speech therapy in the liberal arts faculty (here, philosophy and literature) at the University of Louisiana.

There, I learned that the cities of Lafayette and Namur were twinned. This connection played a decisive role in my decision to go on exchange, as it made organizing the trip much easier. Thanks to CODOFIL (Council for the Development of French in Louisiana), I was able to obtain a scholarship, without which I probably would never have been able to come and study in Namur.

After an 11-hour flight, I arrived in Belgium at the end of January, where I will stay until the end of June to take my exams.

I find the teachers and students very kind. They are also understanding of my situation and the fact that French is not my mother tongue. They are there for me if I need them, to help me, speak more slowly, or answer my questions. I feel that they want to make my experience as pleasant as possible.

However, I still have difficulty understanding French, which is why I chose to take courses in which I already have in-depth knowledge, such as general linguistics, for example. 

The classes are quite different from those in the United States. There, they take place several times a week according to a fixed schedule. Here, they are often grouped into a single session and the schedule can change from week to week. It was a little surprising at first, but you get used to it quickly.

First, the city is accessible to pedestrians. In the US, it's very difficult to get around without a car, and public transportation needs to be improved. Here, public transportation is available in all cities, even in the most rural areas, like where I come from.

I was also surprised that stores are not open all night. In Louisiana, and even throughout the US, stores are open 24 hours a day. This is strange to me, as is the fact that there are no stores where you can find absolutely everything. Where I live, there is a chain of hypermarkets offering a huge range of products at reduced prices. In these stores, you can find clothes, food, and more, all within a few aisles.

However, there are also similarities between Louisiana and Belgium. For example, French culture remains strong in Louisiana, a bit like Walloon culture here in southern Belgium.

As a speech therapy student, I need to obtain a master's degree. The problem is that getting into a university that offers this program in the United States is not easy because it is a very competitive field. In addition to developing my language skills, I think this exchange will allow me to stand out from other students. Currently, I speak English, French, and a little Spanish and Portuguese. I hope that these skills will give me a real advantage in getting accepted into this school.

I would love to travel a lot. So far, I have visited Dinant and Brussels, but I would like to discover many other European destinations. 

When I talk to my friends or roommates, I often tell them that I would like to go to Portugal. They always reply that it's far away, but for me it's not—on the contrary, it's right next door. In Louisiana, it takes me 40 minutes just to get to the University of Lafayette. Here, after a 40-minute drive, I'm almost in Brussels! Europeans don't have the same concept of distance as Americans.

I'm looking forward to discovering lots of other things in Namur, Belgium, and all over Europe.

Yes, and I sincerely hope that my experience will inspire other students to try the same adventure in the years to come, including those who are not learning French as part of their studies.

An exchange of this kind is always interesting, whether in Namur, other French-speaking countries in Europe, or even Quebec. 

Photo credits: NEW ASBL.