It can often be difficult for students to see how the skills they are learning in class can be applied to the real world. But for one student in Prof. Nandini Sarma’s second-year French course – FINS 2105: Written Comprehension – it quickly became obvious how the skills she gained could help with her professional work.
After discovering how much the course had an impact once she got into the workforce, she sent a letter to Prof. Sarma and gave us permission to share it with you:
“I applied to FSWEP the year I moved to Ottawa. I got a job offer that didn’t require French, but all qualifications the same, the people with some knowledge of French were chosen over me. After that I decided to be proactive and signed up for duolingo. To make it more legitimate I signed up for three French classes, comprehension and low intermediate French. I approached my next interviews with more confidence regarding the language; maybe they liked the French, maybe they liked the initiative, I can’t disentangle the two. Either way, I’m sure it was an extra checkmark on their list and I would like to think it got my foot in the door.
Once I was in, I could see why. Even though I am an analyst working mostly with numbers, there are so many research tools with comment files that flip between French and English. It immensely helped my research and prevented mistakes due to misinterpretation. I was even tasked to train a girl who is a Francophone, and even though I couldn’t speak it well enough, I used my comprehension abilities to keep tabs on her work. It also came in handy when I was helping her at her computer (OS in French).
Maybe the most important (in terms of brownie points) was translating a really important email thread from my chief to my supervisors. I think it saved him a lot of time and he was really impressed with my abilities and maybe my initiative.
I think the most important thing I learned of all of my French courses was the comprehension and translation. I don’t think I have spoken any French since I’ve started, but being able to read emails, comments in files and other highly important communications makes for highly thorough and accurate research. It also saves the time of the person you would inevitably ask to translate for you. That being said, taking first steps in spoken French is also important. I am being sent off to a fulltime French course in the fall and I assume that all of these French courses will give me a leg up!
Thanks again for all of your hard work and thoughtful planning of this course.”
Many professors at Carleton, including Nandini, have been able to help students find value in their coursework. There are many ways to engage students and help them find connections between classroom learning and the workforce. What techniques do you use?