Study-Abroad #3: Week 7 Update in Cameroon- French Language Immersion

Hello, everyone! Given how much you all liked my first post about how my semester abroad in Cameroon is going, I wanted to post another update about what the past three weeks have been like. As I am sure you can imagine, these past few weeks have been even busier than before, but have also been rewarding in more ways than I could have ever imagined.

(Pictured: Naji, Meaghan, and I on International Women's Day)

Since I last updated you, I have started and almost finished an intensive 24-hour anthropology course at l’Université d’Afrique Centrale with other francophone African students, Middlebury Students, and three of my Dickinson classmates. Due to the large size of Yaoundé, we all live on the opposite side of the city of where the university is located, so this past week was a huge awakening after having had the luxury of waking up at 7 am up until then. This past Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, I had to wake up at 5:45 am before everyone else was awake in my household. Twice this week, I had to take a taxi at 6:25 am, be driven by our program’s driver at 7 am, arrive early to campus, and then take a 4-hour long class from 8 am-noon with a very short 15-minute break in between. On our way back, we had to take two taxis to get to our Dickinson Center. Needless to say, it was mentally and physically exhausting.

Though it is typical for most professors to arrive late to class due to traffic jams and having a different conceptualization of time, having over three hours of class can still be brutal. No matter how interesting a course is, I find it hard to focus on the material for that amount of time. I decided to take this course, so that I could take a course in one of my many disciplines, anthropology, in a third-year undergraduate course taught in French. Despite the length of the course, I understand the material well, as I have 4 anthropology courses under my belt and am fluent in the language. That being said, we just finished the 12-hour theoretical part of the course and have this week off to work on our 4-hour-long presentations that count as the only grade for this course. My friends and I decided to focus on the impacts of colonization on Cameroonian society, primarily focusing on the educational system, language, and how women’s roles have changed since Cameroon’s colonial regimes. Unfortunately, there are only three university students in the course, so it has not been easy making local friends; however, all three of them are very kind and are easily approachable.

Aside from this course, most of our group has also taken dance lessons for over a month with two professional dance instructors in the center of town. One of them has won many international prizes as the best dancer within the francophone diaspora! I will admit that I was intimidated by him at first, but am starting to get used to his method of teaching and how he interacts with us. Though we are by no means professional dancers, I have enjoyed taking these lessons twice a week. We have been working on two separate traditional Cameroonian dances, on our flexibility, and especially on our agility. What makes African dancing so much fun and such a good work out is the fact that you have to use all parts of your body to make certain movements: everything from your head to your toes. My hands and arms are very weak, so I have been working on strengthening those areas. At the end of our semester, we will have a dance performance in which all of our host families and our program staff will come to watch us dance. Hopefully I will be more confident in the dances’ transitions and movements by the end of June!

Since we have stayed in Yaoundé for over a month, that has allowed me to spend quality time with my host mom, my two host sisters, and my host brother. Yesterday morning, I helped the la menagère (the cleaning lady) and my host sister prepare an elaborate meal for over three hours. What I have noticed is that meals take a much longer time to make here, not just because of their long preparation, but also since most families make everything by hand. For example, instead of cutting onions on a cutting board, they do so in thin air and are experts at being efficient and quick when doing meal preparations outside.

As is the case in most patriarchal societies, mainly women cook and do the household chores here. Unlike most mothers that I have met, women here are tough-skinned and have very agile and strong hands and arms, as they have use them for most tasks that they perform throughout the day. What most Americans would consider normal is considered a luxury here, so we do not wash our clothes using a washing and a drying machine at home. This task is also done by hand and is very time-consuming if you do not know how to do it well. You first have to fill up a large bucket with water, put in your laundry detergent, and then let your clothes soak for several hours, or even a day, depending on how much time you have to wash your clothes. Once they have been submerged well in water, you rinse them out, soap them all over, rinse them out again, and then place them in another bucket. The amount of times that you do these steps depends on how much soap needs to be rinsed out and how clean you want your clothes to be. Once you are done with that, you place each clothing item on a clothing rack and let your clothes dry out for about a day and voilà- elles sont prêtes!

The food here has exceeded my expectations. As a foodie, I had never tried Cameroonian food before coming here. Now that I have been here for almost two months, I can assure you that this cuisine is rich and diverse depending on the city, or region in which you are. Some typical dishes that I have tried and enjoyed so far are le Ndolé, le coq, les haricots, le poulet, les plantains frits, and pepper sauce. Most meat dishes at restaurants are served with rice and come with a green sauce a spicy hot red sauce, which is perfect to add some spice and flavor to any meal. During the duration of my stay, I hope to continue helping la menagère prepare dishes, so that I can attempt to replicate them when I come home later this summer. My favorite drinks so far have been l’Orangina, le jus de papaille and Top. I will admit that I miss eating at least one meal with meat and other ethnic cuisines. Luckily, I only have a few more months left before I can make some Colombian arepas and posta negra!

Perhaps the most challenging part of my stay here has not been any of the tasks that I have mentioned above. In fact, I am starting to get used to washing my clothes by hand and having to wake up early. My neighborhood and most of Yaoundé suffers from good water quality, which means that you have to buy and use bottled water to brush your teeth and drink. This leads to water being “cut” almost every day. We have already gone five days without water before, which makes it very difficult to take regular and long showers, as you have to be considerate about those around you who have to also shower. This led to my decision to cut my hair and to what I would call a haircut disaster.

When I went to the hair salon last Monday, all I asked for was for my longer hair and my shorter hairs in the front to be evened out. Instead, the hairdresser thought that it was a good idea to have my hair washed, dried, and then cut with what looked like a razor. My problem was not that he used a razor, but rather that he thought that he could cut off much more than I had asked for and that he cut it while it was dry. I am sure that other people who have curly hair know how uneven your hair can be cut if it is not cut when it is still soaked and looks straight. Bref, it is so hot here that I wear my hair up either way, so I hope that is grows out several inches before I leave on June 22^nd. I also think that my hair was not cut to my liking because the texture of women’s hair is very different to that of my own, so I am not sure how many blanches clients they get at that salon.

The most memorable day of my time here was on International Women’s Day, which is celebrated around the world on March 8^th. Due to having class really early then, my three friends and I were not able to participate in the big march in which thousands of men and women come together in solidarity to stand up for women’s rights and to celebrate women for what they do for their families and society. What makes this day so special here is that most people who can afford to do so go to the market, buy the annual women’s day fabric, go to a couturier, and have a dress, shirts and pants, a romper, or whatever they would like be tailored to their liking. This year’s fabrics were pink and orange.

All 10 of us got Women’s Day outfits and wore them to class. After spending some time at a restaurant for lunch, we all took pictures in our outfits. I ended the day by going to a snack (similar to a bar) with two of my host siblings. We ordered drinks and ate street meat kebabs, which were tender and juicy. Once we were done eating, we got up and started dancing to the selection of African hits that the DJ played. Most of the clients were women with their partners, or with their friends who were enjoying what could possibly be the only day of the year in which it is acceptable for them to stay up until 5 in the morning dancing and singing with their friends instead of being responsible for their households. It was a joy seeing everyone in their outfits and having a good time! I will insert a few pictures below of some of the highlights of these past three weeks.

Most of our group also attended l’Institut Français’ annual women’s battle in which some of the best young Cameroonian dancers are invited to compete against each other. It was interesting to see how international dancing is here, as most Cameroonians are well-informed about local, regional, continental, and international dances and music. Their dance combinations consisted of everything from hip hop to traditional dance moves. Our program director, Monsieur Teku, also invited us to our first soccer match, which was a fun way to bring our group together on a Saturday afternoon. Needless to say, our Dickinson group has gotten along better than any of us could have hoped for. As my friend Meaghan told us, we are no longer strangers, or simply friends. We are now a family who gets to share this once-in-a-lifetime journey by living in a country rich in history, music, food, and culture. I can see why so many people tell you that Cameroon is a mini version of Africa, as its people are warm and friendly and know how to live life to the fullest, even if they live simply and humbly. I am looking forward to the weeks to come!

(A memorable group meal: pasta with chicken and green sauce with a simple homemade sauce made with olive oil, garlic, and chopped tomatoes)

(With my host brother, Jude, celebrating Julien's 21st birthday at a woman's dance battle)

(One of the women's dance teams that participated in the women's dance battle)

(2/3 judges dancing)

(The dance battle's best woman dancer and the dancer who got 2nd place!)

 (Our group's first soccer match between Yaoundé and a team from the western region)

(Dickinson College Spring Semester 2018 students: (back): Naji, Karin, Amanda, Selena; (front): me, Janaiya, Shayna, Nathalie, Meaghan, and Julien)

(With my neighbor, Shayna, wearing our Women's Day dresses)


 (With my host siblings, Synthia and Jude, at a snack in the evening on International Women's Day)

Study-Abroad #3 : One Month Update in Cameroon- French Language Immersion

Hello, everyone and happy Tuesday! It has been a while since I last posted on here, but as you can probably tell by the title of this post, I have recently reached the one-month mark of my semester here in Cameroon. I thought that it would be most appropriate to talk about my language and cultural experiences during my time here, so that my loved ones and loyal readers can keep up with me.

I still distinctly remember the spring semester of my freshman year as I was talking to a few of my senior friends who convinced me to choose to study here. Despite the challenges, culture shock, and having to adjust to a new climate and culture, all it took to convince me that Cameroon was the right place for me was a couple of students telling me what kinds of internships they had gotten, what their host families had been like, and what they were hoping to do post-graduation. Here I am a month later with no regrets.

I had been dreaming of studying and living in western Africa ever since I can remember, but never thought that it would be feasible to do so due to a lack of cultural awareness and programs in this region of the continent back in the states. Thanks to my luck, my school has a program that fit well with my personal and academic interests in Cameroon’s capital: Yaoundé. I was looking for a program that was based in a francophone city that offered courses in the social sciences, primarily in anthropology and in food studies, which is what I am most studying in depth other than Italian, French, and Russian. So far, I have been satisfied by the amount of one-on-one attention students get from their professors, as well as the knowledge that most of our anglophone and francophone professors bring to the table.

In terms of progressing in my French, I am living with a host family (with a host mother who is the aunt of my three host siblings). In other words, my host siblings are indeed cousins, but treat each other as if they had always been raised together. It is very common for family members to call each other « maman », « ma sœur », « mon frère », or even « ma terre » even if they are not your mom, your sister, or your brother. I have been told that this is done to show respect for those who take care of you and love you, or who know you very well. Curiously enough, even strangers can address you with these terms to show endearment.

At home, I only speak French to them and have noticed that my comprehension of more local Cameroonian French has increased over the span of a few weeks. In my French intensive course, we also learned a few phrases that are colloquial and are therefore only said in a francophone Cameroonian context. For example, instead of saying « Ça va ? » or « Comment ça va ? », you say « C’est comment ? » and you can answer in dozens of ways, such as « C’est comme ça», some of which indicate the current economic situation of Cameroon, while others are more light-hearted. Instead of saying « À tout à l’heure », here you tend to say « on est ensemble. » As a linguist, I have enjoyed listening to what others say on the streets and at home to put myself in a Cameroonian’s shoes and repeat what they say.

At home, the television is always on, so whether I am actively watching a show, or listening to the top 40 African hits, I am fully immersed in francophone African, and particularly Cameroonian French. My host mom and my host siblings enjoy watching international dramas that are dubbed in French, the local « journal », and listening to the latest popular songs. I have noticed that the majority of the top 40 African hits are sung in French, or at least partially in French, which has been a very relaxing way to learn their lyrics and be able to sing along with others. Music is played at all hours of the day here : in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, at night, and even at dawn, so I am no longer surprised if I am woken up to one of the latest American, Cameroonian, or African hits. When you go to a restaurant, a bar, a festival, or even a birthday party, almost everyone sings along to the songs that are being played and dances. Even babies know how to sing and dance well, so it is very easy to learn songs by heart without having to go out of your way to listen to them on your own.

What I tend to do when I want to actively improve my French skills is to take out my diary and a pencil and write down any new words, or phrases that I should look over and review to not only be able to recognize them and understand their meanings, but to also be able to use them in spoken French. I have found that making this small effort has improved my ability to focus on expanding my vocabulary and cultural understanding of the new environment in which I live. Oftentimes, what I write down has a strong cultural connotation within the Cameroonian context. It is also very fun to sing along with my host sister to songs that she plays for all of us while she is studying, or relaxing. Whenever a guest comes over, whether it be one of my host siblings’ friends, or the cleaning lady (“la menagère”), I also get the opportunity to talk to them in French.

Virtually all of the signs, businesses, universities, and buildings are in French, as we are located in one of the 8 Francophone regions of Cameroon, so I have found it to be much more immersive than some people make it out to be. Every taxi ride and grocery story and store visit require me to use French. I would like to highlight that when you are put into an immersive situation, you end up using your target language beyond just survival. You will often be put into situations that will give you no option, but to use it. That is how you learn at a much faster and more consist space. I am looking forward to updating you by publishing weekly posts focused on the most memorable linguistic and cultural events and people that I encounter.

BONUS: Observations de mon séjour au Cameroun en français

Puisque tout le monde m’a demandé d’écrire sur ce que j’ai fait ici depuis que je suis arrivée dans ce pays, j’ai décidé de le faire pour ceux qui ont envie d’améliorer leur compréhension de la langue française et pour ceux qui ont déjà un niveau assez haut et veulent savoir si je vais bien dans ma nouvelle maison. Mon but de ces entrées n’est pas de donner tous les informations personnelles sur ce qui se passe autour de moi, mais plutôt de vous informer de mon progrès linguistique, ainsi que ma croissance personnelle. Voilà ce que je fais.

On est au Cameroun depuis un mois, donc j’ai déjà fait plein de choses ici. Une des choses qui m’a vraiment surprise était qu’il fait toujours chaud, même quand tout le monde te dit qu’il fait frais ou quand les camerounais portent un pullover léger à cause du climat. J’ai constaté que je suis toujours épuisée à cause de la chaleur, du soleil et du changement de mon style de vie. Ça veut dire que je suis prête pour faire une sieste à tout moment du jour. Ce qui me dérange le plus est que le matin, l’après-midi et dans la nuit je me sens comme si mes yeux étaient complètement fermés. J’ai déjà dû me coucher très tôt, même à 21 :00 ! D’un autre côté, je n’ai pas transpiré aussi beaucoup que j’avais pensé avant de venir ici. Il y a quelques semaines, j’ai finalement décidé d’acheter un ventilateur au marché avec l’aide de mon frère d’accueil, Jude. On a discuté le prix jusqu’à arriver à 16,000 FCA qui est à peu près l’équivalent de $32. Depuis ce moment-là, j’ai dormis comme un bébé. L’air qui sort du ventilateur fait bien au visage et au corps après une longue journée. C’est pour ça que je ne pourrais pas imaginer ma vie sans ça.

Je m’entends aussi très bien avec mon frère et mes sœurs d’accueils. Une de mes sœurs est sourde, donc j’avais peur de ne pouvoir pas communiquer bien avec elle, cependant je suis tellement contente d’apprendre et de pratiquer un peu de langue des signes camerounaise. Après quelques jours, je leur ai donné des petits cadeaux : deux types de chocolat, une mixture de menthe poivrée pour préparer du chocolat chaud américain, un calendrier avec des images de paysages américains et un puzzle de la ville de Manhattan. On a essayé de construire le puzzle ensemble, mais c’était drôle car ma famille a abandonné plus facilement que moi pendant que nous le construisions. Ils m’ont dit que c’était trop difficile car il y avait plein de couleurs et de figures dans l’image. D’autre part, j’aimais bien leur donner des conseils de comment les coller mieux.

Mon frère d’accueil m’a déjà introduit à un de ses meilleurs amis quand on a baladé au centre-ville. Il m’a emmené à un restaurant où on peut commander des plats traditionnels camerounais. On sait qu’un restaurant est de bonne qualité quand il n’y a pas un menu fixé et tous les plats ne coûtent pas plus cher que 2,500-3,000 FCA. D’ailleurs, j’ai tellement bien mangé chez moi et aux restaurants. C’est amusant de mettre des photos des plats que je mange sur le compte de ma sœur et moi : @theglobaltummy sur Instagram.

Autre que toutes ces choses, je suis sûre que la plupart des gens avec qui on interagit se rend compte qu’on est blanc, mais on serait plus à l’aise si tout le monde ne le signalait pas. C’est à cause de ses expériences que j’ai de la sympathie pour ceux qui subissent le racisme et la discrimination aux États-Unis, cependant je constate que je ne pourrai jamais en profiter autant qu'eux. Je dois y réfléchir chaque fois que ça se passe et faire une petite pause pour que je puisse comprendre le rôle que mon privilège joue dans ma vie.

Lindsay Does Languages: YouTube Channel and Website Review

Hello, everyone! I hope that you have all had a great week so far. For this week’s blog post, I wanted to talk to you about one of my favorite language YouTube channels: Lindsay Does Languages. Lindsay Williams is a British YouTuber and a full-time language blogger who has delved into language-learning for many years now. She has recently started a YouTube series called “Language Stories” and “Languages in Action” where she takes you on a journey to New York and its subway system, Havana, Montreal, el Salvador, and Mexico to show us many of the mysterious, yet innovative ways in which languages have been revived and preserved despite globalization and other factors that could do just the opposite—completely erase cultures and the knowledge, customs, and traditions that are associated with them.

Aside from these series, she also has many videos called “9 Reasons to learn (name of language.” I believe that these are some of her most popular videos, as she makes sure to talk with linguists and language experts before convincing us about the benefits of learning particular languages. I particularly love to watch these videos to learn some fun facts and to have a short history and cultural lesson along the way.

As she says on her website, “Lindsay Does Languages was born in 2012 as a local company in the heart of little old England offering private language tuition…Since then, Lindsay Does Languages has evolved to offering coaching packages and online courses both for language learners and online language tutors.” Her website is also an excellent language-learning resource for those who want to know about what they can do when they feel stuck in their progress, do not want where to start, or do not know what to do next.

She, along with Steve Leveene (mentioned in last week’s blog post about the podcast America the Bilingual), also grew up monolingually, but has become very fascinated by the ways that languages and cultures go hand in hand. She teaches, learns, and breathes everything related to languages. However, it is also important to keep in mind that she recognizes her own faults, as well as those of others, in this lifelong learning process. For those of you who can relate with them more-so than with me, since I grew up bilingually, I highly recommend that you check out both Lindsay’s YouTube channel and website. Let’s help spread the word about the ethnographic, linguistic, and cultural research and insights that she is giving to the world through podcast, videos, and documentary-type YouTube videos that deserve more views.

Link to her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/LindsayDoesLanguages/videos

Link to her website: http://www.lindsaydoeslanguages.com/all-about/about-lindsay-does-languages/