France Study Abroad 2019: French Sign Language and Deaf Culture

Though I did say that visiting the Deaf schools of France was my favorite experience over the historical elements of France we got to visit, don't downplay the museums the country has to offer. The Louvre has the spotlight, obviously, and I was incredibly excited that we were getting to go see this iconic museum. But the other museums we got to visit were amazing as well, and I actually ended up enjoying the Orsay Museum better than the Louvre! This may or may not have been due to my immense love for Vincent Van Gogh but who's to say. (It was.) While in Paris, we got to visit three museums: the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, and the Musée des arts et métiers, which were two art museums and a sciences museum for children, respectively. It'll Put A (Soft) Smile on Your Face: The Louvre The Louvre is hyped up for a reason, folks. The museum itself, even sans art, is gorgeous. It's got that iconic glass pyramid that you pass under as you enter the main ...

I love learning. I love getting my hands on new information, meeting new people, and experiencing completely different stories. I absolutely, without a doubt, love  to learn. But I absolutely hate school. Which is why I was pleasantly surprised to find that even after eating crepes in front of the Eiffel tower, seeing the Mona Lisa, and walking through the luxury that is Versailles, the days we visited schools was my favorite part of our time abroad.  I know. I'm just as confused as you are. We had the opportunity to be involved in classes both on an elementary and middle school level, so children anywhere from the ages of six to fourteen. Each experience was different, but enriching because of the kids we got to meet and the education we got to experience. Back to the Basics: Elementary School The elementary school classrooms we got to observe were at the Ecole Elémentaire Condorcet, a bilingual elementary school in Paris. The school was not a Deaf sch...