Melani Gillam
Certificate in French Language and Culture – FSL Foundations
"I have two sons in French immersion," says Melani Gillam, a University of Calgary alumna and a recent graduate of the Certificate in French Language and Culture – FSL Foundations.
"My boys are the biggest reasons I decided to enrol in French courses; that and the fact that I'd always liked the idea of learning French," explains Melani. "I have loved taking the program. You tend to see familiar faces in the classes, which is nice, and everyone in the class is there because they want to learn, so it's lots of fun. The immersion weekends end up being little reunions."
As she has moved through the program, Melani has noticed her speaking and writing skills improve and her confidence grow.
"I think I'm communicating quite well now, especially for travelling purposes. I went to France and managed very well," she says. "I feel I was functional, managed to converse a bit and order in French in restaurants."
Once she had mastered the Foundations level, Melani moved into the FSL Intermediate level. "I plan to be persistent and take every opportunity to continue improving."
Working full time as a dietitian, and managing a busy family life, fitting in school has posed some challenges for Melani.
"I work full time and my kids are busy in sports ... so I try to make my courses a priority and look for my opportunities to work on my courses. For example, at times you might find me at my kids' practices doing my homework in the bleachers."