Été en Suisse
A week after college graduation and two days before my flight to Suisse Romande, I had my first dream ever in French. I heard whole sentences around me coming from people I could not see, and vague, unintelligible but somehow still francophone-sounding vowels in a confusing cacophony. I was saying, “Je suis bruyante,” and even my dream self was aware that this was not the word I was looking for. “I’m noisy?” Come on, that can’t be it. Nonetheless, I kept repeating the phrase, knowing this was not what I was trying to say and yet unable to say anything else. Was this a prophetic dream, warning me of what was to come? Was it my brain trying to make the code switch into French mode overnight? Was it my anxieties of what I was about to get myself into filtering into my dream consciousness? Maybe it’s none of these things, or maybe it’s all of the above. I’ll never know. That was the last dream I had before entering Switzerland because the night before I had to be at the airport at the godforsaken hour of 4am, I pulled an all-nighter to finish packing my bags. Soon after, there I was miles high in the sky and heading overseas.
This is the first time I have been abroad since the infamous Pepperdine International Programs (IP) mass exodus at the start of the pandemic in 2020, when all the abroad programs were sent home early due to COVID-19. I had studied abroad in London from September 2019-March 2020 and had to finish the last month of school online, while sick with COVID-19. At the time, it felt like the end of the world. I honestly thought that would be my last trip overseas for years to come, until I could save up the money to travel on my own, which would be well after I finished my degree. Like I mentioned, I actually walked at graduation in April 2022, marking the end of my journey to get my Bachelor’s in Creative Writing and Minor in Sustainability. But even though I took summer classes every year, in the end my ambitious academic track necessitated one last summer session to finish the Global Fellows certificate program with IP. As it turns out, upper division French is only offered during the summer in one place: Lausanne, Switzerland. Thanks to Pepperdine Fin. Aid, the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship, and the will of God, I miraculously made it to Europe for the second time in my life before the end of my college career.
I stayed in Switzerland for a total of eight weeks, living with ma famille d’acceuill (my host family), in the rural town of Panthalaz and commuting to class at the Pepperdine Lausanne campus. My new friends, the Bachmanns, have a lovely three-story house called Les Cedres (which translates to “cedars” in English), which they share with another family. They have two foster kids, two pet bunnies, and un grand jardin (a big garden) with tree swings and a communal vegetable garden, which sometimes my mère d’acueill (host mom) uses to cook dinner. When the weather was nice, we often ate our meals at the table in the garden. I had a room to myself on the second floor with a white-framed window that overlooked the greenery. Every morning, I opened the windows (with no screens, in true European fashion) to get some fresh air in my room and to listen to the birdsong. It felt like I was sitting in the garden—something about the cool air helped my body awaken and it was truly a great start to my day. Especially when a large bee flew into my room to say bonjour and I had to spend the next ten minutes convincing it to leave! Nothing like a little adrenaline first thing in the morning.
Anyway, the setup was pretty incredible! Homemade meals? Friends with the locals? A beautiful house in the countryside? Merci beaucoup ! But the main caveat was this: it was a French immersion program. The program was located en Suisse Romande, the francophone region of Switzerland, and classes were taught entirely en français. At the beginning of the class, all the other students and I signed a contract agreeing to only speak en français for the entirety of the program. To be completely honest, this freaked me out. My French learning experience has suffered from a lot of gaps—even though I technically started my studies in high school, I didn’t take each class consecutively due to scheduling conflicts and other factors. Inevitably, some things were lost from my repertoire over time. Frankly, I was terrified to only speak French for two months. I didn’t know how I would even converse with ma famille d’acceuill, much less sit through four hours of the same class every day and write solely in the local language. I knew I would need to refresh my vocabulary and learn countless more phrases just to get through everyday life. As if it wasn’t serious enough already, the program directors encouraged my peers and I not to consume English media in our free time. The goal was not to break the French immersion, so that we might reap the full benefits of the experience. So, I did my best to only listen to French music and watch films and TV shows in French. This is the playlist I made to listen to on my commute everyday.
Thankfully, the first day of orientation was in English. It gave me just enough time to take in as much as I could, meet the eight other intensive students, and ask any questions I had before the next day when English was forbidden and I would struggle to formulate even the most basic sentences. We went on a walking tour of Lausanne, got our SwissPass tickets which we would use to get back and forth between Lausanne and our homestays, and talked about our goals for the program. In the late afternoon, the host families started arriving to take us home and, in that moment, the French immersion had begun.
I am so excited to share my experience with everyone back home. This is my attempt to recount my experiences in a multi-genre approach, a project commissioned by the U.S. Department of State which graciously awarded me the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship.
Sites Culturels Suisses
Dear visitor,
We are delighted to welcome you to Suisse Romande!
This brochure suggests the itinerary you can follow to discover the Francophone region. A special guide for young adults in college is available in French, English, German, and Romanche and can be obtained at the following locations on the map: X, Y, Z.
Respecting a few site rules will allow everyone to enjoy their visit in the best conditions and to preserve its heritage for future generations. If you are a French intensive student, it is strictly forbidden:
· To speak in English, unless you’re on the phone with your family back in America. For optimal immersion results, keep this to a minimum.
· To consume English media (ex: movies, TV shows, books, podcasts, etc.).
· To spend too much time in contact with English-speaking friends at home.
· To order in English at restaurants, even when the server inevitably notices you are American and attempts to take your order in English.
· To travel outside of the French-speaking region more than once.
· To converse with the other students on campus who are not in the French intensive.
We also would appreciate you speaking softly and not using Google Translate. The locals will then be able to enjoy respectful interactions with American visitors and benefit from a calm atmosphere most favorable for enjoying an international experience.
As this is a foreign country, it is not always possible to ensure usual safety norms. We therefore recommend that you pay particular attention to any obstacles that might be in some way dangerous (low doorways, steep stairways, small hallways, uneven pavement, traveling at night, commuting on the train, and so on). Visitors are responsible for their own safety.
Below are the various cultural sites you may enjoy during your time this summer en Suisse Romande.
1. Lac Léman (A)│Also known as Lake Geneva, Lac Léman is a crescent-shaped lake shared between France and Switzerland, and overlooked by the Alps. Its beaches are perfect for swimming, paddleboarding, and relaxing in the sun.
2. Château de Chillon (B)│Medieval castle located on the shore of Lac Léman, between the cities of Montreux and Villeneuve. Commonly believed to be the inspiration for the seaside castle in the Disney classic The Little Mermaid.
3. Musée Romain Nyon (C)│Visit the ancient town of Nyon/Noviodunum, the urban centre of the Colonia Iulia Equestris, to experience the typical day-to-day existence of a Roman colony.
4. Fondation de l’Hermitage (D)│A 19th-century house, turned art museum, featuring permanent and seasonal exhibitions.
5. Musée & Jardins Botaniques Cantonaux (E)│Engage in the study and protection of local flora, biodiversity, and nature education at this museum and botanical garden.
6. Place de la Riponne (M)│Visit this town square located in Lausanne during the week for the flea market, or on Saturdays for the farmers market.
7. Bibliothèque Cantonale et Universitaire BCU Lausanne (F)│Located in Place de la Riponne, this library is the ideal study spot away from your homestay.
8. Parc Aventure (G)│Get some exercise and enjoy the treetop views at this adventure park filled with obstacle courses.
9. Musée d’Yverdon et Region (H)│Take a walking tour of the castle of Yverdon-les-Bains and learn about the surrounding region, located near Lac de Neuchâtel.
10. Maison d’Ailleurs (I)│This museum of science fiction, utopia, and extraordinary journeys located in Yverdon-les-Bains holds temporary exhibitions including Transformations, which featured art and history related to the world of comic books and superheroes.
11. Responsible Formation Horlogère (J)│Visit this location for a training workshop in watch-making, and receive a certificate upon completion.
12. Le Latenium Musée (K)│This museum of archaeology located in Neuchâtel features mainly regional archaeological findings covering an uninterrupted period from the Middle Palaeolithic to Modern Times.
13. Barberousse (L)│A pirate-themed pub located in le Flon, popular among college students and young adults.
Join us on the first leg of your journey and discover Suisse Romande and its history. We hope you enjoy your visit!
Dis-moi, je n’en ai plus la moindre idée
Comment nous sommes nous retrouvés
A cette terrasse, deux cafés
Quel drôle de jour, quelle drôle d’idée− Drôle d’idée by Alexia Gredy
l’Immersion
The program truly was an immersive experience. Every waking moment, I was forced to employ what little I knew about the local language. Every interaction with my host family, every lecture in class, every assignment, every time I was out in the city I was reading, writing, listening, and speaking in French. It was quite difficult to express myself. Things that were normally easy to articulate and achieve took a lot of thought and effort to produce. I felt like an elementary schooler again. I felt like I had no personality, no sense of humor. I had to develop my own identity again in a new context. I also realized that my accent was severely underdeveloped. I had studied French for years almost exclusively with other Americans, and so the way I spoke was very different from native speakers. It became a major goal of mine to imitate the accents of the locals I met.
My first day of class was challenging, to say the least. As I listened to my professor speak during the lecture, entire minutes would go by where I did not understand a single word she said. I had never felt so lost in my life. I returned to my homestay feeling defeated, thinking maybe I wasn’t cut out for this program. I knew I had a long journey ahead of me.
FAQs
Qu’est-ce que c’est ? What’s this?
Quoi ? What?
Qui ? Who?
Comment vas-tu ? How are you?
Ça va ? How are you? (alt.)
Pourquoi ? Why?
Vraiment ? Really?
Pouvez-vous répéter, s’il vous plait ? Can you repeat, please? (formal)
Plus lentement, s’il vous plait ? More slowly, please? (formal)
Comment t’appelles tu ? What’s your name?
Qu’est-ce que le mot pour ____ ? What’s the word for ____ ?
Quelle sorte de plante est-ce ? What kind of plant is this?
Quelle sorte de fleur ? What kind of flower?
Commonly Used Phrases
Hello! Bonjour !
Nice to meet you! Enchanté !
My name is Angelea. Je m’appelle Angelea.
I’m American (fem.). I come from California. Je suis americaine. Je viens de Californie.
Thank you very much! Merci beaucoup !
I’m sorry! Je suis désolée !
Thanks a lot (slightly less formal). Merci bien.
It doesn’t matter; It’s no big deal. Ce n’est pas grave.
I don’t understand. Je ne comprends pas.
Yes, I’m a student (fem.). Oui, je suis une étudiante.
I’m studying creative writing and sustainability. J’étudie l'écriture créative et la durabilité.
Sorry; Excuse me. Pardon.
Excuse me (alt.). Excusez-moi !
What a beautiful view! Quelle belle vue !
Oh, I understand. Oh, je comprends.
It’s true. C’est vrai.
Of course! Bien sûr !
I agree. Je suis d'accord.
Good bye! Au revoir !
See you later! À plus tard !
Have a good day! Bonne journée !
Commute
Every morning on my walk to the train station, I passed the school where mon frère d'accueil (my host brother) went. As I traversed down the hill, I said hello to the chickens and goats that grazed behind the fence. As I walked, and entered the train, I listened to French pop. Sometimes I used my commute time to practice on Duolingo. Sometimes I used it to enjoy watching the scenery. Sometimes I used it to finish my homework, think about what I was going to say in our class discussions, or discreetly practice a presentation. When I arrived in Lausanne, the uphill walk to the campus was enough to make me sweat. It was unusually warm for that time of year, according to the locals. When even the locals complain about the heat, you know it really is hot. In the beginning, my feet hurt a lot from walking everywhere. I came to enjoy the commute—it was time to myself traveling between cities that I could use as I pleased. Every morning I thought just how lucky I was to be there, having this experience abroad.
Si tu m'aimes demain
On sera deux stars en septante/quatre-vingts
Qui s'cachent le regard, qui rêvent plus loin
Si tu m'aimes demain
On brodera des fleurs sur nos jeans troués
On dessinera aux fans des cœurs
Si tu m'aimes demain
On regardera Paris, la semaine en émeute
Le week-end, on fuira la ville
Si tu m'aimes demain
À la télévision, ils passeront nos chansons
Fausse poésie, on sera peut-être des cons− Si tu m’aimes demain by Iliona
Yverdon-les-Bains—
un voyage accidentel
One of the first weekends of the program, the other intensive students and I decided to plan an excursion to Genève together. I took the train to the Lausanne station where we were all meeting, and arrived with about four minutes to spare. I ran to the platform and boarded the train. I walked around the inside, looking for the other students, but couldn’t find them. I looked through the doorway, across the platform, at the next train over. The destination read Genève. Before I could exit the train, a uniformed attendant stepped into the doorway. I tried to tell her that I thought I was on the wrong train. She looked at me in confusion, clearly not understanding me. I repeated myself and pulled out my ticket. Just as she leaned over to read it, the doors closed and the train started to pull away. I was on a train headed to Yverdon-les-Bains—the complete opposite direction—and I was alone. The next stop was almost an hour away. When I arrived at my destination, I decided I might as well make the most out of my situation. I visited le Château d’Yverdon-les-Bains, la Maison d’Ailleurs, perused a bookshop, and went to le Lac de Neuchâtel. Even though the day had not gone as planned, I ended up enjoying my spontaneous adventure immensely. Although, I made a mental note to myself to pay closer attention to the platform numbers in the future.
Le jardin de Les Cedres
Every morning, I open my window
And the room floods with chants d'oiseaux,
Une aubade carried on the cold breeze,
Coaxing me out of my slumber.
I walk in the garden as often as I can,
Bare feet pressed in the grass,
Picking les pâquerettes to weave a chain.
A sway on the rope swing
Makes me feel like a little kid,
Hanging from un grand arbre.
I have dinner in the garden as often as I can,
Breakfast too, on the weekend—
Slicing some tresse with beurre and miel
A cup of café, steaming in the sun.
Poésie dans le parc
Every week, when we could, my friend Yayabell and I would take the little French poetry books we bought at the local Payot bookstore to a different park and sit in the grass to read. When it started to get too hot, we brought our poetry sessions to the various cafés in Lausanne.
l’Immersion, cont.
It wasn't until a little over half of the program had gone by when I realized that I could actually understand most of what my professor was saying. It was incredible! I went from barely being able to understand, to engaging in class discussions, and even gave multiple 5-10 minute long presentations. It was so satisfying to see all the hard work pay off. I learned that in order to learn a new language, you truly do have to be immersed in it in order to master it. By the end of the program, I had not mastered French by any means, but my conversational and written skills had improved tremendously and my vocabulary had expanded by a tenfold.
Les bracelets
I have a crystal bracelet I wear almost everyday. Ma famille d'accueil noticed, and for my birthday, they graciously gifted me a similar bracelet made of blue calcite, with a silver pendant crafted by a local merchant. Both are now a staple in my wardrobe.
I show my host mom the crystals that encircle my wrist.
Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
I point to each one, speaking its English name, placing the emphasis on the first syllable.
Turquoise
Jade
Tiger’s eye
Amethyst
Rose quartz
She repeats each word, en français, placing emphasis on the end.
La turquoise
Le jade
L’œil de tigre
l‘améthyste
Le quartz rose
Blue calcite
Silver
La calcite bleue
L’argent
Couronne de fleurs
Pique-nique du jour de l'Ascension, au Chemin des Narcisses
I pick the flowers,
Cueillir les fleurs,
Weaving them together like a basket
A thread of organisms
In a beautiful wreath.
Les narcisses, les marguerites, les dent-de-lions, les trèfles—
I gather each by hand.
In my hand, a stem splits
And out comes une chenille,
Inching along my finger.
For a moment I am sorry for choosing her home for my art project.
Une abeille hovers by the crown
Buzzing a question:
Is this flower taken?
When she has her answer, she leaves,
But another quickly comes to inquire the same.
Très jolie !
A voice says above me.
I look up to see un gentil monsieur smiling down.
I say merci and he continues on his hike.
When I have created a long chain,
I realize I don’t quite know how to close the loop.
I go back to the picnic blankets and un aimable monsieur offers me some yarn.
I pull apart the strings and use it to tie the chain into a crown.
I place it on my head, but it is too large,
Falling around my neck like a collar.
I feel silly, but the picnickers around me shower me with praise.
Magnifique !
Très belle !
Merci bien ! I reply, shy at the adoration,
doing my best to balance the crown on my head.
Une conversation dans le fumoir
I don’t even smoke. I followed my friend in there because everyone else I knew had left. She began smoking with people she knew, and a tall dark man struck up a conversation. I introduced myself and said enchanté like I always did, and the man said I sounded French. That is, until I kept speaking. It’s strange, he said. You say some words like the French. And I would know because I am from Paris. He said my French was very good (it wasn’t), and that it was probably better than his English (I doubted that was so). We spoke for a half hour, him in English and I in French. Despite the amaretto sour in my hand and the blaring of music in the next room over, I carried the conversation and he understood.
La tresse
One of my favorite parts of the homestay program was getting to share home-cooked meals with my host family. In the mornings, we met at the kitchen table with an array of breads, cheeses, jams, and butters. One of my favorite things to eat in the morning was la tresse—a family recipe for a braided loaf that ma mère d'accueil made from scratch.
White gloves of flour burst like snowfall, a fine mist
Settling over the granite counter.
A mound of dough is lovingly kneaded and sculpted by my host mother’s hands.
She leaves it under a damp cloth to encourage growth,
Employing the same patience she grants me
As I stumble over my sentences like a toddler.
She gently stretches it, looping and twisting it delicately into a beautiful woven emblem.
A hot flush swells from the oven as it opens, and the braid is placed inside its sweltering belly.
The warm, sweet smell of the yeast and browning grains
Fill the kitchen. When removed, an audible crisp sound as the crust cracks,
The steam sighing around the stainless steel
As it passes through the toasted hills and valleys.
The butter liquifies on the soft white, raw honey melting golden, mixing with the cream.
I eat my fill of the love massaged and manifested by my host mother’s hands,
Of the patience and grace she continues to grant me as we converse over
This special breakfast, and I know this will keep me full for years to come.
Les grands espaces suisses
I still crave the air of the Swiss countryside
Infused with energy, each breath a lungful of soul.
I crave the birdsong and the grass under my bare feet.
I crave the crisp taste of the mountain spring water, so clear,
Each sip like it came straight from the life source.
Dis-toi, nous c’est un grand chassé croisé
Je suis bien trop sentimentale
Pour ce grand frisson plein été
Je suis bien trop sentimentale
Pour avoir déjà oublié− Drôle d’idée by Alexia Gredy
Sites Culturels Suisses, fin.
We hope your discovery of Suisse Romande has been pleasant and interesting, and we thank you for coming!
If you would like to take home a souvenir, head to section Q.
We have numerous venues available for educational field trips, birthday parties, and other events.
For more detailed information, go to our website www.suisseromande.ch.
Au revoir, et bonne journée !
