Victoria Carvelli: A French Major

Victoria Carvelli in Annecy, France

Meet Victoria Carvelli, junior, studying French from Jamestown, New York. Her interest of languages dates back to when she was little. She fondly remembers reading The Royal Diaries series , which depicts a fictional diary for various female figures as a child throughout world history.  While reading this series, Victoria became fascinated with Marie Antoinette who was Louis of France and was later executed during the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution. 

As Victoria’s interest in French progressed, she began to teach herself French with an old textbook she found. Starting her senior year of high school, Victoria started taking French classes. When it came to choosing a major in college, Victoria chose French because of her love of the language. 

As any language learner, Victoria has faced some challenges in learning French. In particular, thinking in French has been a challenge. Victoria believes that in order to speak well in French, you need to be able to think in French. Victoria experienced this firsthand when she studied abroad.  By thinking in French, speaking the language becomes easier. One cannot truly immerse his or herself in another language even if he or she is surrounded by the language if he or she is thinking in English. A language is like an onion, it has a lot of layers.

During her time studying French, Victoria has had the opportunity to study abroad in Annecy, France. Annecy is located on the eastern side of France, about an hour away from the Swiss border. It is nicknamed the Venice of the Alpes because it has canals running through its Old Town. The water is so clean in Annecy that you can drink it without filtration. Victoria described Annecy as beautiful with delicious food. Victoria’s tip for being abroad is to remember that you need to think differently when you’re abroad. This is your chance to experience another culture. This is the time to go outside of your comfort zone and outside of yourself. If given the opportunity to return to France, Victoria would like to visit Paris, however, she would also like to see the country in its entirety because each region is so uniquely different.

When asked what advice Victoria would give to someone studying a language, she said immersion is essential. You need to get yourself into the language as much as possible by reading, listening to music, watching movies or listening to the radio. Thinking in French will also really help improve your skills. In French, pronunciation is difficult so it is extremely important to use these tools because mispronouncing something can change the entire meaning of the word. 

Victoria’s favorite French class at Fredonia so far has been French Masterpieces. In this class, she has read intriguing and dark folklore such as La Barbe bleue and Rose d’or. She has also had the opportunity to read Tartuffe, which is a comedic play written by Molière. If Victoria could recommend any book to read in French, it would be Le Petit Prince because it is simply beautiful.