Slightly expanding the meaning of the statement of the famous French philosopher Rene Descartes Cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I am), and adding more languages (Cogito in plures linguas ergo sum), we get a guiding star for many of our graduates, who have been successfully walking along the chosen path for many years, having in their luggage a solid stock of knowledge in English, French, German; for our students who master this knowledge and look to the future with great enthusiasm; for our applicants who are just getting into a low start before a long distance race at the Faculty of Foreign Languages of Francisk Skorina Gomel State University.
The best specialists are involved in the implementation of the planned goals: professors, candidates of sciences, experienced teachers who have completed numerous internships and refresher courses. Since October of this year, the French specialist Mallory Galenne has been working in the staff of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, who teaches French in graduation course with great pleasure and willingly shares her first impressions of her work, our city, her studies and travels.
– Mallory, tell us a little about yourself?
– I am from Poitiers, a small town in Poitou-Charentes in France. I studied at the Faculty of Foreign Languages of the University of Poitiers, I have a Bachelor's Degree in translation studies and intercultural communication (English, German and Russian) and a Master's Degree in business and management (with knowledge of English and Russian).
– As far as I know, your arrival to Belarus is a part of one of educational programs. Tell us about it, please.
– I came to Belarus under the France Education program, by this program French students work abroad to teach French and popularize French culture. I have already been to Italy, Germany and Russia. I visited Italy and Germany only during the holidays, and in Yaroslavl (Russia) I have studied for 5 months.
– What are your first impressions of working at F. Skorina University? Have you noticed a big difference between French and Belarusian students?
– I am interested in working at university because we can exchange information about our culture with students, learn from each other and talk about the differences in our native languages. It is very interesting, the students are very attentive, it is a pleasure! - says Mallory with enthusiasm. - I would say that in France, students do not help each other as actively as at GSU, which I noticed during classes with students of the faculty. There is a lot of mutual assistance. And also the "lunch break" is not that long. In France it is at least one hour.
– If we talk about the education system itself, what can you note?
– As for the teaching system, I would say that it is the same, except for the duration of lessons. I think it's better to work according to the scheme "40 minutes (first half) + 5 minutes (break) + 40 minutes (second half)". This way, students will be more focused and involved in the learning process. In France, at the university, our class lasts one hour, and sometimes two, so sometimes we are "sleepy" and not focused at all, because we only have 30 minutes to concentrate, and then we are outside the classroom. I would also like to note that in France we train more in speaking.
– Do you like our city?
– I have been in Gomel for more than a week and I really like this city. There is a lot to do here, people are very friendly and nice. I also really like the city's central park: you can either just relax there or discover the history of the city. What was the discovery for me? Minibus! - Mallory smiles. - People should ask the driver to stop at one stop or another. This is very confusing. In France, we have just a bus or metro, that's all. On my first trip, frankly, I experienced a little discomfort, but you get used to everything. I must admit, I am delighted with the Belarusian cuisine! I like dumplings, pies, borscht, marshmallows, gingerbread: everything I can eat. I miss French cheese and bread, but Belarusian cuisine makes up for it. I will definitely recommend my friends to visit Belarus and tell them which places in Belarus are worth visiting and what food they can try.
– Mallory, what would you like to wish our students and applicants?
– I would like to wish to choose Gomel State University as their alma mater, because languages open many doors. Studying is a chance to discover the world, and it is at the Francisk Skorina Gomel State University that makes these goals become reality!
Elena SAZHINA Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Ph.D., Associate Professor
