We have been discussing in this blog different ways you can meet new people during your time learning French in Montpellier. You probably have a group of friends at the Easy French Immersion School but you probably want to speak to natives as well right? Practicing with other students during language immersion programs in France is great but to hear a natural speaker and to hear the accent is obviously quite a different thing. Montpellier might just have the perfect remedy for people doing French language stays who want to meet new people as well. Montpellier is a fantastic city for creative writing! This might be something you have never considered before but hear me out. It’s a very useful tool in general but this city has the perfect combination of formats for those with an interest in writing. Even more so if you are taking a French immersion course. It’s one more ingredient that makes Montpellier the best city in France to learn French.
If you never done any creative writing before you may be a bit nervous about going to a writing group. This is perfectly normal but once you have been you will see there is absolutely nothing to be worried about. Everyone is easy going and not there to judge, they are there because they have an interest in literature. Even if you don’t have a deep passion for literature there are many advantages to attending a group for those of us doing a French immersion course. If you are up to a certain level with your French studies and feel like you can write a story in it this is one of the most constructive things you can do. Creative writing takes your French in corners of thought you may never have considered before so they might not be as well trained as other aspects. You are completely free, if you want to take the story in a certain direction so you can practice a certain grammatical concept you can go right ahead. Maybe you set the scene between an employee and a manager so you can use the imperative, or involve a birthday card between the characters so you can pop in the subjunctive!? You have complete freedom.
Beginner Writing Groups in Montpellier During Your French Immersion Stay
If you don’t think your language skills can hack writing a story yet there are writing groups for both French and English speakers as well which make the perfect initial ice breaker for those interested in writing whilst learning French in Montpellier. It’s very low key and relaxed and when your language skills pick up you could already be established in a group and feel more secure.
The event I have listed below is one of these great little groups. They meet every Wednesday in the English Bookstore on ‘Rue du Bras de Fer’. Like I said, low key, they just meet write for an hour based on a common theme or something and then at the end you can share your work if you want. For example when I went the organiser gave us the initial two sentences of a short story and then we all carried it on from there in our own way. So there was one character with about 8 versions of her, it was so interesting and felt quite personal which was lovely. Go check it out and you’ll be sure to meet some interesting people in Montpellier and see a little bit of their imagination.
When you do get up to a standard with your French language skills where you think you can write I really recommend you get involved. I don’t imagine it will take too long before you can piece together a little narrative especially if you are doing a French immersion course at the Easy French Language School in Montpellier. When you get there you may be looking for something a bit meatier. To that end there are French creative writing groups you can attend and flex your French language muscles.
Also Montpellier is an amazing place for literary events. You can be sure there will always be something writing related around the corner that gives French students the perfect opportunity to combine meeting new and interesting people with practicing your language skills. I have posted one such event hosted by one of the colleges of Montpellier, get involved and go see something even if it is just the Saturday book market next to ‘Place de le Comedie’ because once you get to an event you will hear about more and more stuff and become part of the scene.
So I can’t recommend this process enough generally for people doing a French immersion course but in Montpellier you have even more of a chance to take advantage. The atmosphere is great and you can stroll around the imagination of fascinating people all the while deepening your network and skills whilst learning French in France.