Linguists say 'Bonjour' to France - Military linguists visit France for language immersion

Courtesy Photo | 1st Sgt. Robert Leonard of Lafayette, La., visits a farmer's market in France during his two-week visit to the country this summer to enhance his French language skills. Leonard is a linguist for the Louisiana Army National Guard's 415th Military Intelligence Battalion in Carville, La.  

UNITED STATES

12.12.2008

Story by Sgt. Tresa L. Allemang 

Louisiana National Guard

By Sgt. Tresa L. Allemang
Louisiana Army and Air National Guard

ALEXANDRIA, La. – "Allons-y," French for "Let's go!" is a favorite phrase of Sgt. Carlos Torres, a linguist for the Louisiana Army National Guard, and definitely one he used when he heard of the opportunity to enhance his French by actually visiting France.

Thanks to recent funding and the Total Army Language Program, Torres and 1st Sgt. Robert Leonard, who both serve with the 415th Military Intelligence Battalion, 139th Regional Support Group, went to Bordeaux, France, in August to train for two weeks with a group of students from around the world in hopes of sharpening their language skills.

Both French linguists, they learned the language at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Ca., as part of their initial training when they joined the Guard, but neither Soldier had ever been to France.

They were honored that their part-time job in the National Guard would send them on such an excursion for training.

"What better way to enhance foreign language skills than to visit the country whose native language is what needs to be sharpened," said Torres.

Warrant Officer Blaise D. Faget, the command language program manager for the 415th, said Torres and Leonard were picked because they are great Soldiers and he knew they would take advantage of the ability to learn while in France. "This is the first year our Soldiers have done this kind of training overseas, so we wanted to send our best," he said.

They were set up with classes and host families who took them around France giving them the opportunity to learn about French customs.

"It was an incredible experience being able to absorb the language and culture," said Leonard, a Lafayette, La., resident.

"My host parents were great. They opened their home to me and made me feel like a member of the family," he continued. "They were very proud to share their culture and knowledge of the region with me."

Torres said that even though his host family could speak some English, they would not allow him to use it. "Since I hadn't used French very much after leaving school, I would find myself struggling for the right words. I would try to sneak some English in, but they would just look at me," he said. "They knew I was there to enhance my French language skills and were not going to give me a free ride."

Torres said that the opportunity to learn France's traditions topped off what he learned in the classroom. "This trip jumpstarted what I learned in school," he explained. "Understanding the cultural differences helps you understand the language better."

Torres said there were two other students in his host family, one from Italy and one from Austria, which made his journey even more remarkable.

"With the three of us having different backgrounds and being in a country that was foreign to all of us, it was a great learning experience," Torres said. "I was not just learning about France, I was learning about their countries, too."

"We all interacted well, both inside and outside of the classroom," Leonard said.

"It really made it interesting to have all of these people come together to improve their French," Leonard explained. "The diversity of the group gave a much broader perspective to our discussions as we practiced the language."

"The more languages you know, the more of an asset you are both in the military and civilian world," Torres said.

Military linguists receive a minimum of $200 dollars per month in additional pay, but for Torres, a Kenner, La., native who was raised speaking English and Spanish, learning yet another language proved to be beneficial beyond the money.

He works in New Orleans with Task Force Gator, which is comprised of National Guard Soldiers who provide law enforcement assistance to the New Orleans Police Department. His skills are needed even more prominently there, since New Orleans still has many French-speaking residents.
Torres and Leonard agreed that traveling to France was an unforgettable experience and said they would go back anytime they had a chance.

"Just like anything else, when you don't use something for a while, you have to knock the dust off," said Leonard, a full-time Guardsman. "This was a great way to do it."

Faget said that this year the 415th was able to send six other Soldiers to train in foreign countries including Egypt, Italy and Argentina.

He said since these trips were so successful, not only for learning but also for morale boosting, the 415th has a goal to continue sending as many Soldiers as possible, as often as possible.

"Being totally immersed for two weeks in the French language and culture greatly enhanced my French language skills and proved to be well worth the investment the Army has committed to make for sustaining and enhancing the language skills of its linguists," Leonard said.

• Date Taken: 12.12.2008
• Date Posted: 12.16.2008 12:35
• Story ID: 27758
• Location: US