UC Blue Ash Students Study & Explore North of the Border

A group of UC Blue Ash College students spent part of their summer learning, speaking and even blogging in French.

Becoming immersed in the French language and culture was the focus of the college’s study abroad trip in June to Quebec City in Canada. The nine students and one professor also spent time learning about the rich history in the region, visiting landmarks and trying out some of the amazing restaurants that are spread throughout the city.

Elizabeth Kinnison is an art history major from Maineville who is also studying French as part of her plans for a career in education. She says the study abroad experience provided her with a new level of confidence. “Having to communicate in French all of the time gave me the self-assurance to just do it. You accept that you’re not going to speak perfectly and you might sound foolish, but that’s how everyone learns.”

Between classes, the students visited a variety of sites including the Huron Indian Village, the Musee de la Civilisation and La Citadelle – which was built in the early 1800s and remains the largest British fortification in North America. They also kept a blog and were required to make all of their entries in French. You can

read their blog online

.

Jody Ballah, assistant professor of French at UC Blue Ash, led the Quebec Study Abroad Program and pushed her students out of their comfort zones. “It was a great trip, and I came away really impressed with my students,” said Ballah. “Not only did their proficiency improve in French, but they all demonstrated increased confidence when talking with native speakers in all contexts, including when they were out by themselves.”

The Quebec trip is part of the study abroad program that began in 1997 at UC Blue Ash. Since then, students and faculty have traveled all over the world to take courses that connect with specific subjects and cultures. UC Blue Ash also makes the study abroad program more manageable by offering a wide rand of scholarships and financial aid, as well as conducting the trips over two-week or four-week periods.

UC Blue Ash College is a regional college within the University of Cincinnati. It offers one of the best values in higher education with access to a nationally recognized UC education in nearly 50 degrees and certificates, as well as tuition that is about half of most colleges and universities. The college is located on a scenic 135-acre wooded campus in the heart of Blue Ash, Ohio. To learn more, call 513-745-5600, visit us online at www.ucblueash.edu, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.