MIDWEST LANGUAGE SERVICES - BLOG
Moving to the United States from France
Audrey Ruel is a journalist from France who now lives in the Midwestern United States. In this article, she shares her expectations of life in America and some of her observations along with a bit of advice. The article has been shared with Audrey’s permission.
Audrey Ruel is a former journalist from France who takes one of our English conversation classes. I asked her about her expectations about moving to the United States and what the reality has been. The following is what she shared with us:
Living in a foreign country since January 2019 has been a new experience for me. It was on my dream board to have the opportunity to spend more than vacation time outside of France. We have had this opportunity thanks to my husband's work. We moved with our two young daughters. We thought it would be a good experience for them too, and speaking English will help them throughout their entire lives. We moved 3 months before the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, we were lucky because living in the countryside during this period has been easier than it would have been in the big city where we previously lived in France (Nantes).
I didn’t expect there to be a big gap between French and American cultures because we are both Western and we know about each other, but I was wrong! If you spend more than vacation time in a foreign country, you will understand the way of life of the local population, and I can now say that it’s really different here from my country!
For example, my husband and I were really surprised at the beginning to see people going to restaurants at 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. In my country, dinner time is from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. American people wake up earlier, eat earlier, and go to school earlier, (and consequently go to sleep earlier), compared to France.
Before moving, I was anxious about not speaking English well. I knew that the American accent was hard to understand, and I thought I could stay alone a long time or stay only in the French community, but I can now say that it’s really easy to form new relationships with American people. You can easily find a club or association where you can volunteer your free time and meet nice people. School is also a good place because they hold a lot of events with students and parents. You also have opportunities in your church community. My Hoosier neighbors are such nice people that I really enjoy having small talk with them.
Living in America
We asked Audrey to share her expectations of what it would be like to live in the United States, the reality, and any advice she might have to newcomers.
Another big challenge when you move to the USA is to buy or rent a house. Real estate prices are really high compared to Europe and for less quality. Take your time to find a good place. Hopefully, we will be here for more than one year. We really enjoy our place. My family and I adore traveling in this huge and wonderful country.
If I have advice to give, it would concern official documents. As a foreigner, there are a lot of documents to be careful with. If you can have a new passport when you move, that can help, because when the passport expires, you have to ask for a new visa, etc. If you don’t want to have immigration problems, take care of all those forms, and be as smart as possible.
My last point is about electricity! In Europe, it is 220 volts, and in the USA it is 110 volts. You have to be aware of that point when you are packing all your stuff if you come from Europe.
Midwest Language Services was On-the-Air with Julie Metz
Julie Metz, Executive Director of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, interviewed Tanya Hoover, President of Midwest Language Services on Giant FM, 106.5 in Shelbyville, Indiana.
Tanya Hoover, President and Founder of Midwest Language Services, was invited to talk about her business on a radio show this morning that aired on 106.5 FM, The Giant. Executive Director of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, Julie Metz, invited Ms. Hoover to speak on the Chamber Chat radio show. While Tanya is not new to Shelby County, Midwest Language Services, LLC is. She started English as a Second Language teaching adult students from Yuma Industries when she started her business as a sole proprietorship nearly fifteen years ago.
A new English as a Second/New Language (ESL/ENL) class is being offered by Midwest Language Services in Shelbyville, Indiana that will meet on Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 12:00 noon for non-native speakers of English. For more details about this and other services Midwest Language Services provides, such as sign language (ASL) interpreting, document translations, and other interpreting services, please contact us at info@midwestlanguageservices.com or call (317) 296-7997.
Eikawa English Conversation Group
Join us for a weekly English conversation group that will meet on Thursdays from 11:00 AM to 12:00 beginning in March. The cost for each class is $12.50. We will meet at 735 Shelby St., Suite #106, Indianapolis, IN 46203. Class size is limited to five students.
Register for New English Classes!
Register now for our upcoming ESL classes!
Have you tried to contact us about English classes but were only able to book private lessons? Now we finally have group English classes that will start November 6 at our location in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Our address is 735 Shelby St., Suite #106, Indianapolis, IN 46203. It is inside the Switchboard building at the corner of Shelby Street and Hoyt Avenue.
We have a Level 1 class that will meet on Tuesdays 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
November 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2018
Here is the link for Level 1:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/level-1-english-grammar-and-conversation-tickets-51591759341
Level 2 will meet on Wednesdays 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
November 7, 14, 21, and 28
Cost: $99
Visit our Eventbrite page to register. Here is the link for Level 2:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/level-2-english-grammar-and-conversation-tickets-51592641981
Join Us for International Art Break Day!
Join us for International Art Break Day at 735 Shelby St., Indianapolis, Indiana on Friday, September 7 from 12:30 to 2:30 PM.
Current and prospective clients are welcome to join us for an art break on Friday, September 7, 2018 from 12:30-2:30 PM at 735 Shelby St., Indianapolis, Indiana. Midwest Language Services, LLC and Switchboard Indy are co-hosting this event on our porch.
“Art Break Day is a global art initiative created by Art is Moving to make art more accessible and inspire daily art making.” Making art together is a great way to make new friends and communicate with others. The focus is not on the art, but of the connections between individuals. www.ArtBreakDay.org
Language Class Interest Survey
Do you want to communicate more clearly with other people in your community?
Are you planning a trip to another country?
Are you interested in learning a new language?
Hello. We are going to be offering classes at the International Marketplace Welcome Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Please complete the survey. This information will help us with knowing what languages you may be interested in learning. It will also help us know what days and times are convenient for our prospective students.
Thank you.