LingQ
I looked up from the blue and yellow highlighted text. There was a blush-colored house in front of me, lime-green plants on the porch, a statue of a southern soldier across the street. I passed a hip neighborhood breakfast place serving bagels with eggs and leafy greens, then made my way onto Franklin Street.
I was listening to an interview, en français, on the site LingQ, which I just signed up for. Passing by another cozy eatery with outside dining, I listened to the story the language learner was elaborating on. I don’t remember what the story was, but I remember the euphoric feeling. I felt closer to a francophone through listening to his phrases, the syntax, the parley. I was proud that I could comprehend parts of the podcast even though it had been months since I last learned.
I would import fascinating articles on French or Russian culture or listen to the already imported stories in the audio library while walking in the Fan District or in downtown Richmond, without looking at the written content. This was done in order to attune my ears to the soundscape. After this, I would be in the library or my favorite coffee shop in downtown Richmond, Urban Farmhouse, reading along while the audio ran.
I was enjoying consuming audio content, having found it a few years before.
I remember feeling carefree in that coffee shop. Within the chalky exposed brick walls, the sounds of the cappuccino machine hissing, I felt disconnected from the university which I attended. I felt it most when I was overhearing conversations about people’s travels.
I think I felt happier there because I was finally attending a college where there was some culture, there was finally a downtown feel with people from diverse culture, strolling around with stories they experienced, living and working. I didn’t get this in my first college.
But, just like this first school that I attended, I clung to this feeling of disconnection, trying to remember it at times. I felt more connected to the professional world in that setting, where people were already making money, adding value, using and acquiring marketable skills. That’s why I felt less flat and fatigued there in contrast to when my feet were on the campus.
I’ve always been someone who did self-study and I was forcing myself to do the opposite. Joyfully learning French again with LingQ helped me to realize that.