A TAPIF Tale

Fall 2023

Hello, my name is Emmanuel Ortiz. I am from El Paso, Texas, and I recently graduated from Texas State with a Bachelor of Science in Advertising and Mass Communication. Alongside my bachelor's, I pursued a minor in French, as I am fluent in Spanish and have always desired to learn a third language.

I am currently living in a Parisian suburb through the Teaching Assistant Program in France and am having an amazing time exploring more of the French language and its culture.

I must say that my level of fluency isn't up to par with that of a native speaker, and I would have loved to have a class that was more in line with my learning abilities as a bilingual individual.

In the traditional courses at Texas State, I often found myself ahead of certain lessons, considering that French and Spanish share many similarities. I highly recommend taking the opportunity to enroll in a class designed for Spanish and English speakers, even if French isn't your major or something you plan to pursue after college. You, of all people, should know that having two languages under your belt can open a lot of doors. Now, imagine what three can do…

Being here in Paris has made me realize that fluency in English, Spanish, and French grants you access to so much, not only professional opportunities but also to people, art, culture, music, and so much more.

Personally, I wasn’t planning to live abroad, and now here I am. So, I highly recommend you take the opportunity to improve your French, even if you think you won't use it.

I wish you the best of luck on your upcoming semester!