Frenchwoman Teaching French to Lithuanians: Lithuanians are Very Open to Europe

“I believe that what is happening in Ukraine is genuinely changing the French perspective on the Eastern European region. We are beginning to understand and see Ukraine as part of Europe. Despite such a dire situation, this experience can teach us a lot and pave the way for solidarity with other countries. Even we French, who can be a bit arrogant, realise that we are closely connected to each other,” says Olivia Marie Anne Fritsch, a French language lecturer at Vytautas Magnus University (VMU). 

The young woman, who is currently in Lithuania on a study internship, says that although she knew almost nothing about the country before arriving, she was surprised not only by the Lithuanians’ good command of English and their support for Ukraine but also by their European outlook. Olivia not only teaches her native French to university students and works at several schools in Kaunas, but she also keeps in touch with her students scattered around the world, eagerly awaiting her French lessons.

Finding the right career path was not immediate

Olivia says that although it took her a while to find the field where she could fulfil herself, she believes she is now in the right place, and her future plans include creating a platform for learning the French language.

“I felt a lot of pressure from those around me about what I should do after finishing school. In France, it’s common to go straight to university after passing the final exams. At the time, I felt lost and unsure about what I wanted to do in life. Eventually, after a few years of self-discovery, I decided to study French literature,” she begins her story.

As Olivia points out, learning foreign languages is often more challenging for the French, so to improve her English, she went to the UK on an Erasmus+ exchange programme. “When I returned, I realised that my English had significantly improved, and I had fallen in love with the French language all over again. Naturally, the question arose: ‘Why not try teaching French to foreigners?’ That’s when I created an account on a language teaching platform and started offering my first lessons,” she recalls.

Although the beginning was not easy, within her first year, she managed not only to find students from various corners of the world – from North and South America to the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania – but also to gain teaching experience and pursue a master’s degree in teaching French as a foreign language. 

“While studying, I wanted to gain even more practical experience, so I chose to complete my study internship in Lithuania. It just so happened that Lithuania was the first country I saw advertised online. During my very first interview with university representatives, I felt a warm connection and almost immediately received an invitation to come to Lithuania,” says Olivia.

In Lithuania, everything is more focused on productivity

Olivia shares that before arriving here, she knew little about Lithuania. “I don’t want to appear rude, but in France, when we talk about Eastern European countries, we still tend to associate them with Russia. Partly because we are quite self-centred. But when I came to Lithuania, I saw that Lithuanians not only speak English very well – much better than the French – but are also very open to Europe. I was also impressed by how Lithuanians support Ukraine,” she emphasises. 

When talking about the arrogant attitude often attributed to the French towards other nations, Olivia says this stems from a great pride in their country and language.

“This arrogance is more noticeable in large cities, especially in Paris. It’s compounded by the fact that we don’t speak English very well – often, when asked something in English by a foreigner, we simply don’t know how to respond. As a Parisian, I can say that if you visit Paris, you will see many tired people with anxious expressions, which might give the impression that we are angry. This is all because we are exhausted by the daily rush. In French, we have an expression: Metro, Boulot, Dodo – metro, work, sleep. That’s just the Parisian daily routine,” Olivia asserts.

Nevertheless, she emphasises that people in the south of the country are much more open to newcomers. “In the south, people are more relaxed and tend to enjoy life more. Compared to Parisians, they are in no hurry. Even if they don’t speak English, a local will not leave a tourist in the lurch. I often notice that when foreigners complain about the French on social media, claiming we are cold, they have usually only visited Paris, which leads them to form an opinion about the entire country,” Olivia describes the French mentality.

Comparing cultural differences between her home country and Lithuania, she disagrees with the stereotype that Lithuanians are cold people. “At first, it seemed strange that people here don’t smile for no reason. For instance, in France, when paying for goods in a shop, it’s normal to not only greet the cashier and smile at them but also to thank them and wish them a nice day. There’s definitely less of that in Lithuania. Initially, I found this behaviour a bit impolite. But it’s not – it’s just the local norm; the manners are different. Here, everything is more focused on productivity. People gather to work, not to chat. In my interactions with pupils, I also smile quite a bit, which is still quite unusual for them,” she says.

Practical use of a foreign language is particularly relevant for people in today’s world

Olivia, who is currently undertaking an internship in Lithuania, says that in a very short time, she has not only had to adapt to a different culture but also learn to juggle her work at university and three schools.

“All these activities require considerable effort, but they also offer a chance to gain various experiences. Each week, I devote about 30 hours to working in schools and at the university. I spend a similar amount of time conducting online lessons for my students, who live in different countries. But I don’t complain about the workload because I’m doing what I love. Moreover, in the near future, I hope to create my own French language learning platform-tool that each user can tailor to their individual needs,” Olivia shares her future plans.

The lecturer notes that not only do her students’ ages vary, but so do their motives for learning the language. “The students are adults who have consciously chosen and are seriously committed to learning French. Meanwhile, when teaching teenagers in school, you first and foremost need to be an educator – you have to adhere to certain rules and values, not give in to the students’ provocations, and sometimes repeat the lesson content several times if they lose concentration. Furthermore, it is often the case that it is not the pupils themselves but their parents who have chosen for them to learn this language,” she explains the nuances of her teaching work and notes that the most difficult aspect for foreigners learning French is understanding the spelling. 

“In French, we also have a lot of grammatical rules that make absolutely no sense. In the past, learning the language involved mastering the grammar and understanding the structure of the language before beginning to speak. Now, people focus on the ability to communicate in that language from the very start, and young people want to learn slang terms,” Olivia asserts.

She also points out that all French-speaking countries have their peculiarities. For instance, the French are increasingly incorporating words or phrases more commonly used among communities originating from Algeria or Morocco into their everyday language.

“On the one hand, we French tend to complicate our own language. For example, instead of saying ‘90’, we say ‘4 times 20 plus 10’. Meanwhile, the Belgians have a single word to express ‘90’. We also like to shorten certain phrases, so we often speak incorrectly ourselves,” the lecturer notes.

Educators should remember to practice self-care 

According to Olivia, the most important thing for her is not only to teach the language to her students but also to create a connection with people.

“I have a student from Kyiv, Ukraine. When the war broke out in his country, he couldn’t leave, so when he was looking for something to do to escape the daily realities of war, he decided to learn French. He didn’t know a single word in French when he started, but now, six months later, I am amazed at the progress he has made: he can not only express himself but also read simple texts in French. Seeing how you can help people grow truly compensates for all the effort you put in. For me, it’s the best feeling ever,” the woman rejoices.

Olivia, who teaches French to students at Vytautas Magnus University and pupils in Kaunas’ gymnasiums, stresses that one thing very important for educators to remember is self-care.

“There are challenging situations when, for instance, pupils decide to stop learning the language for certain reasons: they feel they are not making progress, or the lessons become too much of a financial burden. At that point, you might start to think that maybe it’s your fault. It is, therefore, very important for teachers to learn to take care of themselves, to step back when necessary, and to learn to separate professional life from personal life. Sometimes we don’t listen to ourselves and, as a result, we experience burnout. I believe that you can only truly help others if you are feeling well yourself,” Olivia asserts.