These past 10 months in France have changed my life, I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to experience this. All the people I’ve met, the places I’ve been, the moments I connected with is something I wouldn’t have been able to feel back home, and learning this foreign language has been such a process, despite its challenges I loved learning it and growing from it
Being immersed in the culture, people music it allowed me to have a first-hand perspective on what it meant to be French and live among them something that felt fabricated when I studied at home but here it felt like I was fully 
apart of it. I can say in terms of studying the language and a new course at university I have progressed a lot more, understanding tones more than what I had understood before thankfully and I’m motivated to continue my studying even when I return to my home country
I came to realize many things about not only the country but also within myself, firstly I
understood that every moment in itself is a lesson, whether it’s the interactions with people with different stories and backgrounds, or whether its knowing that music, art and culture can transcend the depths of language and its barriers, there were many experiences and times I learnt from which I would’ve paid no mind to before in my life.
Furthermore, I realized that safety nets prohibit progress by this I mean to say that staying in one’s comfort zone or not embarking on adventures or taking risks we can’t elevate or progress to the next level, when learning a new language or anything honestly, we must be open to make mistakes, not ashamed of looking silly, if there is confusion, uncertainty etc that is fine, its natural but preserving and not stopping is the main thing to do.
And I would say another lesson I took in was consistency, similar to the previous point I suppose but have a consistent mindset or always taking time out of your day to practice the language, research where you can or find out new things about what you’re 
interested in helped me a lot when learning or inquiring about the history of France, or when I wanted to hone my skills elsewhere. These skills are definitely something I will be taking back home with me, and I’ll use for the rest of my life.
Speaking on when I return to the UK. I want to not only continue my studies in French but I would love to start a social group amongst those aiming to learn or are learning French so we could help each other progress, and furthermore I aim to keep in touch with all the amazing people I have met here. Then in the future I plan to travel to other French speaking counties and see how their cultures or way of life may differ from the one I experienced in France. I am completely and utterly grateful for the time I had here and moreover I am grateful to the john speak trust who aided me along the way, it will surely have a long-lasting effect on my life.