The year was 2016 when French teacher Mélisande Larguet Goodwin stepped onto an American college campus to take her first class as a French exchange student. Little did she know that seven years later she would be teaching her native language and living full-time in a U.S. city that is over 500 miles from where she first landed.
“I flew from France to the U.S. for the first time in August [of] 2016,” said Goodwin. “I came as an exchange student. This was at the University at Albany, New York. I majored in English, and in order to better my speaking, I thought I should go.”
Though part of the foreign exchange program, Goodwin’s college experience looked similar to that of most. She described her experience as the “fun, cliché American college life,” and also referred to her experiences as being part of the “‘honeymoon’ phase of the expatriation process.”
“I think I was expecting to see what I saw on TV, [and] because I came here as a student in college, I did see what I saw on TV,” said Goodwin. “I had a great time going to classes, football games, college parties, and then I met a guy.”
Amidst the commotion of navigating life in a new country, her motivation to stay in America ultimately speaks for itself.
“We dated and decided to get married in 2020,” said Goodwin. “I [then] moved to Virginia Beach. Half of his family lives here [and] he chose to come for better work opportunities, [so] I followed.”
She also noted the prominent differences between living in France and living in America, which came to light when she started experiencing American culture in her new place of residence.
“People work more in America than they do in France,” said Goodwin. “The work ethic is also a positive thing because people strive to be better everyday. I really enjoy the positive attitude of Americans, [where] French people tend to be more negative [because] a lot of them stick to their comfort zone.”
After moving further south to make a new beginning, Goodwin started her teaching position at Salem in January of 2023.
“It was my first experience in an American school other than college,” said Goodwin. “I love teaching at Salem because my students are great and they are curious about the language and culture.”
Sophomore Quinn Kendall, a past student of Goodwin’s, shared that Goodwin’s class “really immerses [everyone] in French culture,” and that Goodwin does a fantastic job of applying the real world to her teachings.
“We learned how to write a resume and how to apply for jobs [in French],” said Kendall. “She always gave us lots of context behind what we learned. We also had many [cultural] experiences first hand, [such as the] picnic where we ate French pastries.”
Students of Goodwin also praise her for her ability to adapt to different language levels among students, whether beginner, intermediate, or advanced. However, she expressed that the transition has not always been easy.
“Teaching your native language is more challenging than I expected because I don’t always know [if] students are going to be confused or not,” said Goodwin. “I have to put myself in the shoes of a non-native speaker, and I discover rules and patterns of the French language everyday. Now that I teach French in the U.S., I don’t think I could ever teach English in France, which was my original plan.”
Another past student of Goodwin’s, sophomore Kaitlyn Thomas, echoed Kendall’s point of view.
“She created a really positive learning environment and made learning entertaining,” said Thomas. “She cares about her students [and] has first hand experience, [so] she was able to teach us about things like culture.”
Aside from the fantastic classroom experience and enriching cultural lessons, many students, such as Kendall and Thomas, also emphasized how Goodwin’s personality really shines through. Although it has been less than a year since she started her teaching position, her kind and caring attitude has resonated with students.
“My favorite memory with [her was] anytime we would play games,” said Kendall. “It was so fun to see how competitive she got, [which] made her class so much fun.”
Goodwin mentioned that she makes it a priority to include culture in most of her lessons, which allows her students to gain a broader understanding of the language they are learning.
“Around the holidays, I like to do cultural lessons to give [students] the opportunity to discover a different culture,” said Goodwin. “I love teaching French!”
Goodwin’s personal journey is truly an inspirational story of courageousness, bravery, and resilience. Her story demonstrates the importance of stepping outside your comfort zone, as you never know when one singular opportunity may change your life.
