Skip to content

The Arles Project

By ieiMedia and Arles à la carte

  • About
  • Contributors
    • Keri Azevedo
    • Ali Costellow
    • Zoe Dixon
    • Morgan Dunn
    • Griselda Garcia
    • Jack Glagola
    • Victoria Medina
    • Gwen Murray
    • Sarah Naccarato
    • Danny Pottharst
    • Jessie Shaw
    • Ash Thomas
    • Annika Trost
    • Bella White
  • Faculty/Staff
  • Previous Editions
  • Home
  • Postcards
  • Comment dit-on?
  • Postcards

Comment dit-on?

Ella Slade July 3, 2023

The author uses Google translate to find the words she can't say in French. Photo by Gabriela Calvillo


By Ella Slade

I point to my dinner, a full plate of tomato salad and fried egg crêpes, and rack my brain for the French translation of “this looks good.” The words exist only in English, and I stifle a sentence I know my host won’t understand. 

Communication with my host “mom,” a wonderful woman named Djamila, involves an amalgamation of French (with the aid of Google Translate), English, gestures and facial expressions. I have never before experienced this kind of difficulty in finding the correct words; English was always my strong suit, and I have nearly three years of communication-related college courses under my belt. 

When it comes to speaking French, however, the average second-grade student could shamelessly wipe the floor with my written and verbal abilities. I now feel slightly ignorant in calling myself an expert communicator, as I’d only ever attributed the skill to communication in my native language. 

The frustration I feel at not being able to exactly express my thoughts is a new and special experience. If I could tell Djamila anything, I’d ask her where she found each and every one of the paintings that ornament her apartment walls. I’d speak precisely about the differences between my town in Iowa and Arles, France. Instead, I use choppy French to say something about how Iowa has a lot of farmland, a lot of corn, as she nods and smiles. 

Surprisingly, I continually find that being “taken down a notch” in my preferred area of expertise is not discouraging. As my proficiencies are challenged, I gain new skills. 

After one of Djamila’s home-cooked meals, I now can express my satiety in French, thanks to her teaching. We laugh together without use of complete sentences, and respond to the television with sighs and smiles and eye-rolls. 

This is a personal reflection and does not necessarily express the opinion of The Arles Project or program sponsors ieiMedia or Arles à la carte.

Tags: Arles Communication Google Translate

Continue Reading

Previous: How I got scammed at the Arles market
Next: Taking Flight

Related Stories

The bird lady of Arles
  • Postcards

The bird lady of Arles

July 16, 2025
A dark side to Fête de la Musique Audience members hold up phones at a music festival in Marseille.
  • Postcards

A dark side to Fête de la Musique

July 11, 2025
Arles: Inspiring artists for generations
  • Postcards

Arles: Inspiring artists for generations

July 11, 2025

You may have missed

A refuge on the Chemin de Compostelle
  • Places
  • Religion

A refuge on the Chemin de Compostelle

July 16, 2025
The bird lady of Arles
  • Postcards

The bird lady of Arles

July 16, 2025
Flamingos are more than a symbol of the Camargue
  • Environment

Flamingos are more than a symbol of the Camargue

July 15, 2025
Seeking asylum: Two struggles for a better life
  • Politics

Seeking asylum: Two struggles for a better life

July 15, 2025
  • Postcards
  • Traditions
  • Places
  • People
Copyright © All rights reserved. | DarkNews by AF themes.