In this Engagements course, you will explore what it means to move between cultures and languages, and how these experiences can shape and reshape your sense of self. What does it mean to live within more than one language or cultural framework? How do people decide which language, behaviors, or cultural references to use in different contexts, and why?
Drawing on research in bilingualism, study abroad practices, and cultural adaptation, this course examines cultural differences as both an external encounter and an internal process. We will consider how moments of linguistic and cultural shifting can foster connection, create tension, or generate a sense of belonging or dissonance, and how these experiences influence identity over time.
Topics include language and belonging, everyday forms of code-switching, cultural dissonance, and the transformative potential of immersion through study abroad in Francophone countries. We will engage with questions such as: How is identity negotiated across cultural spaces? When does difference feel empowering, and when does it feel challenging? How do lived experiences of bilingualism complicate simple ideas of culture, language, and nationality?