How/Why to Live in the French House

Want a French cultural experience
without having to leave the States?
Check out the French House!

The first time I heard about the French House I conjured up images of a wild and crazy frat house in my head.  I thought of students running around and stealing stop signs, all-the-while conversing in French so as to avoid attention.  Recently I had the chance to sit down with Mme. Oscarson, mother of the French House, and my wild ideas were put to rest.


Is easy to see that Mme. Oscarson loves the French House.  She herself lived in the house a few years back, and now has been the mother of the house since the winter of 2008.  She describes the house as a way to "live French", and that it is the "closest thing to a Francophone environment" that you can get at university.  She also sees the French House as a way of connecting people and helping them develop unique relationships while they are in school.  From talking with her I now see the French House as an amazing and unique way to study and live French, instead of how I saw it before; as a crazy frat house.


While living in the French House you are exposed to French all the time.  It is a rule that everyone in the house must speak French all the time.  How cool is that?  On top of that you have French movies at your disposal and you even have some television directly from France.  One thing that I find great, too, is that it's not just a bunch of Americans all speaking French to each other, instead the House has a Resident Native Speaker who is a native of France living with you and helping everyone out with the language.  So when Mme. Oscarson said you get to "live French" she wasn't kidding.


Another benefit of the French House is the social atmosphere.  While in the House you have a set dinnertime where everyone eats together.  This not only helps build friendships with your roommates, but also helps you speak French in a variety of contexts.  Once a month the male and female houses meet for a French Family Home Evening, and often have other activities planned on top of that.  Church is also a very unique experience.  All the Foreign Language Houses meet together for Sacrament Meeting, Priesthood (for the guys), and Relief Society (for the women), before everyone splits off into their respective language for Sunday School.  What's cool about this is that Sunday School is actually taught in French!


There are lots of reason to live in the French House, so what are you waiting for?!  If you have completed French 202, and have a good handle on French, talk with Mdm Oscarson ASAP.  The process is pretty straight forward, and is a lot like interviewing for a job, but in French.  Just a quick note, the French House is only for non-married BYU students.


So as you go looking for a place to live in the future, be sure to consider La Maison Française!