French for the Future » Student of the Month: Camille

Student of the Month: Camille

This month's featured student is Camille Blakeley Dejy.

Camille with friends during her exchange in France.

What Camille loves in life is cooking, reading, and her family and friends. She enjoys life's simplicity while dreaming of world-travel and contributing in the field of science. For a 15-year-old, she is very ambitious!

Born in Toronto to a French mother and a Canadian father, Camille grew up in a very bilingual environment. She can easily go from one language to the other and appreciates both cultures.

After having spent her life in an English-speaking city, Camille plans to do her studies in French in a Francophone city. It was during an 8-month exchange to Grenoble in France that her interest in the French language was fully realised.

Name: Camille Blakeley Dejy
Age: 15
Grade: Grade 11
School: Le lycée français de Toronto. A school that teaches the French curriculum.
Lives in: Toronto
First language: It’s hard to say what my mother tongue is. I have been surrounded by both languages from birth, as my mother is French and my father is an Anglophone Canadian. I speak French at School and English during my extra-curricular activities, like my piano lessons. So I would say that I have two first languages: French and English.
Favourite music: I like a whole variety of music : Coldplay, Sara Bereilles, Feist, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers and especially Oasis.
Favourite comedian: Gad Elmaleh!!!
Favourite French words: coccinelle, lait, chocolat
Guilty pleasures: Drinking directly from the milk carton, eating in front of the TV, spending an afternoon reading or watching my favourite show instead of doing my homework…
Favourite way to practice French outside of school: Reading. Especially during the summer : I read at least a dozen novels during the break. I also watch movies in French, even though sometimes the choice is limited! During the year, I speak French with my mother.
Why is it important to learn a second language?: Leaning a second language has many advantages. Learning a language also means discovering a different culture and shows an open mind. Obviously, to have learned Spanish at school becomes very useful if you find yourself in Madrid! Leaning a second language also helps to find a job, especially knowing French in a city like Toronto. Finally, many studies show that having learned a second language helps prevent Alzheimer’s in older people.
In her opinion, the coolest French country is: France is the only francophone country I’ve had the chance to visit other than Canada! My mother’s family is there, so I go almost every year. It’s a very diversified country with a unique culture. And the French are very proud of their language!
How she will use her French skills in the future: France offers a free university system that would suit me well. Maybe I’ll go study there. Obviously, this would be impossible if I didn’t speak French! Next summer, I hope to find a job and I’m sure that being bilingual will help me out!
Favourite writers: Anna Gavalda, Alexandre Dumas, Tolkien and C.S Lewis.
Where she would like to travel: I’ve always dreams of going to Italy. The language, the sea, the culture… I want to go at least once in my life! Rome is a city that seems fascinating : so many things to see.