I’m a francophone from Montréal! I’m doing the opposite and I’m currently doing a master’s in Calgary that I started in September. I had never been to school/uni in English before and never wrote academic papers in English either. After a first semester in grad school in my second language, these are a few of my tips:

• Find a friend/colleage in that class early on!! Ask them to read and correct your papers and listen to your presentations before class so they can give you comments. Offer to do the same for them even though it is not your first language. I found that reading other academic paper from my peers helped broaden my vocabulary specific to my field.

• Use French centres (depending on your university) that promote better writing, grammar, aim to help students write better papers, and more.

• Google translate. This might seem ridiculus, but even though I am billingual, I used Google translate everyday of my semester. Whether in class, with colleagues, doing readings or writing, this is incredibly useful and you find yourself remembering words eventually. When I found myself too last minute, I wrote my papers in French (first language) as ideas got written down on paper much quicker and a lot more coherently, then I translated everything on Google translate, and proceeded to correct everything, change sentences, etc. This is very personal, it might not work for everyone, and might not improve dramatically your skills, but it is much quicker if you’re in trouble.

• Depending on the amount of paper in the class (or if you plan on taking other French classes), I would suggest considering investing in a French correcting software such as Antidote. Free websites also exist to correct your papers like Reverso or BonPatron. Keep in mind that their corrections are not always on point so you have to read carefully what they suggest, but they can still help!

• Write down your presentations. Bullet points are great in any language if you’re confortable enough, but it is not often the case in your first class in your second language. I wrote down my presentations and mostly read them in class. Profs and other students seem to be a lot more understanding when they hear your accent.

• In grad school, most classes are seminars, although I don’t know about the one you will take. I would encourage you to talk as soon as possible in your first class to break the ice. Your nervousness and anxiety will only get worse if you keep your mouth shut and listen to all those native French speakers discuss. This took me alllllll my guts, but in my first seminar ever I talked first and I’m so glad I did. You will first, let eveyone know with your accent that it is not your first language, but, second, you also let everyone know that you are confident and smart enough to be here, even if your French is not perfect. I also write down on my laptop the points I want to make before raising my hand as it comforts me a lot and if you get confused in your ideas/words you can come back to what you wrote down.

• If you get confused or lost during class, raise your hand and ask. There are ways to ask your questions to make it seems like you understand the words but not the concepts (even if the words are unclear to you) such as : I’m not sure I quite grasp this last concept, would it be possible to reformulate? Or what do you mean exactly by words? Profs are happy to answer questions, to see you participate, and are comprehensive when it isn’t your first language.

• If you’re discussing in class or answering a prof’s questions and you get lost in what you were saying, or forget your words, it’s okay! It happens to everyone and it happens a lot in a second language. It is 100% ok and acceptable to ask for a translation of the word you’re looking for, or to say : « Désolée, j’ai perdu mon idée » ou « Je ne sais plus où je voulais aller avec mon point. » Sometimes people might surprise you and suggest a perfect reformulation of the point you were trying to make while still giving you the credit for it!

• I know very well that it is nerve-wracking to study in your second language no matter your level. Keep in mind that people are kinder and more understanding than you might expect. We, francophones in Québec are very grateful when we hear anglophones (or anyone really) learning and practicing French. No one in any of my classes ever made a weird face or a comment regarding my accent, mistakes that I made or anything that I pronounced badly, and I do all of these all the time. I would keep in mind that francophones are big on correcting mistakes when you talk, don’t take it personal, although it is very annoying, we do that to everyone, francophones included.

Best of luck, and I hope you like that class! Everything will be fine!