In most places on Bowling Green State University’s campus visitors and community members alike can expect to be greeted in English. But in two places you are almost certainly going to hear something else.
This is the goal of the two foreign-language communities on campus, residents of the groups say, to create an atmosphere where Spanish and French can thrive.
BGSU is currently the home of La Comunidad, which is located on the 9th floor of the Offenhauer residence hall and La Maison Française, situated in sorority row right outside the student union.
According to those living in both communities, language is not the only thing that sets these areas apart from other places to live on campus.
“When people come to me and ask about La Comunidad, the first thing that comes to my mind is family,” freshman community member Alejandra Figueroa said. “It is like someone is always around to help us out no matter what.”
La Comunidad has been running for four years, but La Maison Française has a longer history on campus. Converted from a sorority house in 1971, La Maison Française has been a residential option for women on campus for over 30 years.
Julie Parenteau, assistant director of La Maison Française, believes the learning communities are not only helpful for the students who reside in them, but is happy that they encourage those at BGSU to embrace culture.
“I think that any opportunity that we have as a campus community to provide any form of cultural event is a good thing,” Parenteau said.
Eight students live in La Maison Française and 30 of the 41 students living on the 9th of Offenhauer West are part of La Comunidad. Each functions a little differently but have the same goals in mind, Parenteau said.
“There has been a strong push across the United States for these living, learning communities,” Parenteau said. “It is becoming a focus on a lot of campuses. But a lot of them offer an International House … it’s not necessarily a living situation.”
The learning communities at Bowling Green have been recognized not only in the area but also by U.S. News and World Report. BGSU has been mentioned for the last two years in their “America’s Best Colleges” publication.
The eight learning communities at Bowling Green, including the two language communities, have been ranked best of the best in the category “Programs to Look For.” Twenty-six schools were cited, including Yale University, University of Michigan and Miami University of Ohio.
But for the students who live in these communities, the benefits are personal.
La Comunidad member Julio Mata said a hearing Spanish on his floor helps him feel connected to home. He is originally from Texas and worried he would be terribly homesick.
“I have grown up with Spanish, and I just wanted a familiar atmosphere,” Mata said. “It made me a lot more comfortable.”
To live in La Comunidad, students must have a minimum of three years of high school Spanish.
Elizabeth Phillips a freshman from Norwalk, Ohio, said she was a little apprehensive to live in La Comunidad, but she wanted to use Spanish as much as possible.
“I expected that everyone would be speaking all Spanish and that I would be lost the first few weeks,” Phillips said. “I have learned to be more comfortable. Here I have an opportunity to [speak Spanish] and not get graded.”
Varying language levels are also evident at La Maison Française, Parenteau said. To encourage speaking in French, the students sign a contract that says they will try to always speak French when they are in the common area downstairs.
The residents are required to attend Café-Conversation, Sunday night dinners and cultural events together.
At La Comunidad, the Spanish Club meetings are held in the lounge area and speakers come on a regular basis. The group said they enjoy attending the charlas, Spanish for chat, which are held in the Union Pub each week.
Members of both communities said their language skills have increased since they moved in.
La Maison Française Director Angeline Bourgoin believes living in the house is the next best thing to studying abroad, although she stresses living in a French-speaking country is the best way to learn a language. Bourgoin is from Tours, France, and is now a graduate student studying international business.
“In a small city like Bowling Green, it is good to encourage people to be open-minded,” Bourgoin said.
Making culture accessible for students is a key to both of the communities, Mata from La Comunidad said.
“Being at a university, it should be a time when you realize that there is more out there than what you know — more than what you are familiar with,” Mata said.
Mata and his friends said they enjoy the chance to appreciate the language and culture together, where they can help each other with homework, practice speaking or just watch TV.
“You can be comfortable to just pop on the Spanish Channel without someone being like, ‘Ew, you have the Spanish Channel on,’ freshman Lance Lorenzo said. “Here you can have it on for like two hours and everyone will watch.”