Improv comedy in USVA, on stage to improve my English

Theater as well as music has always been part of my life. It gave me this oral ability, which is one of my biggest asset. However, the challenge in the Erasmus experience was to be able to keep this fluency even in English. I will tell you here how improv comedy class has contributed to a significant improvement in my English.

It was in December, after having attended the regular USVA events that I made the decision on a whim to enroll in improv comedy classes. It was like a challenge for me and a way to dive into the English language without safety net.

Without a safety net? Not completely!

In fact I knew that I was pretty good at theater and that the others would probably be much better in English than I was. So I convinced myself to use my theatrical experience to overcome my difficulties in English. That seemed like a good strategy.

However, the first day of the class arrived. Despite my strategy, which seemed well constructed, I was afraid.

The course was given by two Dutch teachers and was built in two parts. Space games and the improvisation in front of an audience.

This first course is probably the most memorable in terms of anecdotes because I had to get out of several difficult situations.

However, once on stage, everything seemed to disappear in the characters' shoes and become easier. My strategy seemed to work.

Class after class I became more confident and the exercises seemed easier to me. My vocabulary was growing and especially my comprehension.

The group was very nice and we used to go out for a drink after each class. Once again, this was an activity that provided a great opportunity to meet people.

To conclude, it is very difficult to explain all the difficulties that this challenge happened to be, as the level of English in the course was so demanding for me. However, I do not regret having made this choice because it was a very formative one. It enabled me to prove once again that I could surpass myself and above all, it was a wonderful experience.

Finally, do never forget that the best challenges are those that you set for yourself, especially during an Erasmus experience "I never lose I either win or learn" Mandela.