FLE ON LIVE

Our visit to the “Diversité Jobs” fair was very enriching for all of us. Personally, I was very interested in several companies and job offers. I even wanted to apply on the spot. However, when I discovered the criteria and conditions required by recruiters to work in certain professions, I was very surprised and disappointed. Most of the recruiters we met explained why they cannot hire women who wear headscarves. They talked about hygiene and safety rules, as well as their customers’ preferences.

In addition, one of these conditions was owning a vehicle. I have my driver’s license, but unfortunately, I cannot afford to buy a car at the moment.

During our visit to the job and training fair, I applied for a position as a home care worker at a service voucher company located in Neupré.

I have no experience in this sector. In my home country, I worked as a pharmacist for three years, then I trained to become a nurse. After graduating, I was hired in the gynecology department of a private clinic in Kenitra, Morocco.

When we went to the job and training fair, I was very interested in personal services. However, I cannot do this job here in Belgium because I need to have my diploma recognized as equivalent or have my skills assessed. The procedures involved are too complicated, which is why I decided to apply to other cleaning and maintenance companies. I simply need to find a job.

I try, as much as possible, to speak French with my friends. I often read books and newspapers in French, even if I don’t understand everything. But that’s okay! I know very well that learning French isn’t easy.

Right now, I’ve noticed that when I talk to others, I’m doing better than before.

I really enjoy reading in French. At home, I often read short texts aloud because I like hearing myself speak with a different intonation and rhythm than in my native language. However, since I live alone, no one else can hear me. Here, it’s different, which is a good thing since our recordings will be listened to by other people.

Before, when I read a short text in French, I would panic and my voice would shake constantly. Reading in French was very difficult for me because it is a foreign language that I do not speak or write fluently.

However, during the radio workshops, we had the opportunity to record ourselves reading and repeating sentences and short texts. Then we listened to our recordings as a large group, sometimes making fun of each other and correcting our own pronunciation. For me, this exercise was very beneficial because I learned to value my voice when speaking a language other than my mother tongue, Arabic. I no longer panic as much as I used to when I read, and I now try to find pleasure in reading in French.

I don’t like hearing myself speak, I don’t like the sound of my voice when I speak French, and I often feel like I can’t make myself understood, which makes me feel a little ridiculous. However, listening to our podcast, I realized that even though I don’t speak French perfectly, I am able to make myself understood. The sentences I said in the recording are correct and understandable.