Katie Kortepeter and Dr. Theobald

When the Exam Ends

Written by Katie Kortepeter

“So, do you have any questions for me?”

I was putting on my backpack, about to leave a French oral exam. A little surprised, I saw that Madame Theobald was giving me an encouraging smile.

I briefly wondered if this was part of the test, but she’d already turned off the recorder. I couldn’t think of anything profound to say in my limited French, so I decided to ask a sincere question. “Well…I was wondering if you had any music suggestions. Are there any French songs I could listen to that would help me with my pronunciation?”

Madame Theobald’s face brightened. “Oui!” she exclaimed and proceeded to name a few songs. “This one will help you with the future tense we just learned. And that one was popular in the ’80s…” Before long, we were discussing how music is one of the best ways to learn a language. At the end of class the next day, she came up to me and handed me a sheet with a list of French song titles. “I typed this up for you,” she beamed.

Whenever I listen to my French pop playlist, I remember the oral exam that turned into a wonderful conversation. And at my next oral, I won’t pack up after the test’s over.

Katie KortepeterHailing from Indianapolis, Katie Kortepeter, ’17, is an English and French major. She frequently swing dances, speed reads Tolstoy, and practices her Chinese as a bubble tea waitress.