Those who can - do, those who can't - teach...

Before the spring semester has even begun, and the sun has not yet spoiled it with its warm rays, students, not too worried and still a little shivering from the bitter wind, rush to lectures. Somewhere among them we can see Loic Boizou, a lecturer at our university with a not-quite-Lithuanian appearance, who always has a wide smile on his face. I wonder what winds brought this man of French and Swiss culture to VMU? Then let's get to know him better and find out.

Why did you choose teaching? What led you to make this decision?

In France, they say: Those who can, do, those who can’t, teach… Teaching wasn’t my childhood dream. When I was a teenager, my goal was to become a diplomat or a journalist. I started studying geography and learned a little Lithuanian and Ukrainian. My Lithuanian grammar teacher, Professor Chicoune, made a huge impression on me: he showed me that language is a system, so I started thinking about linguistics. Since linguistics doesn’t offer so many professional opportunities, I chose applied linguistics. So in my fourth year, I transferred to a master’s degree in computational linguistics at the Institute of Oriental Languages (INALCO). That same year, I started volunteering at the “Autremonde” (Another World) NGO: I taught West African immigrants (mostly from Mali and Senegal) French, especially writing, because most of the people who attended the lectures couldn’t write or read. I really enjoyed communicating with Africans. Thanks to them, I learned a lot of new things. So since then I have been very attached to West Africans. I also had to teach French to another NGO that was trying to free prostitutes from the pimp network. The work was hard because I saw many victims of fate from Central and Eastern Europe (among them several Lithuanian women), from the Balkans, South America, China and from Nigeria. So, while continuing my studies in computational linguistics, I decided to study teaching French to foreigners at the University of Paris X-Nanterre. That's how I entered the slippery path of a teacher.

Why did you decide to come to Lithuania, Kaunas and Vytautas Magnus University?

My connection with Lithuania is old. As a child, I saw the Baltic Way on TV, and I began to be interested in the Baltic countries. I looked for information about the Baltic peoples wherever I could. I followed the events related to the struggle for independence very closely. I spent hours listening to the radio when the Soviet army attacked the television tower. The restoration of Lithuania’s independence in 1990, the recognition of the Republic of Lithuania and its accession to the European Union are also important moments for me. I am partly a descendant of the Sąjūdis! Therefore, I am inclined to say that the Baltic peoples, and especially the Lithuanians, developed my citizenship and sensitivity to human rights. Speaking of Kaunas, the city left a positive impression on me when I first visited Lithuania in 1996. Later, when I was a doctoral student, I learned that VMU is a center for computational linguistics. Since my dissertation was related to Lithuanian language processing, in 2004 I was interested in internship opportunities at VMU, and Rūta Petrauskaitė warmly welcomed me. After that, I spent three and a half magical years in Kyrgyzstan, and later we got in touch with Rūta Petrauskaitė again, who suggested that I return to VMU. So I flew here…

How do you evaluate the quality and system of studies at Vytautas Magnus University?

It is difficult for me to evaluate everything, because I only see part of the scene. My vision would be: the smallest possible university. Unfortunately, the current situation in Europe encourages larger universities, so VMU is no exception. I often hear observations from older lecturers that the choice of subjects used to be freer, which I think is also important. I am glad that tolerance is recognized at the university, and this is an important feature in representing VMU.

Was it difficult to overcome the language barrier? How did you do it?

I started learning Lithuanian in Paris at the Institute of Oriental Languages in 1995. I had a lot of contact with Lithuanians there. During my first trip to Lithuania, I often spoke to people, so the barrier quickly disappeared. I remember when I would say, “I barely speak Lithuanian,” people would often respond, “How well do you speak Lithuanian!” And after my second visit to Lithuania, I could speak Lithuanian fluently. Now I can understand almost everything, but my speaking and writing skills are not perfect. I often notice my own mistakes in inflection and personification…

You have been living in Lithuania for many years. How did you manage to adapt? What were your impressions of the first year spent here?

As I already mentioned, in 1996. I first came to Lithuania as a traveler. I was invited by my friends who were studying in Paris. When I arrived, the gray colors, old cars and dilapidated buildings caught my eye, but I was still happy to be in my “homeland of the heart”. It was scary, but at the same time fun to run across the highway near Rumšiškės, or to cross the unfinished bridge in Vilnius. However, as I already mentioned, I was quite interested in Lithuania and had communicated with Lithuanians, so there was no big culture shock. So after the first trip, Lithuania was “terra cognita”. Especially since Lithuania is part of Europe. When I had to live in Kyrgyzstan, where the culture is completely different, then the story was completely different. But it was not difficult for me to adapt in Lithuania.

How did you manage to "make friends" with Lithuanian food? Do you miss the traditional dishes of your country here?

I have no problems with Lithuanian food. I eat everything: from pig's trotters to šakočis. I especially appreciate the art of beetroot, because in France that vegetable always seemed rough to me, but in Lithuania in beetroot soup and šaltibarščiai the beetroot acquires a delicate taste! Due to my French and Swiss culture, I lack cheese. I was always used to choosing cheese from about 40 different types. I'm not saying that Lithuanian cheese is bad, but there is a lack of variety of flavors. Imported French cheese is often of secondary quality, and Swiss cheese is brutally chopped up by Maxima employees who don't know how to cut it...

Our column is called "A teacher is also a person." How do you evaluate such a statement? Can you see a completely different character outside of the university?

I think this is self-evident and there is no need to argue :). Although, of course, people are different... However, I don't think my character changes much after the lectures. Maybe I'm a little more reserved.

What secret interests and hobbies do you have that your students don't even know about?

I am a pure philologist, I like languages and literature. Now I am trying and striving to learn Lithuanian sign language, but I lack time... I like to spend time with my family, communicate with friends at the table, watch a good movie, listen to music, take a walk, swim in lakes or the sea. I don't have a very specific hobby.

If you weren't teaching at a university, what other profession would you choose?

To this day, I feel nostalgic about teaching the language to immigrants, because that job is more related to social activities. I have so many good memories in that field… Tourism could also be a great profession, but communicating with tourists requires nerves of steel, which, unfortunately, I don’t have. And as a poetic alternative, there is always the idea of raising animals in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan… but where will I find a library and fast internet then… 🙂

What are your future plans and goals? Do you plan to leave Lithuania?

For now, my plans are related to Lithuania. My work at VMU is very interesting. Research work related to the computer science of the Lithuanian language is especially promising. Of course, when teenagers “chirp” about my family, which is from Asia, when I see the behavior of some people towards black people, or when people express their anger by slandering homosexuals, Poles, Muslims or Jews, then I want to shorten my stay in Lithuania. It is especially painful because my life is so closely connected with Lithuania’s struggle for independence and integration into the European space. It is sad that although Lithuanians raised me as a citizen of the world, they do not always manage to raise their own people in the same way. However, later I think that there are still many good people here and that I love Lithuania. I even listen to Lithuanian sutartinės, which are close to my heart, I remember the villages of Dzūkija and then the desire to continue living here returns.

What would you like to wish to our magazine readers?

I wish that students would study diligently, become active citizens, and realize that diversity can be an asset and strength. I would also like them to go abroad, but also return, adapt to Lithuania and Lithuanian culture, and, importantly, help fight poverty in the country. In my opinion, it is extremely important that young citizens gain a sense of well-being, which is sorely lacking in Lithuania.

 AUTHOR: Gintarė Granskaitė