Meet Shreni Shah | Polyglot, French lover, teacher, and linguaphile

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shreni Shah and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shreni, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
Growing up in India, I often heard my social circle say things like – “Take the safer path. You have great grades. Just become a doctor, an engineer, or a Certified Public Accountant (CA in India).” I am blessed to have parents and a sister who believed in me, and who stood by my side as I decided to bid farewell to my budding career in Chartered Accountancy (CPA here in the USA) and walk on a completely unpaved path of Foreign Language Teaching/learning. I would never have discovered my love for languages, especially French, or met all the beautiful people I cherish today, had I taken that advice. Yes, perhaps, I would have had a lot more money than while teaching French, but hey, money can only make you so happy. (?) :p

Another piece of advice I truly couldn’t care less about was, “Move to France, if you want to speak French well”. I couldn’t agree less. I lived in France for only 8 months, and the bulk of what I knew already came from prepping myself in India. I spent hours listening to audio CDs (yes, I used to sit in a mediatheque to listen to audio CDs to train my ear to understand French), and even more hours repeating French phrases to learn the right pronunciation, and today, while it might be a transformative opportunity to do so, I can proudly say that moving to a French-speaking country isn’t the only way to speak good French.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have taught French since 2008. I say it in a funny way, but I think it may be true. I don’t think I know how to do anything else but teach French. I also always say that I didn’t choose this career. Teaching chose me.

The story behind teaching choosing me: I was studying to be a CPA, and one day, I (somehow) fell asleep in a Law classroom filled with 80-100 students. I was not a slacker in class. I was the opposite: a serious, hardworking student. So when this happened, I was embarrassed, and perhaps even more as the teacher not only called me out on it, but also asked me to leave his classroom. (Yes, he saw me dozing amongst so many students, and yes, he didn’t say it in the kindest way). That really woke me up from slumber and made me realize that this wasn’t for me. Later that evening at dinner, I told all this to my parents and sister. My sister pointed out that I loved French in 11th and 12th grade and that I should see if there’s a career to be pursued in it. This was 2007 in Mumbai, India, and not many people in my circle knew about careers in linguistics, and I didn’t have access to many resources or counselors to fall back on. While my parents were worried about the money invested in the CPA tutoring classes, they assured me that I should pursue what would make me happy. That week itself, I went to my French tutor and started interning with her. Since I needed the money, I started teaching there while getting my bachelor’s degree. I continued to pursue my education in Commerce and Finance while studying French at Alliance Française de Bombay. I finished B2 level and moved to France (September 2013) for 8 months to teach English. Some of my relatives made my mom feel guilty and even doubt their parenting as she was sending me to a country where we knew no one and didn’t speak the language. We were all terrified, but that single decision transformed my career, my personality, and everything I knew about myself. It was the hardest and the most beautiful thing I had lived. This phase of my life taught me so much, and I can say that I learned that you can do hard things.

In 2018, I moved to the USA to live with my husband. This was another pivotal point in my life. I wasn’t allowed to work on my visa. I was torn between living with the love of my life after 6 years of long-distance, and giving up on my career that I worked so hard to build. I was at an all-time low with my professional identity taken away from me. I didn’t know anything but teaching French. I had been independent since I was 17, and this felt new, strange, as if I had to either give up on love or career to have the other. Not working got old really soon, and I needed to do something to stay sane for myself and my husband. He suggested I should start sharing educational content on Instagram to help others like me. This had always been a dream of mine. Sometimes, life gives you signs if you know how to read them. Not only did I read the sign, but I read between the lines and went all in. This gave me a new purpose. I spent hours learning how to edit and create videos. There weren’t many educational content creators in 2019, and I was really able to create a professional network with people and teachers around the globe, but also an amazing community who loved me without knowing who I was, who supported my work without even meeting me in person. It was (is) beautiful, and even today, 6 years later, I continue to create free content. My underlying reason is still the same: “If I can even help 1 non native person learn French, it is worth it”. Chatpolyglotte is my safe haven, my pride, and my first baby, and I am so thankful to my husband for giving me that direction and unconditionally supporting me. I truly believe from all these experiences that every piece fits exactly where it is supposed to, and we can sometimes only recognize that the puzzle is complete when we take a few steps back to appreciate it.

I often wonder how different my life would’ve been had I chosen to go back to that Law class the next time with the conviction to learn better, or if I had chosen to live in France, etc. However, I also believe that somehow, I made those choices, and to live by them is to choose to believe in those choices. There is a French proverb I love and live by, by Jean-Paul Sartre, “Nous sommes nos choix” – We are our choices, and this is my biggest learning from all of my personal and professional trajectory.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Ooh this is tricky as I am not the best tour guide. My husband does a better job at planning these out. However, if I had my best friend visiting, I would certainly take them on an early morning run on day 1, erm, ok, maybe on day 2, haha. After the run, it would only be fitting to get a delicious iced coffee with French pastries at my favorite French bakery, Nanou (I live in Fort Lauderdale). This would certainly be a 2-3 times a week kind of ritual. I would also love to take her to Saint Augustine for a short weekend getaway. I think it is quaint, charming, touristy, but not Orlando-level touristy, and fun with history and things to do. Another thing I would certainly make my best friend do is visit some local art museums and take walks around wealthy neighborhoods. I love people watching and dreaming of multi-million dollar homes. I would also take her to check out some of our favorite locally owned small business restaurants and breweries (Invasive Species, Quvo Mexican restaurant, Union Kitchen and Bar, etc). There are also some little parks I am a huge fan of in Fort Lauderdale where I’d take her for picnics to get coffees, treats, and views. We would read and chat, then watch the sunset and walk back. I would certainly stuff my friend’s mouth with all the home-cooked Indian food. A trip or 2 to Miami would be absolutely necessary too. The last thing I’d do is to take her to meet all of my closest friends here so she could see what my life is like on a daily basis and the support system we were able to create for ourselves down here. I may be forgetting a few things, but this seems like a solid starting plan to me.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This list may be so long. I genuinely believe that, apart from hard work, choices, and right timing, people are where they are because of other people, and it is important to never forget that to stay grounded and relatable. For me, it all began with falling asleep in Law class and being sent back home after being humiliated. My first shoutout is for my sister, who pointed me in the direction of a “do something in French” related career. My parents are my life support, who supported me even though they told me “we know nothing about this, but we believe in you,” haha, my first French teacher who made me fall in love with how it sounded, and my tutor who let me intern at her institute. Fast forward many years, a huge shoutout to Alliance Française de Bombay, the TAPIF – teaching assistant program, my husband, my big cheerleader and the seed planter for Chatpolyglotte on Instagram, Alliance Française de Miami, and my current employer for believing in me. Finally, a big thank you goes out to all the people who engage with and show up for me on Instagram – my little community of fellow French lovers who make me feel so content with my work.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chatpolyglotte/#

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@chatpolyglotte8723?si=E7-eRD5Y39z9meYM