Receiving the language grant from the CWCTP was critical for my gaining a grasp of French.听 Given that the focus of my dissertation in philosophy is the early modern period, being able to read French is essential.听 It will enable me to read the work of Descartes, Pascal, Leibniz, Rousseau, and others in the original language--a skill that is absolutely necessary for developing myself as a competent scholar in the area.听听
The grant enabled me to set substantial amounts of time aside to focus exclusively on language study, as well as to buy the necessary aids for learning French.听 On account of this, I was able to begin reading French even after a relatively short period of study.听 An especially quick payoff occurred even this summer, in that my study of French enabled me to read a French text which was a critical element in my qualifying paper (a paper which all Ph.D. students must pass in philosophy in order to embark on their dissertation).听 听听
In short, being both a husband and father, I'm not sure how I would have been able to dedicate anywhere near the amount of time to studying French that I did, had I not received the grant.听 I deeply appreciate those who made it possible.
Mark Boespflug - CU Philosophy