On the recent College visit to Lille in Northern France, a group of AS and A2 French students stayed with local families, who were all very kind and willing to help out with practice for upcoming exams. The trip allowed students to immerse themselves in French culture and speak French.

The host families laid on plenty of activities, including bowling. The local elections took place during their stay, allowing the students to discuss current affairs with their families.

Students visited the seaside town of Le Touquet, where they spent time shopping, talking with the local residents and visiting the beach. This was followed by a trip to the La Coupole museum, which was a bunker complex used by the Germans in World War II to develop the V2 rocket and the flying bomb.

A trip over the border into neighbouring Belgium included a visit to the European Parliament, in Brussels. After an informative talk, there was a quick tour including a visit to the viewing gallery of the plenary chamber. Free time spent in Brussels provided an opportunity to enjoy the architecture of the city.

Visiting a chocolate factory in Bruges, Belgium, gave students the opportunity to design, make and inevitably eat, their very own Belgian chocolates. Afterwards, there was a chance to explore the beautiful town.

Aimee Lawrence, who is currently studying AS French said, “To get by in daily life during the visit, I had to use French as my host family spoke very little English. The trip also confirmed my love of interpretation, the feeling of helping to convey a meaning and seeing the realisation when a word was put into the language they understood. I have become more confident because almost everything I said, my family understood and I understood them, most of the time and was able to respond. I'm so glad I went on the trip, it has improved my French greatly and I had a brilliant time too. I didn't want it to end!”

Shirley Vandersluis, Trip Leader and Senior Curriculum Manager for Modern Languages said, “Overall the trip provided a fantastic opportunity to practice French with locals and gain a better idea of what France and the French culture is really like, a hands on experience far above anything possible in the class room.”