After a very successful visit from our Parisian students before Easter, 36 enthusiastic LEH and Hampton School Year 10 French linguists travelled to Paris to meet up with their exchange buddies. They were delighted to see their exchange partners again after only ten days being apart since their visit to London. Our partner school in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, Notre-Dame de Sion, organised an eventful line-up of activities during our stay including a guided tour in French to the bohemian art district of Montmartre and the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre, a promenade through the Jardins des Tuileries and stroll along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées as far as the Arc de Triomphe, a scenic river boat trip on the river Seine, as well as an enjoyable historic French guided excursion to the gardens and château de Versailles.
Pupils spent their weekend conversing in French with their host families whilst enjoying visits to the Eiffel Tower, Musée du Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Panthéon and Notre-Dame Cathedral. The exchange provides a very rewarding experience for our pupils to develop their language skills and immerse themselves in francophone culture as they enjoy the unique opportunity to stay with Parisian families – many of our pupils stay in contact with their exchange partners and are already arranging another visit this summer. Vive l’échange parisien !
One of our students, Basia comments on the whole experience from hosting her exchange student in England:
“I had a great time with my exchange partner who visited from the private collège lycée. She was always very nice and polite; her English was exceptional so communication between the two of us was not a problem. I think it was wonderful to get to know someone form a different country and culture over the course of the week. From playing video games to going out to eat at restaurants, I can say that I had lots of fun hosting my exchange partner. It was also such a great opportunity to speak French with her – she was always very patient and supportive.”
And when visiting Paris:
“J’ai vraiment apprécié mon séjour en France. J’ai trouvé que tous les endroits que nous avons visités étaient tellement beaux et fascinants. Ma correspondante était très sympa, chaleureuse et accueillante. Tous les soirs, on mangeait bien et j’ai beaucoup apprécié le dessert que j’ai essayé chez elle – du yaourt grec avec du beurre de marrons – je l’ai même acheté au Bon Marché ! Par ailleurs, j’ai particulièrement adoré la visite au château de Versailles parce que j’ai appris tant de choses intéressantes sur l’histoire de la France et de la famille royale française. En général, je m’y suis bien amusée et il va sans dire que j’ai l’intention de rester en contact avec ma correspondante à l’avenir. J’espère que beaucoup d’élèves décideront de venir à Paris et d’y prendre part puisque c’était un voyage incroyable!”
And for those not so conversant in French:
“”I really enjoyed my stay in France. I found all the places we visited so beautiful and fascinating. My exchange partner was very nice, warm, and welcoming. Every evening we ate well, and I especially loved the dessert I tried at her house including Greek yogurt with chestnut butter – I even bought it at Le Bon Marché! Furthermore, I particularly loved the visit to the Palace of Versailles because I learned so many interesting things about French history and the French royal family. Overall, I had a great time, and it goes without saying that I intend to stay in touch with my exchange partner in the future. I hope that many students will decide to come to Paris and participate, as it was an incredible trip!”
Another student had this to say about the Exchange Programme:
“The French exchange students arrived first, and we hosted them for a week before going to Paris ourselves. Over the course of the week, we got to spend a lot of time with our exchange partners and get to know us and our families. They went around London with their school, visiting places like Kew Gardens and Windsor Castle. We also spent time with them on the weekend and showed them places they might not have seen before. For example, I took my exchange to St Paul’s Cathedral and the National Gallery, as she had not been there before – she seemed very interested to discover these places. A week later we arrived in Paris, and we reunited with our exchange partners. While we were in France, we were heavily encouraged to try and speak as much French as we could, which seemed daunting, but was not all that bad. We also spent the weekend with our host families, and I visited monuments such as the Arc de Triomphe and museums like the Musée du Louvre. Over the course of the rest of the trip, together as a school, we visited places of interest like the Palace of Versailles, Luxembourg Gardens and the Champs-Élysées. Overall, it was an enjoyable trip as well as a useful one, and I do think that it has helped my French language skills.”
