Experience of French exchange
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 11:51 am
DS has the opportunity to go to Sauveterre next term with a local British prep school. All classes, sport, music lessons,meal times, excursions will be taken in French by native teachers. The only English spoken will be amongst the pupils outside the classroom and when given important safety instructions or talking to a doctor or member of staff about a problem.
They say that by the end of the term most children will be speaking some French but they will definitely understand nearly everything. They will also go to a weekly French school and interact with the local children, play football matches against local clubs etc. They do not leave France during that term so parent's have to go over for the holidays.
My main question is for those who have lived abroad or are French/European. Social impact aside, how much French do you think a 12 year old will learn in a term? Will it make a difference or when he goes back to school will he be at the same (bottom of the year group) level and not made a significant improvement? Then there is the question of how to keep what he has learnt at a good level as if he only does class French for a year afterwards will his French still be much better?
FWIW, he wants to go. There were many French exchanges we could have chosen and although this is not complete immersion we felt that it would be better for DS to have English friends that attend a similar prep and are off to similar senior schools so he would not feel as isolated or homesick and feel he had something in common with the boys.
They say that by the end of the term most children will be speaking some French but they will definitely understand nearly everything. They will also go to a weekly French school and interact with the local children, play football matches against local clubs etc. They do not leave France during that term so parent's have to go over for the holidays.
My main question is for those who have lived abroad or are French/European. Social impact aside, how much French do you think a 12 year old will learn in a term? Will it make a difference or when he goes back to school will he be at the same (bottom of the year group) level and not made a significant improvement? Then there is the question of how to keep what he has learnt at a good level as if he only does class French for a year afterwards will his French still be much better?
FWIW, he wants to go. There were many French exchanges we could have chosen and although this is not complete immersion we felt that it would be better for DS to have English friends that attend a similar prep and are off to similar senior schools so he would not feel as isolated or homesick and feel he had something in common with the boys.