6th Form and Senior School students enjoy sun in Antibes over half term

Over February half term, a group of students from Year 10, Year 12 and Year 13, along with Mme Goddard and Mme Parente, headed off to Antibes, France. They took part in a linguistic and cultural trip for six days and immersed themselves in the French way of life.

Every morning, the students had French lessons at the local language school in Antibes. In total, they had 15 hours of French lessons during the week. These lessons were of a very high standard and well-suited to the levels and the needs of our students. At the end of the course, each student received a certificate indicating their European level. They participated in a variety of activities in class, including debates, discussions, grammar enrichment and video making. On the last day, our students worked on a collaborative project with Italian students who were also learning French.

Each afternoon was filled with a cultural visit. Students saw some fascinating places. On Monday, they visited the old town of Cannes, « Le Suquet », and the Palais des Festivals, where they starred in a group photo on the Film Festival red carpet. On Tuesday, they visited Menton, close to the Italian border, and saw the amazing “Fête du Citron” in the Biovès garden, where they admired 30 foot statues covered in citrus fruits, depicting the fantastic world of the 1001 nights. On Wednesday, the destination was Grasse, where they visited the perfume factory and the cathedral. On Thursday, it was a visit to old Antibes and the Picasso museum with a treasure hunt around the town.

One of the highlights of the trip was the visit to the Sciences Po Menton university, where we were welcomed by the Director of the university and its Pedagogical Director. During our two hour visit, our two speakers told us about the history of the school and the educational options available there for students. Both speakers stressed the importance of languages in the modern world.  The Director of the university has renewed his invitation for us to visit again next year.

Students were lodged with French families, all of whom proved to be very welcoming and caring, and allowed the students to really experience French cultural life.

This trip was a very rewarding experience and we were delighted to see how much all of the students enjoyed it. The language course enhanced their linguistic skills, increased their general self-confidence, social skills and independence, and gave them a better understanding of France and its culture. They spoke French to their teachers for the whole week and it felt weird to speak to them in English again at Stansted Airport.

Click here to see the photos.

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