Year 11 French trip!

Written by Beth D and Vanica M

From the 14th to the 17th February 2020, 47 GCSE French students travelled to Paris, allowing us to experience the magnificent French culture, as well as to extend and develop our speaking skills; this proved challenging at times but was a fantastic opportunity for us to practice the French language.

When we arrived, after the long day of travelling, we got settled into the Chateau de Grande Romaine and then went for dinner. After that, we took part in our first evening activity which was to recreate photos from films and different moments in time; this was a really fun activity which got everyone involved (and also showed our competitive sides)!

On the second day, we took an extremely tiring- but rewarding- walk up to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower; this allowed us to envisage the amazing scenery and landscapes of France. After that, we had lunch as well as an opportunity to buy some crepes or waffles, which was useful as we were able to practice how to order food in French, as well as some time to socialise with our friends.

Then we went on the Croisière Promenade Sightseeing Boat cruise where we further captured the beautiful landscapes of Paris (as well as witnessing an engagement- which was a lovely experience)! Once the River Cruise finished, we travelled to the Montmartre Sacré Coeur where we saw the stunning view of the cathedral and also had some free time which gave us a fantastic opportunity to practice our speaking skills when buying souvenirs and ordering any food or drinks. We then went back to the Chateau, had dinner and then had some time to relax after a tiring day!

On the next day, we were privileged to spend the whole day at Disneyland Paris, where we took some amazing photos, went on some exhilarating rides and shopped around for any presents. During the day, we had some great chances to implement our French speaking skills when buying food or souvenirs and asking for directions. We then went back to the Chateau, had our last dinner and then did our final evening activity which was to make crepes in preparation for pancake day (Le Mardi Gras); this was another great task which got everyone involved- as well as testing our French vocabulary when recalling the recipe for crepes in French.

As our remarkable trip came to an end, we spent some time at the Carrefour hypermarket- which was absolutely huge! This gave us our final opportunity to use our speaking skills when buying any food or souvenirs. Overall, this trip was an amazing experience with a great opportunity to implement what we have learnt throughout our last 2 years of doing the French GCSE course- especially through our speaking and listening.

In addition, we want to say a massive thank you (on the behalf of all the French students) to Mrs Green, Madame Renaud, Mrs Pugh, Mr Dare and Mr Bennett for such an amazing trip and for encouraging us to practice our French wherever possible; it will definitely be an experience that we all remember!