“En France!” was the slogan of a group of Canterbury Students who made the cross-ocean voyage to France this past spring break.
Around 14 juniors and seniors went to Toulon, France as part of a cultural and linguistic immersion program over spring break. The trip was twelve days long; the first nine were spent in Toulon, and the last three in Paris.
The students spent their days going to an international school, spending time with their respective host family, and enjoying the foreign land.
“We had school from eight in the morning to about five in the afternoon,” said Lucy Galliher, junior. “The classes were very similar to those we take at Canterbury: chemistry, history, etc.
“[Toulon] was right on the Mediterranean, so I spent a good amount of time hiking along the beach and enjoying the nice views and climate,” said Caleb Norris, senior.
As well as being an extremely fun way to spend the break, the trip also provided an opportunity for the students to hone their language skills.
“Having taken four years of French, my vocabulary was pretty good. However, my conversation skills were just okay. The trip definitely improved my listening and responding skills,” said Norris.
“The trip both improved my vocabulary and grammatical skills,” said Galliher. “Actually being in France definitely helped a lot.”
The trip additionally had a profound cultural impact on the group, amplified by staying with a host family.
“I got along very well with my brother, as well as his two friends. We spent a lot of time together, so it offered a good chance to see how they live,” said Norris.
The trip, aside from making an indelible mark on their language skills, also provided the students with a myriad of memories.