For some Palisade Bulldogs, spring break means sleeping in and enjoying time away from school stress and homework. However, for the International Baccalaureate (IB) seniors taking French courses, spring break meant exploring France, roaming through old cathedrals, and trying escargot.
Every year, French teacher Mr. Austin Wallace leads a group of IB French students to France, to further advance their understanding and immersion of the language and customs they have been learning. Wallace meticulously plans details of time, space, and place to ensure the security and safety of every Palisade attendant while attempting to craft valuable, long-lasting memories.
Seniors Aspen Johnson, Willow Philliou, Kairi Richardson, and Rosemary Surroz attended the annual France trip from March 11th to March 24rd, spending a whopping 13 days in the L’Hexagone. The four students plus chaperones Wallace and his wife stayed in six different towns, some small villages across the border of Germany and larger locations such as Paris, the City of Love. The group visited at least two sites per day ranging from castles, cathedrals, and museums, oh my! In true tourist fashion, they also ventured to the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dam, and Musée d’Orsay. Most explorations were self-guided and considering the small group, the students were able to see and conquer so many different spots.
Philliou exclaims, “We ate a lot of ice cream, probably once a day. Maybe even twice some days!” For Philliou, playing Among Us during a six hour layover and visiting Oscar Wilde’s grave at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris were undoubted highlights.
Despite the somewhat unserious times the four shared, each student demonstrated immense proficiency during public interactions within local French contexts. Considering their four years partnered with Wallace learning French, two of which being under IB curriculum, the four felt prepared and excited to apply their linguistic skills, practice listening comprehension, and overall affirm sentiments of cultural awareness to soak in every detail about their newfound experiences. “It didn’t feel like I was visiting. I’ve spent four years learning about this culture, so it was time to be immersed in it. Obviously I was a tourist, but I felt a little bit less as one because of how familiar I am with the culture. It was easier for me to notice and appreciate all their little cultural differences,” states Philliou.
Wallace encouraged everyone to speak and practice French, whenever and wherever, commenting, “It’s fun for me to see the use of what they’ve been learning for the past four years in application.” Due to their impressive dedication and passion for French, the four did exactly that, with Johnson even admitting, “It’s been four days since we got back and I’m still thinking in French!” However, Philliou laughs, “We tried to pretend to be French in the small villages as best as we could. I don’t think we convinced anyone, except for other American tourists. It was the thought that counts.”
Like travelling to any other foreign country, cultural shocks are inevitable, and oftentimes more intense than expected. In France, smiling at strangers is considered weird or uncomfortable, which Philliou learned the hard way. Yet, “You always say ‘Bonjour!’ to everyone when you enter any shop and say ‘Good day!’ when you leave, that’s one thing I’m really going to miss. All the public interactions felt very concrete and set which was comforting,” concludes Philliou.
The IB French students are currently preparing for a multitude of exams coming up in May, including foreign language tests of reading, writing, and listening to assess individual knowledge and understanding. “It’s definitely enhanced my skills as a whole. I feel a lot more educated and prepared for my IB French exams coming up too,” comments Johnson.
As the group returned to good ol’ Murica, Wallace and each student packed unforgettable experiences, boosting cultural understanding and establishing tighter-knit connections with each other.
