Trips to France
Every boy will visit France on two occasions, in his third and fourth years. Each class spends between ten days and a fortnight at a Gite d'Etape in Normandy, just outside the town of Avranches. We believe that, to understand a language properly, it is necessary to speak it, live the life of the country and be exposed to and enjoy its culture.
During their stay the boys are given lessons in French in the morning, to prepare them for a visit arranged for the afternoon. This might be to a bee farm, the local boulangerie, the D-Day Memorial Museum in Caen or to one of the landing beaches. On these visits it is necessary for the boys to understand all the different vocabulary and to speak the language in actual real-life situations.
After a visit, activities are organised which will include team-building exercises and perhaps a trip to the local forest on a mountain bike. By the time they leave, the boys will have experienced French as a living language, which gives them the confidence to perform well in the subject on their return.