A group of 11 L.V. Rogers students are on their way to France to take their immersion learning to a new level.
The French Immersion students left Nelson on Friday after school with LVR vice-principal Tim Mushumanski escorting the students to Paris. He said experiencing their studied second language first hand is invaluable to the learning process.
“Really, once they get into that second language environment, that’s where the real world learning takes place. This is as real as it gets,” he told the Star Friday.
The Grade 9 and 10 students will spend a few days in Paris before travelling to Bordeaux where they will stay with host families and students that will be coming to Nelson in April.
Kyra Burkart, 15, has been in French Immersion since starting middle school. She was feeling “a mixture of nervousness and excitement” on Friday.
“I think it will be cool to be a part of their culture,” she said. “We’ve learned so much about it over the years but we’ve never experienced it.”
Classmate Emma Weiland, 14, couldn’t wait to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris and enjoy some shopping. On top of new experiences, this trip gives her a chance to see how well she’s learned to speak French.
“I think it will help us know how much French we need to travel to a place like this,” she said.
Many of the students have connected with their French hosts via Facebook and language hasn’t posed a barrier to communication. Even if their hosts’ English is difficult to understand at times and their own French translations might be slightly off, messages are getting across.
Burkart said immersing in French culture will help “improve my accent.”
Bordeaux is a port city in southwestern France known for its wine industry.