In February, a group of Year 10 and Year 12 French students were lucky enough to take part in the annual French exchange to Grenoble. Wallingford exchanges with Lycée les Eaux Claires, a school which is located in the heart of the city.
Upon our arrival in Grenoble on Monday evening, after a long day travelling on the Eurostar and the TGV, we met our exchange partners at the train station. It was a daunting but also exciting experience, as many of us had only spoken to our partners online beforehand. We then went back with our partners to their homes, whether they lived in the city itself, or a short drive away in the mountains or the countryside.
On Tuesday, our first full day in France, we went on a day trip to Lyon, where we toured the city with a very knowledgeable guide, who provided us with lots of interesting information about the city. Here, we saw Vieux Lyon, with all of its beautiful and ornate architecture. This renaissance district of Lyon is in fact a listed World Heritage Site, due to its historical significance in France. Later in the afternoon, we visited the Roman Museum of Lyon, where you can see the ruins of the Roman city of Lugdunum. The amphitheatre was particularly impressive, and it was interesting to see how sound could travel from the stage to the highest seats.
Our second day on the exchange consisted of a scavenger hunt in the city of Grenoble, followed by the afternoon free with our host families. We had the opportunity to spend quality time getting to know our partners and their families.
On Thursday, both the French and English students went on a day trip to Vercors, where we visited the Resistance Museum and went on a snow walk in the afternoon. This was a really lovely chance for all of the students to be together and socialise. The trip to the museum was very moving; for many of us it was the first time learning about the resistance fighters in France during World War II, and their role in the war. The snow walk was an amazing opportunity to see some beautiful views and truly appreciate the landscape of the region.
On Friday, the students from Wallingford spent the morning in the French school. We were able to take part in different lessons, including new subjects such as Italian, Economics and Politics. It was really interesting to see how the French school system differs from our own and we even got to try a typical French lunch (which I think we could all agree was more exciting than our own). In the afternoon, we climbed Le Bastille, which is a large hill with a fortress at the top. The views from the fortress were fantastic, we could even see Mont Blanc in the distance! It was a tiring walk, but definitely worth it for the beautiful views.
Our final day in Grenoble was spent with our exchange partners and their families. My exchange family took me sledding at a ski resort in the mountains, which I really enjoyed. Other students were able spend the day doing activities such as shopping, bowling, or skiing with their host families, all of which sounded like a lot of fun!
Our exchange ended with a sad farewell at the train station on Sunday morning, saying goodbye to our host families after a brilliant week. We very much look forward to repaying the favour and hosting our exchange partners in Wallingford in June.
As a Year 12 student studying French, I can safely say that the exchange has massively improved both my confidence and ability to speak French; it is amazing how much difference a week of immersion can truly make. I was apprehensive to take part at first, especially having not gone on the exchange in Year 10, but I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable I felt during the whole trip, particularly with the support of our French teachers who accompanied us. To anyone considering going on the exchange, I cannot recommend the experience enough.
- Jasmine Martin, Year 12