prim*rose Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I'm wondering if anyone has gone to France and attended a language immersion school for a few weeks? Dd 14 and I are thinking about it, but it seems like there are so many options. Dd hasn't had any French instruction yet (she's starting in the fall), and I had 3 years in college, but most of that is gone. I'm curious to see what schools might be good, and anyone's experiences there. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 DD was set to go and do this language immersion program in France with a group of French homeschoolers who wanted to learn English, but the gig fell through when it came time to put dollars down. So we are going to France as a family for vacation, and we plan to have DD do most of the guiding, speaking at restaurants, etc... I think she'll get quite a bit out of it this way, culturally and language-wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prim*rose Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 Thanks, Karen. We were thinking the same thing - maybe a family vacation would be a better experience. It seems like reviews of the language immersion schools are inconsistent, and it's hard to shell out money for something without a review I trust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 If you only have a short time, I think it's more valuable to have a good basis of the language to start off with, then see it come alive in the immersive situation. I studied French at school, then went on a school exchange (living in a French family) for a month - it worked really well. On the other hand, I learned Chinese more or less by immersion from the beginning - it was a great way to learn, but it wasn't that quick. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I agree that some familiarity with the language would give you the most bang for your buck. It's an awfully expensive trip from the USA and you'll want to maximize the learning potential. Would it be possible to do a year's worth of French before you go? DD has a few years of conversational French and one year of high school level French under her belt already, so I think we'll be Ble to maximize the learning possibilities. Oh, and we can of course maximize the crepe-eating possibilities, also. :). . If you only have a short time, I think it's more valuable to have a good basis of the language to start off with, then see it come alive in the immersive situation. I studied French at school, then went on a school exchange (living in a French family) for a month - it worked really well. On the other hand, I learned Chinese more or less by immersion from the beginning - it was a great way to learn, but it wasn't that quick. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I've thought this would be a great way for the kids to learn French (you host a child and your child lives with the host family for 6 months). http://www.enfamille.com/usa/our-exchange-program/faq/ ETA: In my googling, I ran into another program that is for teens that has shorter options. http://www.osef.ca/page-1-month-program-15025.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 A much cheaper and simpler approach for a student with a decent grasp of the language might be to investigate summer camps in Quebec. My dd has gotten a lot out of watching movies in French. She tends to create her own immersion experiences. ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prim*rose Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 Great tips & advice, thank you! Dd and I spoke about it today, and decided to wait till she has a year under her belt. If you only have a short time, I think it's more valuable to have a good basis of the language to start off with, then see it come alive in the immersive situation. I studied French at school, then went on a school exchange (living in a French family) for a month - it worked really well. On the other hand, I learned Chinese more or less by immersion from the beginning - it was a great way to learn, but it wasn't that quick. Laura, if you don't mind my asking, what program did you go through for your exchange to France? A month would be great; any longer and I fear it would be too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Yes, we did do this last summer. I agree with what Laura said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Laura, if you don't mind my asking, what program did you go through for your exchange to France? A month would be great; any longer and I fear it would be too much. It was a town-to-town twinning programme between my home town of Bristol and Bordeaux. My boys also went on an exchange from their school, but it was only a week, which was of minimal use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Oh, yes, I'd forgotten about that! Old Quebec City is beautiful and not too far from our northern border...and no airfare cots! A much cheaper and simpler approach for a student with a decent grasp of the language might be to investigate summer camps in Quebec. My dd has gotten a lot out of watching movies in French. She tends to create her own immersion experiences. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.