France: French Immersion Adventure

Travelling with Global Works to France was an immensely gratifying and enjoyable experience that introduced me to French culture and helped me to improve my conversational skills. I couldn't have asked for better group leaders; both of them were responsible, very fun to be around, and genuinely cared about our well being. In the beginning of the trip, when nobody knew each other, their activities allowed us to quickly acclimate to each other and the language. When a few of the students unfortunately stepped on sea urchins at the beach, the leaders responded professionally and made sure the injured were well taken care of. The volunteer opportunities, which included the restoration of the ancient canals of Cabrespine during our home stay and working with children in Versailles, were very fruitful experiences. They reminded me that the purpose of the trip was not just a selfish one; that we were helping the community in a way that could not have happened if it weren't for volunteer groups such as ours. Probably the best part of the trip was the home stay. Our family was very caring and considerate of the challenges of an immersion environment; they knew to speak more slowly and clearly so that we could understand and helped us if we were having trouble finding the right word. Our family made an effort to make the stay exciting and comfortable, with many sight-seeing trips to the town, and a memorable soccer match between France and Portugal. Through the homestay, I was able to practice French with real French people and further my comprehension and learn language skills that cannot be learned in a classroom. While I certainly greatly improved my French language and conversational skills during the homestay and volunteer work, I felt that it was not entirely immersion within the group. This was mostly due to the varying ability levels of French within the group, ranging from 1 year to my 9 years of French. I would probably choose a narrower range of language ability so that all of the students can feel comfortable in the target language.

This is a parent review of France: Language and Leadership from July 5-July 20, 2016. My 16 year-old son, who is a native English speaker has been taking French since first grade. We had been to France twice with him but a few days traveling as tourists was not enough to practice his French and to get to know the culture intimately and deeply. Global Works provided him not just the full immersion in the language but it also offered him a glimpse of what life in Carcassonne, a quaint, medieval, picturesque town in Southern France was like. Not only did he immersed himself in the language but Global Works' experienced staff led him and his group to service learning through environmental reclamation and working in a summer camp for French children! Specifically, my husband and I enjoyed reading the travel blogs provided on Global Works' website. The pictures on the blog were also quite precious since it provided us an idea about what the program was really about. Overall, he thoroughly had a great time and we, as parents are quite satisfied with how Global Works provided him with a meaningful, productive and memorable summer!

I could not have been happier with my Global Works experience! Everything from the first day name games to the good-byes went smoothly. Everyone attending had an excellent attitude towards learning a new language and learning more about themselves. Because of this trip, I am far more confident than I could have ever imagined, and I can't wait to bring my new confidence and knowledge to other parts of my life.