Teen Summer Language Camp + Sailing in Saint Malo, France

Going to Saint Malo was one of the most memorable experience of my life. Everyday was packed with events and joy. Although it was just three weeks, I left Saint-Malo with incredible gifts in my heart - more confidence in speaking French, friends and a new family. I was very lucky to have had such a supportive host family. She was very thoughtful and entertaining, and she was the one who supported me linguistically and mentally throughout the stay. She even introduced to me a game that I fell in love with called, “rummikub” which I bought for myself as soon as I get back home. I met so many new friends from around the world, who I still stay in touch and FaceTime. I cannot speak fluent French, which lead to so many miscommunications, but still as I spoke more, it naturally started to stick to my brain. I had so many challenges, but looking back now, that all became a part of the amazing memories I have. I would highly recommend this program to any high schoolers who is eager to push themselves out of their comfort level to learn a language while having fun! One advice I would give is to bring card games. It can be a conversation starter even if your not good at the language. I felt my improvement in French the most when I interacted with my host family. It doesn't have to be card games, but anything that you can bring to the table and have fun with is a must-bring.

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One of the most unique and rewarding experiences of my life was my time spent in Saint Malo, France this past summer. I was not only immersed in French culture but also surrounded by a melting pot of international students who all shared my sense of adventure and curiosity about the French language. The program I attended brought together people from all over the world, and what I thought would be a purely French cultural exchange turned out to be much more. I wasn’t just learning French and living with a host family—this experience introduced me to various cultures and languages that I had never anticipated. When I first arrived, I expected to learn about French customs, language, and lifestyle. But soon I realized that my days were filled with meaningful connections with students from different parts of the globe. It was fascinating and heartwarming to witness people from such diverse backgrounds coming together, bonding over shared experiences, and learning about France together. From the very start, my classmates and I exchanged stories about our respective cultures, and I walked away with not only a deeper understanding of France but also newfound knowledge about countries and traditions far beyond its borders. My host family was a key aspect to my learning. They were kind, caring, and treated me like one of their own. Every day, I was immersed in French—whether it was during meals, conversations, or when they recommended places for me to explore. They even showed me how certain foods were meant to be eaten the traditional French way! Because they only spoke French at home, my language skills improved tremendously, and I began to feel more confident using the language. I cannot imagine a better way to experience France and to really learn the language from locals. At school, I had two teachers, each with their unique teaching style, yet both equally efficient in making learning fun and interactive. I remember one memorable activity where we went to a French supermarket to find various items, helping us practice vocabulary in a real-world setting. Every day was filled with opportunities to learn, not just from textbooks, but from experiences. We also had an instructor who took us on exciting trips and activities after school. From **mini-golf to crepe-making, there was always something new to look forward to. Saturdays were reserved for bigger adventures, like visiting the stunning Saint Mont-Michel or exploring the walled city of Saint Malo. One of the highlights was sailing, something I had never done before, but with the support and guidance of the staff, I felt safe and ended up loving it!

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My experience was very rare and wonderful. I was surrounded by not only native French speakers such as my host family but I was also surrounded by a melting pot of students at the school we attended through the program. Initially, I thought I was only going to learn about the French culture, yet I ended up learning about many other cultures and languages as well. It was very interesting and heart warming to see many people who came from different backgrounds connecting and experiencing new things together. I made many new friends from all over the world who educated me in their culture, and together we learned the French culture. My host family also played a major role in helping me learn about the French culture, and made me feel as if I was at a second home. They would make French meals and only spoke and expected only French conversations in the house, which improved my French speaking skills by a lot! They would also recommend me places and showed me things from their culture such as, how they eat certain foods. My host mom and Dad were also very caring and made me feel very safe and secure. I always felt safe during my time there, weather it was at home, during activities, free- time, or school. The school I attended in France was well organized and the teachers/staff were very respectful and helpful. The teachers would create fun and interesting activities in French, like going to a French supermarket and finding different items. I had two different teachers while I was there. Although, both teachers had their own ways of teaching they still taught their classes very efficiently and in fun ways to improve our learning experience. We would also have an instructor who would take us to activities everyday after school and fun trips every Saturday. For example, here are some of the activities and trips: Mini golf, Saint Malo tour, olympic games, crepe making, tour of Saint Malo aquarium, trip to Saint Mont-Michelle, Rennes, and etc... I am very happy I was able to experience this all and become more independent and learn more about myself, cultures, France, languages, and much more in just a month! I will never forget this trip!

I really liked that we had the ability to choose what we wanted to do sometimes, it gave everyone the responsibility to be aware of where they were and time management. Pay attention to where you are going. Make a mental map your first few days. You really don't want to rely on other people to get you somewhere and you need at least a general sense of direction, it makes a world of difference. Paris: the lessons were very easygoing, many people did not do them at all. Arcachon: Improve communication between adults and students. At times, students did not know what was going on or where different groups were going, or even what group they were in!

Going to France was definitely life changing. I now want to learn more French and become fluent so I can start working in France as a national correspondent. This trip was the first step in finding what I want to do in the future and Greenheart Travel made it happen! Choose Greenheart Travel! The people who work there make sure everything is ready to go before you go and while you are there. I don't think you will get that anywhere else. The best thing about the program was meeting all the people from around the world who were learning with me. It was so cool listening to other peoples lives and how it is different from how I live everyday. My advice for future students would be to learn as much about the language as you can before going.

This program was a good fit for me. I really liked that we had the ability to choose what we wanted to do sometimes, it gave everyone the responsibility to be aware of where they were and time management. I did both the Arcachon and Paris program. In Paris, the lessons were very easygoing, many people did not do them at all. I would have liked a little bit more rigor. In Arcachon, I think they could improve communication between adults and students. At times, students did not know what was going on or where different groups were going, or even what group they were in! Just a little confusing. A tip for future students would be to pay attention to where you are going. Make a mental map your first few days. You really don't want to rely on other people to get you somewhere and you need at least a general sense of direction, it makes a world of difference. I really enjoyed the program but I guess if anything could be improved, it would be to know the size of the group before arrival or more information about the other students. I communicate with them all now, but would have been nice to know them better before arriving.

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