By Isabella Zelenchuk — Correspondent
Do you want to practice your French with adorable huskies? Or would you rather order mouthwatering poutine in French? Then the annual Québec trip is for you!
From January 12th to 15th this year, thirty-seven French students and three French teachers traveled to Québec, Canada to immerse themselves in French-Canadian culture and expose themselves to the French language in addition to participating in immensely enjoyable winter activities, such as dog sledding and making maple syrup popsicles in the snow. Not only were the students able to develop their ice skating skills, the language immersion aided in developing their language skills, such as comprehension and speaking.
Pictured above: Students enjoy maple lollipops at a sugar shack.
Eve Katz, an AP French student who went on the trip, believes that her comprehension improved as a result of her experience. “I was actually really kind of a little bit impressed by how much I could understand from what [our tour guide] was saying when she was talking to us about the history of Canada and the things that we were going to do,” Katz said.
To help the students practice the French they’ve learned over the years, they were encouraged to speak, listen, and read as much as they were comfortable with, such as in stores, in restaurants, or even with locals. According to Katz, even the locals encouraged the students to speak French: “Every place I went, when I tried to speak French, they would speak French back no matter how shaky or kind of possibly inaccurate it was. They did give me a chance to speak, and I appreciate that.”
Some students reported that the benefits of the Québec trip have showcased themselves in the classroom.
“I’d say I definitely have an easier time understanding, especially when we’re doing comprehension in class like listening. I think that was the most noticeable improvement,” said Dante Gorostovich, a junior.
Even though Gorostovich was one of the few underclassmen who attended the trip, he did not let that stop him from pursuing his passion for the French language.
“I wanted to go on a trip with my classmates because I would be able to travel to Québec and learn about French culture and practice my French language with actual French speakers and sort of put my skills to a real world test. It definitely paid off. It was so much fun, and I learned a lot,” he said.
Madame Turner, the AP French teacher and one of the French teachers who attended the trip, has also seen some improvement in the classroom: “I think that their comprehension skills have increased. I see some smoother speaking. It is only four days, so it isn’t a huge jump in improvement, but I think there is some.”
For a more immersive experience where students can truly improve their French skills, Madame Turner recommends the French Language Exchange Program, where students spend two weeks living with a host family and going to a French school, speaking French the entire time. Unfortunately, the exchange program was canceled this year due to low interest, but Madame Turner hopes the trip will be brought back at some point, saying, “That’s a true immersion. That trip is the most beneficial.”
Aside from engaging in French language immersion, the students were able to expose themselves to French-Canadian culture, such as learning how maple syrup is made by listening to a generations-old maple syrup producer, and learning how to pilot a dogsled. Students also enjoyed exploring Québec, such as visiting the gorgeous Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré and Galeries de la Capitale shopping mall, which hosts an ice skating rink and an amusement park.
Out of the countless activities, dog sledding with huskies seemed to be the favorite amongst most students due to the adorable canines. Gorostovich even “fell head over heels in love” with the puppies.
For Madame Turner, her favorite part was seeing students use their French and seeing the seniors be de-stressed for a weekend, where they were able to engage in snowball fights and do fun things without worrying about the college process, future planning, or their exams.
Furthermore, Madame Turner hoped the students took away that “The French they’ve learned is useful, that they really can communicate and understand, that we have French right in our backyard, and to learn a little bit about the history and appreciation for the culture.”
All in all, everyone loved the trip since they found it so engaging and rewarding. Katz said, “I knew that I couldn’t miss this opportunity to speak French because I’ve been to Canada before but not with all this knowledge of French. I really wanted to challenge myself with the French language and also prove to myself that I can do things that scare me and that they could be really rewarding in the end.”
Katz even described the trip as “perfect.”
Pictured below: An old street in Quebec City, overlooking Le Château Frontenac.
