For many students in a foreign language class, going on an international trip to visit the country for the language they study is a huge opportunity. This trip allows students to practice their language skills among native speakers, absorb the culture, and gain confidence in their speaking.
Speaking is the most used skill when visiting another country and yet, one of the most difficult to master, even after having used those skills in a classroom.
“We had to use our speaking skills a lot,” senior Mackenzie Hipp said. “And we were still very limited on how we could speak. We learned a lot about how they actually say things. And even though we couldn’t say a lot, they appreciated that we tried. They helped us, we could be polite and say thank you.”
“I had been able to use what I had learned in class effectively because over in Germany, people know English and German,” sophomore Byron Arnold said. “They wouldn’t switch into English with me though. We’d just keep talking in German so it means I did a good job.”
Speaking and even listening to a different language can be scary at first. It may even take a few days before students get the hang of it, but it is genuinely helpful in the long run.
“Speaking is very intimidating the first couple of days,” French teacher Laura Snead said. “ Even listening is very intimidating at a normal native speed. By day six or so, students begin coming up to me saying, I ordered my lunch, I talked to the sales lady in the store, I had to go down to the front desk and ask for another towel. So, it takes a number of days of real frustration or even fear. But the trip is very authentic in showing kids that if they just stick it out and dare try to speak the language, it’s very rewarding.”
Whenever going to a different country, the culture is going to be very different from home. Depending on where you are going, it can differ from one end of the spectrum to the other.
“Everything’s closer, which I miss a lot,” Arnold said. “We walked everywhere and it wasn’t that long.”
For other students however, the culture shock was more apparent.
“The culture there, it’s so much different than ours, especially in Paris,” Hipp said. “There are so many different types of people. ”
They also had many favorite experiences along the way. Some enjoyed specific experiences.
“My favorite part of the trip is always the smaller towns,” Snead said. “For example, when we go to the Loire Valley, I like the slower pace of the trip, the more personal atmosphere of the towns and then the fact that we can sit and really observe and enjoy by the time we get out of Paris.”
Others valued their speaking abilities and learning as their favorite.
“[I enjoyed] being on the exchange, meeting my host Madeline’s friends and getting to know how life is over there,” junior Katie Rackers said.
Some students got so much out of the trip, they wished they could have stayed and been able to see even more sights.
“I wanted to [stay longer],” Arnold said. “Visit more of Germany in specifics since we went to Rome, Austria and Germany. Maybe have gone to somewhere like Frankfurt or even up far North into Berlin and see those places as well but we never got the chance to do that.”
It was strongly advocated that if students have the opportunity to go on an international trip, they should take it and for good reason. While on these trips, students have the opportunity to practice speaking skills, experience new cultures and to grow into their knowledge.
“It’s a once in a lifetime chance to experience something that’s different from your everyday activities,” Rackers said.
For some, it can be transformative.
“It is a life changing experience,” Hipp said. “It opened my eyes to so many things. I didn’t think I would want to live in a city like that, but I love the life and culture that you just breathe in when you’re there. It’s so alive and different to what I’ve ever known and it definitely changed my life.”