On Saturday 6 April, nine students from Years 10 and 11, who were accompanied by Ms Anna Curnow and Mr Chris Zuccala, departed for France to take part in the inaugural St Catherine’s French and History Study Tour.

Over the course of two weeks, the group had the opportunity to not only enjoy the wonderful landmarks of several French cities, but the group also visited several places of historical significance, including the First World War Battlefields, the D-Day landing beaches of World War Two, and several sites in Paris that were central to the French Revolution.

The study tour also gave students of French the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language. In addition to using their French in public places such as shopping centres, restaurants and souvenir shops, students also attended language school in the city of Rouen over a three day period. The classes were conducted solely in the French language, giving students an excellent opportunity to develop their skills in an authentic setting.

St Catherine’s students on the French and History Study Tour 2019.

Overall, the study tour was a culturally and linguistically enriching experience, whether their focus was on the French language or History.

Mr Chris Zuccala, France Tour Leader

Student Reflections From the Study Tour

My time on the French and History Study Tour was very rewarding personally from a language point of view. It was so exciting to be able to use my French skills in real life situations, especially when the people I was talking to did not try to speak English to me. On our last day while at the Champs-Elysées, I had a proper conversation with the cashier at a clothes shop and he did not even consider speaking English with me or slowing down his French. I left that store feeling very proud of myself. Coming out of this experience, I am much more confident in my French speaking and listening abilities. – Alice Menzies-King (studying Year 11 French).

I found that being able to speak French while on the Study Tour was such a useful skill, and one that I was able to improve over the two weeks. This trip really gave me the opportunity to overcome any fear of speaking in French, not that it was much of a choice when asking for a price in a rural shop or finding out why your train is delayed. All the small instances of struggle, while they seemed daunting at the time, were so rewarding in the end. By making mistakes I was able to learn quickly; if I did not understand a word or phrase, it was not a bad thing – it was an opportunity to acquire a new expression or vocabulary. Being able to communicate in the native language of the country really enhanced my experience, allowing me to reach a deeper level of immersion into French culture. I would encourage anyone who wishes to apply the French they learn in the classroom to the real world to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity. – Lucy Croft (Year 11, accelerating Units 3/4 French).

St Catherine’s students on the French and History Study Tour 2019.

Linguistic Immersion Opportunities at St Catherine’s

For students studying Languages, there are multiple opportunities for linguistic immersion at St Catherine’s. Later this year, Ms Yokouchi and Ms Okumura will lead a group on the Japan Study Tour. For students studying Chinese, in 2018 we launched a new Sister School relationship with the Olive Tree Academy in Hangzhou. Applications are now open to travel to China in December. For our students of French, we will be hosting French students in July and August, and a group of six students will be embarking on exchange during December and January.

To all parents and girls, we encourage you to take up these opportunities, which represent significant experiences in personal, cultural and linguistic learning.