Vivé Le France
May 2, 2004

Under the expert tutelage of Pingry faculty members Jane Roxbury and Gail Castaldo, 16 Form IV and Form V students winged their way to France for spring break. This was not just a sightseeing tour, but an opportunity to put into practice their years of French classes as they totally immersed themselves into French culture. The group arrived in Paris and immediately headed for the south of France to visit Carcassonne, an ancient walled city steeped in history. Their adventures continued during a romp at (and in some cases, in) the Mediterranean where the water was a balmy 60 degrees. The students were able to live for several days with local families and attend local schools where they got their American history lessons in French. Living with the families also provided some interesting French teenage vernacular. Widely appreciated by the students were the historic buildings and archives which illustrated civilization long before the discovery of the Americas. The tour through Paris included lessons about public transportation, a tour of the Lourve, where the students saw artifacts found in Dan Brown’s best seller The DaVinci Code, and of course, lots of shopping. According to the two chaperones, Ms. Roxbury and Ms. Castaldo, “We ate desserts from one end of France to the other. The students were very adventuresome and willing to try new foods, but they all loved the desserts!” The young people enjoyed their total immersion experience and spoke as much French as possible, persisting when the French tried to speak English with them. Since their return, the students are more comfortable speaking French in the classroom and have a deeper understanding of the cultural influences on the language. “It was the ultimate hands-on experience,” says Ms. Roxbury. “A wonderful trip,” agrees Ms. Castaldo. © 2004 The Pingry School

The tour group spells out the town of Carcassonne in body language.