After three years of pausing our international exchange trips due to the pandemic, Silicon Valley International School (INTL) was thrilled to once again offer this long standing tradition at its students. In addition to Upper Elementary and Upper School divisions trips to La Source, Taiwan, Guatemala, and Germany, 4th and 5th graders in INTL's French Program returned to Fumel, France!
This unique experience provides our students with a valuable opportunity to not only strengthen their French language acquisition, but also to immerse themselves into French culture. Students stay with host families, attend local school, and visit important cultural sites during their trip. On INTL's most recent trip before the pandemic, students visited the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris before its devastating fire. They were lucky enough to witness the beauty and history of this magnificent structure before it underwent renovations. We frequently hear from our alumni students that this experience is one of their major highlights of their time at Silicon Valley International School.
Additionally, staying with a host family allows our students to create a bond of friendship with the child of the host family, which can last a lifetime. It allows them opportunities to grow both linguistically and personally. “As a 12-old in a very new environment, I was able to absorb a lot of the culture [in La Source] and expand my worldview,” recalled Maia Chamberlain, INTL Alumni ’12. Maia attended La Source exchange trip in Middle School.
In terms of language immersion, there is no greater opportunity to practice the language than to completely and utterly surround oneself with native speakers. Students can pick up colloquial expressions and informal language that are not covered in traditional classroom settings. On the streets of Paris, students can hear the cadences and patterns of everyday French. It can be as simple as overhearing someone ordering lunch at a cafe or as complex as discussions about current events.
The benefits of cultural immersion, language practice, building intercultural competency, fostering independence, and creating crosscultural connection is a special experience that Silicon Valley International School provides and helps to shape our students into well-rounded, open-minded, and globally-conscious individuals.