15yo French immersion program?
Sep 6th, 2016, 02:05 PM
#1
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15yo French immersion program?
My daughter will soon be 15 and is interested in spending 1-2 weeks in France, hopefully Paris, improving her French and learning more about French culture and the people in the beginning of July 2017. She did a 3 month French immersion program when she was 11 and has taken French lessons ever since then. She spent her first few years living in London and we have been in Connecticut since 2008.
I would be grateful if anyone can recommend a strong teen-based program that she could enjoy! If anyone has thoughts or experience with AFS program, Green Heart Travel or Teenager Language Vacation that would be great but I'm also open the suggestion of other programs. Thanks in advance!
I would be grateful if anyone can recommend a strong teen-based program that she could enjoy! If anyone has thoughts or experience with AFS program, Green Heart Travel or Teenager Language Vacation that would be great but I'm also open the suggestion of other programs. Thanks in advance!
Sep 7th, 2016, 01:00 AM
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Hi
My rec would to not take a course but to have an activity with French kids.
Obviously your daughter speaks french already enough so I would sned her to a tennis course or... (no idea what you can find in Paris actually).
I did that when I was in the same situation and spent 15 days on a small boats manned with 90% of Dutch guys, 2 Swiss and 3 Belgians.
All of them spoke Dutch to me and I came back with much more knowledge of the language than with a course in some school (things I did the previous years).
This year my daughter had sailing lessons with a Russian girl who improved her english and an English guy who improved his french.
Just a path to investigate.
My rec would to not take a course but to have an activity with French kids.
Obviously your daughter speaks french already enough so I would sned her to a tennis course or... (no idea what you can find in Paris actually).
I did that when I was in the same situation and spent 15 days on a small boats manned with 90% of Dutch guys, 2 Swiss and 3 Belgians.
All of them spoke Dutch to me and I came back with much more knowledge of the language than with a course in some school (things I did the previous years).
This year my daughter had sailing lessons with a Russian girl who improved her english and an English guy who improved his french.
Just a path to investigate.
Sep 7th, 2016, 04:30 AM
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Forget about a language school. One only meets other people there who don´t really speak French. What your daughter should do is attend a UCPA camp which is basically what Whathello is suggesting.
It is possible that she could go an entire week without hearing a single word of English, the best way to learn a foreign language. UCPA has courses in just about any subject imaginable; horseback riding, fencing, hiking, skiing, boating, golf, diving, or tennis among others.
www.ucpa.com (the site is available in English)
It is possible that she could go an entire week without hearing a single word of English, the best way to learn a foreign language. UCPA has courses in just about any subject imaginable; horseback riding, fencing, hiking, skiing, boating, golf, diving, or tennis among others.
www.ucpa.com (the site is available in English)
Sep 7th, 2016, 09:24 AM
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A lot of schools won't accept teens that age, so that narrows it down a lot.
Attending camp doesn't replace language lessons, but since she has already had several years, it might meet her needs since it sounds like she mainly wants a vacation. There is only so much you can do in a week or two, anyway. I'm not sure a sports camp is exactly the right choice, though, or that it will be that easy to set up and navigate for a 15 yr old American alone. Also, I suspect she wants the experience of living in Paris a few weeks.
Sorry, I don't know about AFS, the only program I have experience with was AIFS but it was not for that short a time and was for at least college-age. It wasn't an "exchange" program, which I guess is what you get for young teens like that. AIFS requires they be high school graduates.
Attending camp doesn't replace language lessons, but since she has already had several years, it might meet her needs since it sounds like she mainly wants a vacation. There is only so much you can do in a week or two, anyway. I'm not sure a sports camp is exactly the right choice, though, or that it will be that easy to set up and navigate for a 15 yr old American alone. Also, I suspect she wants the experience of living in Paris a few weeks.
Sorry, I don't know about AFS, the only program I have experience with was AIFS but it was not for that short a time and was for at least college-age. It wasn't an "exchange" program, which I guess is what you get for young teens like that. AIFS requires they be high school graduates.
Sep 7th, 2016, 11:13 AM
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Our friend's daughter went to a Spanish Immersion grade school and continued her Spanish studies in highschool. She's 16 and doing a rotary club exchange in Spain this year. I think students can do those for a short length of time to a year abroad.
Sep 7th, 2016, 11:21 AM
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<i>Attending camp doesn't replace language lessons</i>
You´re correct. If your daughter really wants to learn French, a camp full of French kids is far better than a classroom containing no native French speaking children at all. Our 14 year old daughter first went to UCPA at age 6. It´s a great environment that kids really love. It makes as big an impact as anything can in only a week or two.
Telligo programs would be another option:
http://www.telligo.fr/
You´re correct. If your daughter really wants to learn French, a camp full of French kids is far better than a classroom containing no native French speaking children at all. Our 14 year old daughter first went to UCPA at age 6. It´s a great environment that kids really love. It makes as big an impact as anything can in only a week or two.
Telligo programs would be another option:
http://www.telligo.fr/
Sep 8th, 2016, 01:00 AM
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I agree with both Whathello and Sarastro.
Sitting in a classroom - even one that is "immersion-based" - won't be anywhere near as beneficial to your child for that length of time.
Since she's already got a good base from taking lessons for so long, having her get out and really integrate with other kids who are doing something other than schoolwork would be a much better idea.
Sitting in a classroom - even one that is "immersion-based" - won't be anywhere near as beneficial to your child for that length of time.
Since she's already got a good base from taking lessons for so long, having her get out and really integrate with other kids who are doing something other than schoolwork would be a much better idea.
Sep 8th, 2016, 02:05 AM
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And where would she learn to speak like youngsters ?
'je kiffe ce mec, je vais me le pécho' is something you won't learn in any classrooms. Yet everyone says so (if you are under 20).
Beer to those who get this (and are not frenchspeaking, no cheating please).
'je kiffe ce mec, je vais me le pécho' is something you won't learn in any classrooms. Yet everyone says so (if you are under 20).
Beer to those who get this (and are not frenchspeaking, no cheating please).
