French and German exchange visits

Short-Term French Exchange

At the beginning of the 2023–24 summer holidays a group of nine boys, Mr CD Saurine and Ms DS Panaretto left for the three-week French short-term exchange to Paris. Each boy shared in their French correspondent’s personal and school life, including classes, extra-curricular activities, socialising, and exploring Parisian and French culture.

Arriving with two weeks of term remaining at the French school (École alsacienne), the group settled in with their host families over the weekend, before going into school and sight-seeing. Every day was interesting and challenging, as we immersed ourselves in the French language and culture with teachers, pupils and family, but the marked improvements for everyone involved was extremely gratifying.

Many lifelong memories were made; in particular the tour of the Château de Versailles, the dessert cooking course, and meeting new and welcoming people. All the boys made strong connections with their host family and ‘correspondent’ and this developed further in the holidays while travelling across France to visit some of the country’s most beautiful places. The friendships made along the way, both Australian and French, will be cherished.

After enjoying the holiday period with our host families, we returned to Paris for the trip home, leaving behind an amazing cultural and learning experience.

Ben Sullivan (IV)

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Pictured: Walking tour of Montmartre

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Pictured: Dessert cooking course

Long-Term French Exchange

From last September through to the middle of December, Marcus Levison (IV), Callan Jahani (IV) and I visited France on a language exchange to refine and develop our skills in French and apply them in real-world situations. Studying at our host school, École alsacienne, and living in the heart of Paris with some of the most welcoming and supportive people, was one of the most amazing experiences of our lives.

The four years we have spent improving our French skills via exercises that replicate real-life situations served as an excellent basis for our exchange life, but it soon became clear that there was a significant difference between an exercise lasting a couple of minutes and trying to hold conversations throughout the entire day. Despite the difficulty, it was a positive and challenging task.

Incorporating new words and phrases into daily life was also aided by the French as Foreign Language classes taught by Monsieur Pilven. The work ranged from presentations in full French to recipe videos for Australian dishes, which I am sure was just a ploy for him to gorge on lamingtons.

Our new friends at school also made learning much easier by helping us feel comfortable while trying to speak their language. Our exchange brothers, Martin, Esteban and Anatole, offered helpful, patient and non-judgemental assistance throughout our stay, especially during their examination onslaught.

Theo Walsh (IV)

Pictured: Lunch at the Arc de Triomphe

Short-Term German Exchange

Whether walking through the snowy streets of Hamburg, visiting the bustling Weihnachtsmärkte (Christmas markets), or skiing on the majestic Swiss Alps, our visit to Germany and Switzerland was indeed a winter wonderland. Sampling traditional pastries and sausages added to the rich cultural experience and we even made our own chocolate at the Lindt Factory in Zürich.

This Christmas atmosphere extended to the real Christmas trees in our guest families’ homes. Here, we arrived with fumbling German sentences, desperately repressing the urge to blurt out an English word. We gradually began speaking more fluently, but arriving at school presented some new challenges, with fast German sentences, complex words and slang.

Being surrounded by the language was a struggle at first, but we finished with a grasp on this new kind of German, a more authentic one, outside the world of our classroom.

The most unexpected part of the exchange was being out of our home and doused in unfamiliarity. For some, this led to a greater sense of confidence in one’s ability to be independent. For others, it was a greater appreciation of family, as we contemplated the memories of our parents’ unprecedented tears at the airport. We have returned with a deeper understanding of the wide world out there, which we are still yet to explore.

Jaden Gargya (IV)

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Pictured: Jay Mabee (IV) in the snowy landscape in Hamburg

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Pictured: Charles Finn (IV) Lindt Factory in Zürich

Long-Term German Exchange

Our twelve-week adventure began with a twenty-hour flight to Zürich, Switzerland, where we were greeted by our host families and found ourselves in a city uniquely different from the one we had left. Fewer cars, more nature and stunningly punctual public transport allowed us and our hosts to explore the best of the city in our free time, and by the end of the exchange, it felt like another home to us.

We attended school at the Freies Gymnasium Zürich, which had some distinct similarities and differences to Grammar. Bilingual classes meant we were switching from German to English between periods, and that most pupils were practically fluent in English. While the subjects were similar, the timetable varied greatly throughout the week, with school earlier on Fridays and ending at midday on Thursdays. Among the things we most enjoyed were the double weekly science practicals and our ability to leave school during recess.

Pictured: A view of Zürich

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Pictured: James Fifield (IV) enjoying a campfire in Arosa

Perhaps the highlight of our exchange was our two-week holiday with our host families. Felix explored Switzerland, Tristan visited Dubai and both James and Matthew enjoyed the architecture and history of Italy. The exchange ended at the Alpine resort of Arosa, just in time for the powdery winter snow.

The experience would not have been the same without the friendliness of our host families, who helped us navigate the unfamiliar environment.

Felix Eibl, James Fifield, Matthew Gu, Tristan Schulz (all IV)

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