In the summer of 2017, students in French classes will have the opportunity to go to France with their teacher and peers. The goal for the trip is to give students a better understanding of the places they’ve been learning about in school. The trip offers more learning opportunities for students than any teacher could give in a class here, because the students become immersed in the language and culture.

“In class, obviously I can use the Smart Board to use authentic resources like websites or music videos or film clips or whatever, but [the trip is beneficial] for students to truly get a good cultural grasp of French culture and using the language,” French teacher David Fritz said. “ All of the cultural stuff that we learn in class, they actually go there and do it in real life.”

Since the time to sign up is now, Fritz has handed out copies of three different possible itineraries for the trip from a travel company. All include round-trip flights, hotels, and breakfast and dinner. One may include an Eiffel Tower visit, while another may include a trip to the Louvre or tickets for the Paris Metro. Deciding factors include the price and the places each trip will go to. The students will talk it over with their parents, and there will be a meeting to decide which trip fits each student’s expectations.

“Since I plan on taking all the offered levels of French, I just think the trip would be an amazing learning experience and generally just a lot of fun,” sophomore French student Jessica Qian said. “I look forward to traveling with an awesome group of friends and taking in the French culture. Mainly the food.”

Once the itinerary is chosen, Fritz will make preparations like booking flights and meeting with parents. He has gone on trips like this 15 times in his teaching career. This trip will be chaperoned by Fritz and his wife.

“I’m going on the trip because I would love to experience French culture and see if what I’m learning now will actually help me in a French speaking country, plus it would be a lot of fun and something completely new to me,” sophomore French student Maddie Oswald said.

A trip like this shows students the culture and the lifestyle of a country where a language they have become familiar with is widely spoken. Different foods, words, and places can increase and improve a student’s understanding of other cultures.

“If you don’t get out of your comfort zone, you’re never going to learn what the rest of the world is all about, so if I can peak a student’s interest in travel and exploring other cultures, then all the better,” Fritz said.