French Exchange 2008

Alex Hogben, 10C

“During the visit to France, I learnt that French schools are similar to our own, but also different, the main difference being, of course, that uniform is not worn.

A larger focus appears to be placed on languages and more of the older students continue to study the arts – music, art etc. Moreover, lessons are taught using less technologically advanced equipment, mainly with a blackboard and chalk. Although this could be to do with the size of budget of particular schools.

French society – the thing that hits you when you enter Paris city centre is the size and how busy it is. Most people live in apartments but due to house prices in the city centre, the richer people gravitate towards it, therefore one apartment can be bigger than a medium sized house in England. French teenagers also appear to have more freedom, walking or taking the well-established Metro system with ease to most places, as well as being allowed out of school at lunchtimes.

Experiencing French food, I noticed that it is generally simpler than English food – with distinct, but not complicated flavours. We ate crepes with both savoury and sweet fillings, fish, pasta, meats and salads. Although I noticed that portion sizes seemed smaller, all meals were filling due to the high levels of carbohydrates and protein. A main feature was traditional French baguettes bought directly from the bakery each morning. I greatly enjoyed all of the food.

A Rewarding Encounter