Girls from Manor House School will be visiting France next month to improve their language skills.
Thirty three year 8 and 9 pupils from the selective independent school in Bookham near Leatherhead will spend four days soaking up French culture.
Manor House School’s Head of Modern Foreign Languages, Catherine Peel, said: “They will be fully immersed in listening to and speaking French.”
The girls will be accompanied by four members of staff and also by a French ‘animateur’ who will organise trips, act as a guide and provide evening entertainment – all in French.
Their visit will include sightseeing in Paris with visits to the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, Pyramide du Louvre, Sacré Coeur and Montmartre. They will also go to Parc Astérix at Plailly just north of the city.
Each evening the girls will enjoy a range of activities including sports tournaments, quizzes, competitions and films, again all in French.
Earlier this year, 13 Manor House girls took part in a German exchange. They travelled to Märkisches Gymnasium Iserlohn, a large mixed grammar school near Dortmund. Joining them were boys from the independent Reed’s School, Cobham.
Mrs Peel said: “Everyone stayed in a German family, with their German exchange partner – even the teachers.
“Then roles were reversed and the German pupils came to England and stayed in families, again with their exchange partners.”
Highlights in Germany included spending time in the German school; visiting Berlin, Münster and Iserlohn; shopping and trying German food.
In England the German group enjoyed Madame Tussauds, the Tower of London, seeing Buckingham Palace and Big Ben.
“There is nothing better for studying a foreign language than spending time in that country and speaking constantly with the people there,” said Mrs Peel.
“The exchange was a great experience for all. Several families have started to arrange repeat visits.
“We’ve had several successes with girls in previous years who have visited their exchange families again on their own or with their families.
“They have arranged their work experience at the school in Iserlohn and also attended weddings and other family occasions.”
Manor House’s modern languages tuition also includes plays in French, German and Spanish by Gloucestershire-based visiting theatre company Onatti Productions:
- French for Juniors (years 3-6) ‘Parlez-vous français?’ (Do you speak French?)
- French for Seniors (years 7-11) ‘Les Garçons’ (The Boys)
- German for Seniors (years 8 and 9) ‘Zwillinge’ (Twins)
- Spanish for Seniors (year 10) ‘La Primera Cita’ (First Date).
Manor House School also runs a languages film club that has shown Spanish and French films. Next up are two German and French films.
In February, year 8 girls from Manor House School were highly commended by judges for their entry in the Love Languages Competition held at City of London Freeman’s School. The girls had to produce a five-minute play in three languages.
Manor House School offers highly individualised learning and outstanding pastoral care for 2-16-year-old girls in a smaller school setting.
The school will be holding its next open morning on October 1 2016. Families are welcome.
