AFTER a break of six years, Haslingden High School languages students were delighted to resume their usual Year 8 trip to France.
Although a historical Battlefields trip was made by students last year, the Modern Foreign Languages department has not set foot on French soil since 2018 as Covid halted the planned 2020 trip.
So many students wanted to go, the usual 40 was increased to 50 and a packed coach left the school for three nights in France.
The students stayed in a chateau in Saint Omer, near Calais, and got to sample traditional French life in the small town.
Phoebe Turner, 13, said: “We went to lots of places: an aquarium, a bakery and a theme park.
“It was really good in the bakery we got to see how they make traditional French bread.”
The baker talked the students through all the processes and, although a teacher translated, the students said they understood a lot of what he was talking about and picked up familiar French words.
One student in particular, Jack Kitchen, kept announcing the English words that he understood to everyone.
Skye Lord-Navin, 12, said: “We went on a town tour and we found a cathedral and lots of traditional buildings. It was really peaceful and quiet and hardly any traffic so we were quite relaxed.”
Lead Teacher Sian Nixon, who has been on the trip several times, said: “We also went to a theme park and in French the Year 8s had done a module about theme parks so they understood most of the ride names and had to use French when they asked for drinks.”
Phoebe said: “I was ok asking for what I wanted, but they spoke very fast and I struggled to understand what they were asking me.
“When we were going on rides, they often asked how many of us there were but we didn’t understand, but when they kept asking the same question, we worked out what they were saying.”
Skye said: “It was important for us to go and test our knowledge of the language. French is a subject I am going to take for GCSE so the trip will help with my studies.”
As well as sampling French life, they also go to know each other better with a series of team building exercises and both Skye and Phoebe said they made friends with students they did not previously know.
Mrs Nixon added: “We have already provisionally booked to return in two years’ time and we have two further trips planned this year – to Bocholt in Germany and to the Brussels Christmas Markets.”