By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
Learning a foreign language in the classroom is one thing.
Traveling to a location where that language is spoken and becoming immersed in the culture—if only for a short time—is something completely different altogether.
During the recent Thanksgiving break, seven students in Julie Trahan’s French class at Plainwell High School had the opportunity to do the second of those options.
The group traveled to Quebec, where they visited Ottawa (the Canadian capital), Quebec City and Montreal.
“The trip was very beneficial for the students,” Trahan said. “Being around people who speak the language and interacting with them makes the students so much more confident.
“Being in such an immersive environment really put their skills to the test. They were not just speaking to me or another student, they were speaking to people who speak French as their native language. And the Quebecois accent is a lot different, so it can be challenging. But the kids did great.”
This is the second year Trahan has taken a group to Quebec.
“Last year, my students kept saying they wanted to do a field trip,” she said. “After I realized they were serious, we started planning.”
Students were responsible for raising money to cover the costs associated with the trip, primarily gas, lodging, food and entrance fees to attractions.
“The students worked really hard,” Trahan said. “They really got after it and did a ton of work fundraising.”
The trip started in Ottawa, where they group explored the city, walked around the Parliament building and stopped at a pâtisserie for breakfast before heading to Québec City.
In Québec, they explored the city while visiting the Cathedral Sainte Anne de Beaupré, Montmorency Falls—the tallest falls in North America—and the Huron Wendat Museum, where students learned about the native history, culture and ways of life.
“Montmorency Falls was so beautiful with the snow,” Trahan said.
Then it was off to Montréal, where the group toured the Notre Dame Basilica, Old Montréal and downtown shops.
And there was also a ghost tour involved.
“We were listening to podcasts on the way to Quebec and some of them were about ghosts,” Trahan said. “So, the kids decided they wanted to do the tour. It was interesting.”
When it came to the culinary offerings, some of the students worked up the courage to try snails and poutine.
It was an experience that neither Trahan nor her students are likely to soon forget.
“Some of the comments I heard from students was that it was life-changing; they hadn’t experienced anything like it before; there is so much more out there; and it was interesting to see how their culture is so different from ours.
“Many of the students have traveled to big cities, but those have mostly been American cities. So, this was really an eye-opening experience for them.”