From the Languages Department

From the Languages Department

The Languages Department is delighted to have been able to reinstate the French Exchange Program after a 3-year hiatus during the pandemic. At the end of Term 4 last year, three of our then-Year 10 students went to Lyon to attend school and experience a different way of life with their French host families in the city of Lyon. This term, it is their host sisters’ turn to visit them in Sydney. A special welcome to our three French students from Lyon who are staying at SCEGGS for the first three weeks of Term 3:

  • Emma Chalandon who is staying with Teagan Barrack;
  • Charline Armbruster who is hosted by Julia Richards and;
  • Anaïs Brossard is with Lucy Thomsen.

This has been such a joyful and enriching experience for all students and their families. I have asked Teagan Barrack to reflect on her experience:

My French exchange journey, consisting of my 6-week trip to Lyon, France during the Christmas school holidays of 2022/23 and the 6 weeks hosting my French exchange sister has proved to be one of the most valuable experiences of my school career. Thanks to the detailed and effective matching process, I was fortunate enough to be paired with my now second family and of course my second sister / best friend for life. During my stay in Lyon, I was able to experience 4 weeks of French school during which I enjoyed a galette party, lunchtime snowball fights and class tests and assessments. I am so grateful for all of my exchange sister’s classmates and teachers who made me feel welcome at my lycée. I also enjoyed experiencing a way of life completely different to my own and a highlight was certainly finishing school at 12 pm every Wednesday. In the two weeks of holidays, I got to experience a bit of a “tour de France” where I was fortunate enough to be taken to Paris, Avignon, Nîmes and around Lyon where I got to experience the Eiffel Tower, the beautiful Pont du Gard, the Haribo museum and Lyon’s lights festival.

I am currently in my second to last week of hosting my French exchange student and I have immensely enjoyed sharing some of my favourite moments of Australia. During these July holidays, we watched the sunset from the top of the Sydney Eye Tower, visited the Australian Parliament, went horse-riding in the classic Australian bush, and surfed on Noosa Beach. Now back at school, I have started Term 3 with a whole new appreciation for the warm and welcoming SCEGGS community as I experience school life through the fresh eyes of my exchange sister.

As this journey is coming to an end with my exchange sister being with us for only two more weeks, I am reminded of how incredibly grateful I am to be offered this unique and amazing opportunity. This 12-week journey has been filled with growth, learning, appreciation of French culture and my own and an opportunity to re-evaluate what language learning and my education is truly about. I am so appreciative of all the new friendships and relationships that I have formed and above all, the positive effect the exchange has had on my French, vastly improving my confidence, comprehension, pronunciation, and vocabulary.

As you can see from Teagan’s reflection, participating in an exchange requires an open mind and curiosity (and a bit of resilience, one might add) while providing many rewards.

In 2024, the 6-weeks French Exchange program will take place as follows:

  • French students come to Sydney from 29 June until 11 August 2024 approximately.
  • SCEGGS students go to Lyon from approximately 9 December 2024 until 18 January 2025.

Year 10 students of French will be invited to apply in Term 1, 2024. If you would like further details about the SCEGGS French Exchange program or exchanges with external organisations, please contact the Languages Department.

Angelique Deleeuw
Head of Languages