"Language Exchanges: A Costly Headache?"
As a teacher, the closest I have come to providing an immersion experience for my students was by offering 'a trip to France'. Through a series of circumstances, in my first year of teaching, I was left with the task of organising the annual visit to France (or more accurately, Calais) that unfolded like this:
Day 1: hours on the coach to Dover, with the question “are we there yet?” repeated 25 times at regular intervals, only 30 minutes after departure / arrive at the Youth Hostel in Calais / paddle in the sea (sometimes full immersion with clothes on! 😒) / sleep.
Day 2: The big day in “Bagatelle” theme park. While not quite Euro Disney, it gave the pupils the chance to freely interact and ask questions in French / In the evening, town visit / answer questions about seagulls / ice cream / night night (or for me, night -get up and shout in my pyjamas- night.)
Day 3: Leave for Nausicaa Sea Life Centre/ go back to the Youth Hostel because we forgot the passports/ arrive at Nausicaa / entertain the four pupils who managed to complete the entire visit in just 10 minutes / back on the road, and a last stop at Carrefour Supermarket for a 30-minute shopping trip / return exhausted to the UK on a coach full of inflatable dolphins.
This visit provided only a glimpse of France, but as short and simple as it was, it still gave students the excitement of real-life interactions. It created the desire to communicate effectively and to engage more actively in language learning. This was reaffirmed when, while strolling on the beach, a little year 7 asked me: “Miss? Are we going to go on the bouncy château?”
Undoubtedly, trips abroad offer a unique opportunity for language teachers to enrich their students' linguistic skills while immersing them in authentic cultural experiences. I am aware that many schools organise such trips to motivate and reward students.
But what about language exchange programs?
During my school days in France (many years ago 😉), I remember the customary school exchange with an English school. In those days, it was common practice to establish pen-pal relationships and celebrate the exchange of letters with a trip abroad. The British kids came to our homes, joined our lessons, and left after a week, usually horrified by their exposure to the ‘funny food’. We went to the UK a few months later, and we too were left in shock after experiencing English delicacies. I recall one of my classmates crying on the coach, when she realised her packed lunch only consisted of a cucumber sandwich and an apple. “Where is my three-course meal?” she lamented.
Personally, I had no complaints about the food and the vinegar-flavoured crisps were for me, a revelation! The truth is, culinary issues aside, that the exchange provided us with the chance to immerse ourselves in the target language's culture and fostered our cross-cultural understanding, encouraging us to appreciate diversity and broaden our perspectives (even on food). I still have fond memories of my trip to Gloucester, and I think it crystallised my passion for languages.
Despite their immense benefits, the number of these exchange programs remains limited, likely due to logistical and planning challenges, as well as financial constraints within the current state of education.
However, there is some promising news! In 2019, the Department for Education (DfE) announced £2.5 million in funding to boost international exchanges for schools, in partnership with The British Council. I have included a relevant link from the British Council's page that provides further insight into their support, including how to find partner schools.
Additionally, I stumbled upon a student exchange program offered by Education First (EF). Admittedly, I haven't thoroughly explored their brochure, so I cannot speak for the cost or content. Nevertheless, I am sharing the link in case it piques your interest.
What else can we do for language immersion?
Fortunately, there are alternatives to physical trips and exchanges that offer opportunities for students to engage in authentic conversations with native speakers.
Language Exchange Websites and Apps: A range of websites provide a variety of services like pen-pal pairing or immersion through TV shows. I have listed a short selection that you may find useful.
A word of caution: Before involving your students, ensure that the T&C align with your school's safeguarding procedures.
List of websites and app:
- Conversation Exchange
- InterPals
- Easy Language Exchange
- My Language Exchange
- LingoGlobe
- Speaky
- Lingopie.com (learn through TV)
- Yabla
Foreign Language Assistants: Invaluable assets to enable students to experience real native talk on a regular basis. Foreign Language Assistants are fantastic and very cool! (I was one 😉). You can contact the British Council to apply; I've provided a link below:
Language exchange programs create bridges in our interconnected world by breaking down barriers through virtual or real interaction. They provide learners with the ability to cultivate cultural empathy, fluency, and real-life communication skills. In today's digital age, open-mindedness, meaningful dialogues and understanding of diverse cultures, should be nurtured and language exchange programs do just that. So, perhaps something to consider for the new academic year?
