Prélude—Un Échange Scolaire

Abstract

For many young people learning French, the first experience of the foreign language in real-life situations is during an exchange visit. Many of the practical, everyday needs for communicating in the foreign language, either in reading signs, or in getting involved in conversations, or in writing letters, emerge during a visit. In this chapter a number of these important uses of language are demonstrated in the account of two young people, Anne-Marie Delaurent and Sara Rogers, who have their first taste of life and language in another country when they visit each other on exchange. The sequence of events in this chapter is as follows: first, Anne-Marie’s preparations and journey to England, and then the return journey when Sara accompanies her French friend back to France. This sequence introduces a number of important topics for GCSE, such as travel, meeting people, finding the way, and also some of the types of listening and reading comprehension exercises. Read through the chapter and attempt the exercises suggested for each activity.