French Immersion At The Chateau De La Baudonniere Is So Radical It Just Might Work..

By Author: Richard Smith
Total Articles: 13
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One of the most popular places for teachers to bring their students in recent years has been the Chateau de la Baudonniere. Situated in Normandy and built in the late 1800s, it has enjoyed a chequered history (including occupation by the Nazis during World War II) and has been raved about in the likes of the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph, and for good reason.

Its philosophy is based around French immersion - whatever pupils do while staying at the Chateau (and there’s a lot to do, including archery, baking, canoeing and riding) they should be speaking French all the time. While learning French at school always has an element of artificiality to it because the pupils know they can switch to English at any time, they cannot do so here and are discouraged from using English unless absolutely necessary - parents will see a sharp improvement in their oral and written French abilities when they return.

Different programmes and activities are available depending on the age of the school group and whether they ...
... are studying anything other than French that can be covered during the trip to the Chateau. Students from nine to fifteen years old can visit, with a special programme available for Sixth Form groups who are about to take AS-Level and A-Level examinations in French.

In a bid to include an element of the traditional French exchange trip (which is gradually being left behind by British schools), meetings with French students from local schools can be arranged so British students can get some one-on-one time with people of their own age who speak French fluently. In addition, if the students are studying World War II or the Middle Ages, the Chateau's history and its close proximity to the D-Day beaches and town of Bayeux (home of the Tapestry) make a day trip to visit either of them an important part of your trip.

The Chateau de la Baudonniere itself can accommodate large groups, with comfortable rooms and ensuite bathrooms available, along with a fully catered menu for the duration of your stay. Everything is designed and maintained to a high standard of safety - the Chateau even tweets when a party has arrived safely to put parents’ minds at ease!

All of this information and more is available for perusal on the Chateau's website. If you have any questions about any element of the accommodation or trip, you can fill in the enquiry form on the website, and to get a quote you can fill in the relevant form for a quick reply. The French immersion technique has been proven to work on almost every pupil, so give it a chance to work on yours as well and watch their exam results sky-rocket.