What happened to me
When my daughter Riel suggested that she wanted to learn more French for her entry into high school, I jumped at the chance to help. A French language experience can be like an opening window into a different culture. In traveling together what we found was that it is possible to share a French language experience, creating a bond unique and lasting.
I found the services of travel expert Evelyne Dufau, of Expérience Authentique, a Toronto-based firm catering to clients wishing to explore the French Basque region. Evelyne knows southwest France, and as a mother empathized with the desire for a good educational experience. We landed on ‘BMA Biarritz’, founded in 1987. Its process is complete immersion - offering various levels of French classes for 14 to 18 year olds. I became the elder student amidst a gaggle of teens.
What I learned
Upon arrival in Biarritz, we were picked up by our home stay hosts Nathalie and her children Damien and Karla. Nathalie proved to be generous and kind, gently correcting my rusty French, and easing words out of my very reticent daughter. The children availed Riel of French TV and chats. No English was spoken in the home, except phrases like ‘AC/DC rocks!!’ from the gregarious teen Damien. They provided 3 meals per day, weekly laundry and a pretty easy vacation for me.
What I wish I'd known then
At school, our lessons were enhanced daily to provide challenges of vocabulary and conjugations. Cultural references and a strong French love of language kept me on my tip toes. My daughter came away with having increased her comprehension and verbal skills significantly, and we had fun practicing together, noting the differences and similarities between France and Canada. Students took full advantage of the activities offered – surfing, trips to St. Jean de Luz and Bordeaux, and a yummy outing to the ‘Musée du Chocolate’ – Biarritz’s homage to the region’s history as ports for the import and manufacturing of chocolate products. Cute Irish boys were an added bonus, in classes and in leisure time.
The beaches and nightlife of Biarritz provide an excellent attraction to the younger crowd- evenings brought students from all countries together on the beach with guitars and refreshments, often until quite late. Official government rules for home stay accommodation dictates that students must have their parents sign a waiver authorizing their curfew- or exceptions to it. By the second morning of classes I did notice some rather glazed looks on students’ faces - many stayed out until 2 a.m., and classes started at 9. Luckily, the afternoon beach offered warmth and soft sand to crash on after class!
Especially with a teen in mind, the reasons to do a French immersion trip in Biarritz are multifold - the weather, the sea, the ‘savoir vivre’ and the opportunity for learning for starters, but the amazing experience of bonding with your child in another culture being something truly unforgettable.
