A group of language students from Stamford Queen Eleanor School put their French to good use this week when they travelled to Corsica as part of a weeklong school exchange. 

Eleven students and two teachers from Stamford Queen Eleanor spent a week on the Mediterranean Isle to help them experience life as French students.  The group stayed in Calvi, a beautiful tourism spot on the North West coast. They lived with their exchange partners and host families for a taste of Corsican family life, and took lessons at a local school. 

The children had already met and got to know their exchange partners during a visit from the French pupils in March this year.  

Organiser Kate Moss said: “This exchange was a brilliant way for students to experience another culture and practice their language skills. Over the course of the week the French and English students obviously mixed more easily and our visit culminated in a lovely beach barbeque party where our students sat together singing songs together.  Students may not have returned speaking fluent French but they have had a profound experience of French culture and family life and have certainly come back willing to speak French.”

Student Roisin Locke said: “Calvi has a beautiful beach so after school most days we were able to go there with our families but the town is also very interesting. It’s small and historic like Stamford and is famous for the Battle of Calvi where Admiral Nelson lost the sight of his right eye. Aside from lovely weather, beautiful beaches and delicious food, the highlight for me was a visit was a boat trip to Scandola Marine Reserve which is a World Heritage site.”

The exchange was hailed a success by both schools and they are now working together to plan a similar exchange programme for the 2011/2012 academic year.