One of the first exciting activities which immersed us in the French language was visiting the markets. Through this, we had the opportunity to practise asking the shop owners about items we would like to purchase and could draw on phrases we had used in our French classes at school. It was a great first activity to interact with the locals and begin applying what we learned in the classroom.

After this, we went on a Tchou Tchou train tour, which was a personal highlight. We were driven through the scenic roads of New Caledonia and acquired lots of knowledge from our tour guide regarding the history of New Caledonia and what everyday life is like. It was fascinating to learn about the Kanak Peoples who are the natives of New Caledonia, and the fact that everything in New Caledonia is produced within their land.

Presented in an engaging and immersive way, this tour was a wonderful way to discover the cultural richness of New Caledonia.

Later on that day, we met our host families who we would be staying with for the following five nights. With a combination of excitement and nerves, we were very warmly greeted by our host Lady Joan. Each morning, we were greeted downstairs with a variety of French pastries to fuel us for the long day ahead, setting the perfect backdrop for conversations with our host family.

The experience was certainly demanding, having to constantly think about sentence structures, conjugating words and speaking in the right tense. However, the daily conversations in the car and around the house were helping us think on our feet. Overall, by the end of the week, our French skills and abilities had drastically improved.

For three days we participated in language classes each morning. The teachers we had were lovely and created a comfortable learning environment for us to be able to learn without being afraid of making mistakes. Speaking and learning in only French throughout the classes was a great way to extend our knowledge from what we had previously learnt in a way that pushed us out of our comfort zones, and challenged our thinking.

After morning classes, we had the opportunity to walk around the city square of Noumea to eat lunch and buy souvenirs. Being immersed in the vibrant city culture allowed us to fully engage in the experience and utilise our conversation skills in a real-life setting. Scattered through the trip were some incredible cultural experiences, like visiting the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, Musée de la Ville de Noumea, and Musée de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale. Here, we learnt about the history of New Caledonia and saw various artefacts including soldier uniforms from WW2, and the traditional huts of the Kanak peoples, which are called ‘caz’.

Overall, our experience in New Caledonia was unforgettable. The people we met, the connections we made, and the knowledge we gained will be something that we forever cherish, as we continue our French journeys.

Kayla G and Giovanna P,
Year 10