By Sophia Ludtke ’20, Staff Writer

On October 18, several French immersion students arrived at Newark Academy to spend three weeks with host families. After travelling across the Atlantic Ocean, the French students were immediately immersed in a different time zone, language, and culture. Over the next few weeks they will participate in classes with their host student. Listening to Dr. D’s jokes at morning meeting, navigating their way from the arts wing to the Great Hall, and observing students learn about Buddhism in Ancient World will give them a sense of what school is like for a student in America.

But, you might be wondering, what is school like for them back in France? How are things different? How are they the same? A French exchange student shared his experiences to help me gain a better understanding of what life is like in another country. “I get to school by walking. I live very close to my school since it is a city school. It only takes about five minutes,” says exchange student Joseph Herbinet. “Some of my other friends take the metro to school as well.” Unlike Newark Academy, where commutes range from the quick five-minute drive to the dreaded one and a half hour bus ride, students generally attend their neighborhood school in France. Private schools are limited to a just a handful of religious schools.^[1]

French students arrive at school around 8:10 for a full day of academic classes. Subjects taught include math, science, history, geography, philosophy, languages–both French and English–and physical education. According to Joseph, “the classes are very much like lectures…there is no participation or much interaction; the teachers just talk and teach the lesson and we listen and take notes.” When asked about his teachers, he said that most of them are pretty strict, except for an English teacher from America who is very cool!

When lunchtime rolls around, French students at Joseph’s school can be found eating lunch at neighborhood restaurants. A one and a half hour lunch break provides the students with time to explore the many food options in the city surrounding the school. In other regions of France, students can take advantage of school cafeterias, famous for their gourmet food. It is not uncommon for students as young as three years old to be served gourmet foods such as taboulé, cordon bleu de dinde, and tarte aux pommes!^[2]

After lunch, students will return to the classroom for several more hours of academic classes. Joseph explained that in tenth grade, students choose an area of study to focus on–either science, economics, or literature. Many of their classes are related to this subject, but all students take certain core classes as well.

A few hours of P.E. class a week give students a break from their rigorous day of academics. Some students will even board buses that will take them to local stades, or stadiums, where they’ll learn how to play various sports. ^[3]

The school day doesn’t end until around 5:00 P.M., leaving little time for extracurriculars. Joseph observed that his school doesn’t have any sports or clubs–academics are the primary focus. Yet, many students will pursue athletics after school, with tennis, soccer, and dance being popular choices. In addition to athletics, students may socialize with friends prior to returning home to have dinner with their families and complete homework before going to bed.

Clearly, the schooldays of Newark Academy students are quite different from those of students in Lille. Yet, after watching French and American students joke around, eagerly chatting about their opinions on Angelina Jolie, the upcoming presidential election, and their favorite part of NYC, one thing’s for sure–French and American kids may not be so different after all.

^[1] http://about-france.com/primary-secondary-schools.htm

^[2] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-stadnykwebb/a-glimpse-into-a-school-lunchroom-in-france_b_6919654.html

^[3] http://www.timeforkids.com/destination/france/day-in-life