A glimpse inside language classes with CIEE High School Study Abroad

The moment you walk into Edeline Ruzzu's class, you feel at ease. Her warm smile and inviting demeanor make you forget that a language barrier exists between Edeline and her students. 

Edeline serves as the Curriculum Coordinator and Head Teacher for CIEE's Language and Culture program in Toulouse, France. Although this is her first summer serving in that role, she has worked with CIEE since 2016 teaching French as a foreign langauge. It's obvious that she loves what she does and, when asked, she explains that she enjoys the fact that her job varies from day to day and is never boring. She also considers it a privilege to work with students from across the world, because it permits her to learn from their cultural perspectives.

Her appreciation and respect for her students is certainly one of the reasons Edeline connects with her class. Perhaps another reason she is able to reach her students so effectively is due to her own experience in an exchange program. When she was only 11 years old, she spent two weeks in Ireland. Her experience there was similar in many ways to that of her students- she lived with a host family, attended English classes in the morning, and participated in various cultural activities in the afternoon. During this time she developped a love for the language and continued studying English in school and eventually at the university level where she also studied Polish, Russian, and Italian. 

According to Edeline, the biggest strength of CIEE's Language and Culture program is the fact that students are totally immersed and always in contact with French speakers and the French culture. So, if you're wondering about CIEE's language classes, the first thing you should know is that all levels are taught in the target language 100% of the time. The curriculum is highly communicative. If you're expecting to do conjugation drills or grammar exercises, think again! Most days, class begins at 9:00 am and ends at noon. Around 10:30 students enjoy "une petite pause" of 20 or 30 minutes. 

Every week, the work students complete in class culminates with a project which is presented each Friday during class. For example, during week three, students were working on a short film which included aspects about the food, architecture, and history of their favorite neighborhood in Toulouse. During class they reviewed various authentic resources (blogs, interviews, articles, etc.) and used these resources to increase their knowledge (and vocabulary!) about the history and culture of Toulouse while reinforcing their French language skills. 

Although the rhythm of the class varies from day-to-day, here is an example of what a class looks like. On Tuesday, class began with a review of yesterday's homework assignment. The typical "homework" doesn't feel much like work at all, because it simply requires students to talk with their host families about a specific topic. Yesterday's assignment was to ask their host family about regional culinary specialities. From their families, students learned about the ingredients, recipes, and significance of various tradional recipies and then shared their new-found knowledge with their classmates. 

Next, Edeline asked the students to think of three reasons why they would recommend Toulouse as a vacation destination. Students took a few moments to reflect before sharing what they love about their new home. When they struggled to find words, Edeline remained ever-upbeat and wrote helpful synonyms and cognates on the white board or would ask other students if they could find the words to explain a certain term in French. One of Edeline's strengths is finding a way to make herself understood while never leaving the target language. Once they shared what they loved about Toulouse, the class read a travel blog about the reasons the writer loves La Ville Rose. 

One of the reasons the blog-writer mentioned was la gastronomie in Toulouse, which led the students into a discussion comparing the similarities and differences between markets in their hometowns and in Toulouse. Then, much to the joy of the students, Edeline annouced that they would be visiting le marché des Carmes to talk to the vendors about what products are from France and in season. During their stroll through the market, they would also decide which cheese they most wanted to try, what meat was the most expensive, whether or not there was food they didn't recognize, and what they considered to be the most bizarre item.

After their time at the market, Edeline debriefed with the students before their mid-morning pause.

Once the students returned to the classroom, they worked in small groups to create skits set at either a market or a restaurant. Edeline listed new vocabulary and challenged them to include it in their dialogues, and we all discovered some hidden theatrical talent when they performed roles such as "clueless waitress", "distracted server", and "disgruntled customer". These skits were not only fun, but they also used vocabulary and structures from scenarios that the students are likely to find themselves in within the community. 

At the end of most classes, students connect what they learned with the community. On this particular day, for example, students found a few Toulousains to ask questions about their favorite places in the city. This part of the class is facilitated by the Program Leaders, who debrief with students once they have completed the task. 

If you're considering joining a CIEE Language and Culture program, don't hesitate! The teachers are incredible, the curriculum is engaging, and the best way to learn a langugae is through immersion. You won't regret your decision to study with CIEE!

And, by the way, in case you're curious how the final projects for Week 3 turned out, here is Lucy and Martin's submission which was edited by Ellis. Enjoy!