By MARIAM KHAN
Students enrolled in French courses at Jericho High School are sending letters to students at School Eugène Delacroix in France in a collaborative pen pal exchange. The Jericho classes received their first letters from their pen pals this fall and recently sent their first letters back.
This exchange allows students to have a personal experience with those who speak the language they are learning. French teacher Madame Kennedy said, “It’s always been my goal to have students communicate with people their age. I think it’s a great way to connect and make ties with a culture and a language that we’ve been studying.” Additionally, Madame Kennedy hopes that students will have the opportunity to learn through hands-on experience. “I would like to see them learn the structure of the language. I want to see them take some risks in practicing French, and I also want them to be able to read how their peers in France write and use this language,” she said.
Madame Raison from School Eugène Delacroix in France also hopes that her students can learn more about the life of American students. “I hope they will discover people, make friends with them, and overcome prejudices. They will learn about traditions and culture. They will finally realize that they have much more in common with their American pen pals than they thought they would,” she said.
French teacher Madam Kennedy said that she likes the old school and tangible style of writing letters to one another. “They’re studying English and we’re studying French. So its authentic language. It’s authentic culture,” she added.
Students showed great excitement and enthusiasm for being able to connect with a native French speaker. Sophomore Cherie M. said, “I think it’s a very fun and interactive way to learn French.” Similarly, senior Emilie W. said, “I love the idea of writing letters to students in France, and to learn a new culture from someone that lives a whole different life than me.”
Furthermore, the students were excited to receive responses from their pen pals. Madame Kennedy said, “My favorite part is seeing the look on their face, and being able to announce that the letters have arrived, and the excitement in the classroom when the letters are read.”
Students enjoyed the practical experience of receiving letters. “My favorite part is seeing all the things that are sent with the letter, such as pictures and drawings,” Jericho sophomore Cherie added.
Senior Betty W. said, “My favorite part is that I can write about my life and what I like.”
In the future, Madame Raison and Madame Kennedy hope to further expand the connection between the two schools. Madame Raison said, “We would love to end up after a while in an exchange trip between our two schools.”
Madame Kennedy added, “We are planning to do many different projects. But of course, we wanted to start with the traditional pen pal letter.”