May 15, 2008
John Jay Grenoble Exchange
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John Jay students play host to foreign guests
Last month, 33 high school students and three chaperones from Grenoble, France, landed at John F. Kennedy airport to begin their 17-day stay among the students of Katonah-Lewisboro School District. The students stayed with French students from John Jay Middle School and high school, attempting to improve their own mastery of English while allowing John Jay’s students to practice their French with native speakers.
“It was great to learn about the customs of the French people,” said 10th grade student Jackie Harris. Jackie and her classmates noticed many differences between their lives and that of the student she hosted, from the difference in school schedules — her guest’s school in France ends at 5 p.m. — to differences in diet.
“Not everyone in France is the coffee-drinking, cheese-eating stereotype everybody perceives,” said fellow sophomore Shelby Shaw. “They were really totally eager to learn about American culture, and they were eager to immerse themselves in every aspect of it.”
The French students went to some classes with their hosts, but also spent many of their days visiting tourist attractions in the New York area, including the United Nations, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Ellis Island. Shelby and several of the hosts joined their guests on one of the trips to see the musical A Chorus Line in Manhattan.
“My favorite part of the exchange was when we organized a bunch of get-togethers,” she said. For the birthday celebration of one of the French students, many of the students involved in the exchange gathered for a dinner that “took up basically the entire Katonah Bar & Grill,” said Shelby.
Communicating
Most of the students who came from France had been taking English for five to six years, and many were easily able to communicate in the language. In comparison, the John Jay students ranged the spectrum of skills, and some had only a year or two of French under their belts before their guests arrived.
“At first, it was as if I had forgotten all the French I’d ever learned — I was really nervous and intimidated by how quickly she spoke,” said Jackie. “After a few days, I think my French had really improved.”
The exchange
The Grenoble Exchange Program has been run by parents at John Jay since 1979, alternating years between John Jay students visiting France and Grenoble students coming to America. The program is open to all French students in eighth grade and up, and pairings between a John Jay student and a guest are made based on age, gender and other factors.
“This is an opportunity to experience life with another culture,” said JoAnn Banks, who has coordinated the program for the past five years. “Over the years, this exchange has developed into an entire community experience.”
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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