Advanced and AP French kick off Exchange with students in Tunisia and Beirut

After months of hard work and preparation, two French classes with Ms. O’Connell have started their exchange with international students. The company they have been working with is named Soliya.

Soliya is a company that has facilitated dialogues such as this one for over twenty years. However, one difference between this exchange and others is that this is the first time Soliya is working with high school students. Soliya’s goal is to foster dialogue between different cultures in a civil manner.

The first exchange was on December 1st, and some challenges presented themselves during the meetings. There were some internet issues, but overall everyone seemed very happy with how the exchange went and the interactions they had had during the exchange. After technical difficulties with the first one however, the students stayed at home for the next session and it went well, with almost no technical difficulties. There were two sessions before winter break, with the second to last on Wednesday the 19th.

These meetings take place on a Zoom call, and they are split up between three groups of about 15. The conversations range from describing everyday life to how to explore cultural differences in a respectful and meaningful way. Each session has a different theme, with the one on the 19th having a theme of discussing racism and how to break stereotypes about people who are different from you.

“These sessions have helped me to better understand other cultures through the eyes of people my age,” says Rowan Smail, a student in Advanced French.

With a small group of students who are very involved and excited to learn and communicate with others in French, so far, the zoom sessions have been a great success, both for Madame and for the students.