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Bordeaux Students
To enhance the learning experience of Alliance Française de Bristol students, a grant is offered to a limited number every year to live and learn French with Alliance Française de Bordeaux.
"Some hard work and lots of pleasure.
Memories of engaged - and engaging! - teachers, lively groups, memorable moments - game-playing degustation finale to oenology class; restaurant meals with students; one teacher, sad about bloodthirsty Marseillaise, playing hip-hop Serge Gainsbourg version, and students feeling cheated - all foreign, of course - sing real one with patriotic fervour. Visits to St Emilion (lovely place - dreadful slippery steps, must have killed many monks), chateaux during the harvest, prawns and white wine beside the ocean in brilliant September sunshine. Getting to understand a bit more of French life: sunset meals on the rooftop terrace with warm and charming landlady, wandering around Bordeaux sights with her during the journee du patrimoine, long visit to rugby exhibition in the museum - well, she comes from the South West - tapas supper in wine bar cellar supplemented by the match on TV and chat with her friends, the beret wearing proprietor and a Spanish artist. A very French picnique in the quartier - warm evening, benches, sharing food - couscous, chocolate cake, fresh figs, grapes - and pleasant chat, children playing happily in the park, church windows glowing, accordion players.
It all made for a memorable experience."
"I loved my first visit to Bordeaux and the opportunity to become a student for two weeks. I felt very privileged to be chosen and was keen to be immersed in French with the hope of improving my language skills.
The course lived up to its name "intensif" as expected and for me it was certainly a challenge to keep up with others at a higher level than me. Probably the hardest part was "tuning in " to hearing French spoken with so many different accents.
The coursework was most interesting and varied and run on the same lines as our classes in Bristol and the tutors were welcoming and most professional. We covered all sorts of topics with class discussions. It was fascinating to hear views on such varied topics expressed by people from around the world. Classes ran from 9am until 11.30am and then 11.45 until 13.15. The second class of the morning was on more informal lines and the first week I chose to study phonetics and the second week French Civilisation. After that we tended to go for a light lunch with other class members and continue conversing in French. We had access to the Internet for researching topics for presentations etc.
The organised excursions were excellent and very good value for money. I particularly enjoyed the visit to St. Emilion with its historical site and of course the visit to the "cave" where the famous "Cremant" is made.
The weather was glorious for my 2-week stay and I have happy memories of sitting at several well-placed cafés watching the world rush by, coffee or glass of red wine in hand."
"I really enjoyed my stay in Bordeaux and my level of French is greatly improved. All of the teaching staff were very supportive and willing to answer any questions. My famille d'accueil were very welcoming and helped me achieve my objective to talk French at all times. Bordeaux is an interesting place to visit with great transport, buildings, bars and people.
In Normandy last week I was told that I speak French better than most of the English who have lived there for more that 20 years. I've spoken on the phone to friends who live in the Alps who say my accent has improved enormously. I look forward to visiting them at New Year to find out just how much more fluently I will be able to converse with them.
I'd recommend a trip to the Alliance Francaise to anyone who seriously wants to improve their French."
Some GCSE and A Level students went to AF de Bordeaux for revision workshops last Easter. The trip was organised between AF Bordeaux / Bristol and Académie Aquitaine who linked with the Alliance Française, the schools, the students and the parents and the families in France:
"As we passed the over-sized Virgin Megastore, the hoard of eager French parents came into sight, each awaiting their new exchange student. So we had arrived. Bordeaux; full of patisseries, pharmacies and French people speaking very fast. And that was just the first half hour.
Our week was crammed full of exciting activities joined together by tram rides, family time, shopping and chocolate fish (like an Easter egg but more fun). Mornings were reserved for classes at 'L'Alliance Française”, where English was strictly forbidden and text book exercises were replaced with French Pop Idol (some of the time, anyway). Mid-week we donned our plastic aprons and got cooking at the delicious smelling 'L'Atelier des Chefs', just about managing the 'saumon aux asperges' dish. Ancient mustard plants and nettle quiche were also on the menu when we paid a visit to 'la ferme des légumes oubliés' (farm of lost vegetables to the rest of us) along with rosehip jam and saffron jelly.
Evenings and Wednesday were times when we could do what we liked, namely shopping. Bordeaux is home to 'la Rue Sainte Catherine', the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe, and we had no intention of forgetting that. Clothes rails of jeans in every possible colour and the aforementioned massive Virgin Megastore grew to be a vital element in our trip, and the thousand patisseries and ice cream parlours kept us fuelled as we traversed up and down the 1.2km.
Throughout our stay it became clear that our families weren't as terrifying as they had first seemed, in fact, they were actually quite nice. In between the films, science museum, shopping and tours we all managed to greatly improve our French as well as grab a glimpse into the differences and similarities of French culture. Farewells are always difficult, but it was perhaps the arrival home which was harder; from French sunshine into English snow, it wasn't long until we were yearning after 'Rue Sainte Catherine' once more."