Have you heard of Port de la Lune? If so, you have probably already visited Bordeaux in France. Our beautiful city was built precisely where the Garonne River forms a crescent moon shape. Today, its quays are a popular place for walking, sports, and cultural events, but also a real learning environment for students in the Alliance Française Bordeaux Nouvelle Aquitaine in our cultural and French language immersion courses.
The Port de la Lune in Bordeaux: a place to stroll or a place to learn?
When coming to France, our students seek the most complete immersion in French language. That’s why, at the Alliance Française in Bordeaux, we wanted to go beyond the traditional model of “language classes in the morning, cultural activities in the afternoon.” We have created educational bridges through French language cultural immersion courses in France, enabling students to complete final assignments or sub-assignments included in the program outside the classroom, meeting local stakeholders.
Thus, the city’s quays, shops, and neighborhoods become places of interaction where passersby are asked about their vision of happiness, intergenerational issues, or Bordeaux fashion style. The city becomes a learning ground.
Tasks rooted in real social practices
Before each outing, the framework and objectives are clearly defined. The necessary linguistic tools are consolidated. These activities offer learners the opportunity to practice the French language in authentic situations, but also to discover the city, create new points of reference, deal with unexpected situations, learn French social norms, express themselves more spontaneously, and above all, gain independence and self-confidence.
For example, recently, A2-level students visited the Halle Héméra. This space is all the more interesting because it is a former factory that was renovated in 2019 into a 1,900 m² coworking space hosting 25 companies. After the visit, they shared a moment of conviviality with entrepreneurs in order to enrich their thinking about the ideal workspace.
Other A2 learners discovered French excellence by tasting delicious chocolates from Alain Ducasse au Comptoir Bordeaux. After chatting in the shop about chocolate making and the Michelin-starred chef’s values, they wrote an Instagram post describing how exceptional the experience had been.
As for the C1 level group, they were welcomed by Les Petites Cantines Bordeaux, a community restaurant where guests cook and share a participatory meal at a price of their choosing. A concrete way to explore the concepts of commitment and solidarity.
Cultural and French language immersion courses in France: very positive feedback
These tasks, rooted in real social practices, give meaning to learning French. Student feedback has been very positive. They are keen to participate because these experiences boost their confidence in speaking French and develop their open-mindedness, thereby promoting better mutual understanding. For them, these trips represent the culmination of their work in the classroom: an authentic encounter with “real life,” where language and culture become one.
Would you like to participate in our cultural immersion classes in French as a foreign language? Contact us by email at contact@alliance-bordeaux.org!
