When students learn about languages, they often are also educated on culture, society, and the environment of the origin country. They are able to connect with the motherland and learn more about the world around them. After many months of planning and saving enough money, Mayfair High School’s Language Department hosted an extraordinary field trip to France and Spain. Students were able to travel to those two countries during spring break and experienced these countries. French and Spanish teachers, Mme. Fauben and Sra. Kodesh, instructed and led these Monsoons to dive deeper into the world of French and Spanish culture.
Sra. Kodesh was in charge of touring the students the wonderful world of Spain as they traveled through many cities and sites such as the La Sagrada Familia and many more. She believed that this was an amazing opportunity for students to explore more about the world we are living in. “I think we are living in an era where borders are becoming less relevant and because of social media and all these technologies, the world’s actually getting smaller,” she quotes. “So I think that by taking students to these overseas experiences, we’re creating students who are able to function in societies that are diverse—where there’s a lot of languages and a lot of cultures.” She also thinks that the students were able to connect with the countries they have traveled to as she states, “I think they are able to see the differences between the cultures and most importantly the similarities because we all wanna be proud of our culture and I think they were able to connect who they are with the places that we visited.”
As for the French, Mme. Fauben allowed students to traverse into France as they have visited wonderful tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. She greatly enjoyed the time and planning devoted into making this trip happen. “I’m always thrilled and happy that parents give the students, their kids, the opportunity to see the world and experience all their cultures,” Madame Fauben quotes. “You know at least beyond the classroom.” When it comes to the significance of this experience, she believes that it first and foremost depends on the student. She states, “It depends on each student if they are going to travel again. Maybe some will be like ‘Oh, I’m afraid of going out and discovering the world.’ and some will be like ‘Hey, I’m ready to pack my things and leave and go somewhere else.’ “ Nonetheless, the memories played a special part in this wonderful experience.
Mia Levine, a French-learning student, experienced this trip firsthand and is grateful for the time she spent in France and Spain. “I think that it was definitely much different than it is being in the United States,” she says. “because it’s a very different environment in Europe and the language barrier too.” She learns that many places are diverse, no matter how people express it. “I learned that no matter how much we learn, the places are different.” Mia states, “I didn’t expect it but I learned that everyone has their own little specific things they do.”
Leidee Mas, a Spanish-learning student, has also stepped into Europe where the amazing lands of Spain and France thrive. Her favorite moments include visiting the Louvre in France and La Sagrada in Spain. “The Louvre had so many interesting art and artifacts to look at and I loved seeing medieval stuff,” Leidee says. “La Sagrada was just so beautiful, the moment I walked in I was genuinely awestruck and it felt so surreal.” As a Spanish student, she believes that her love for the language has magnified after this experience. She says, “I feel a little bit more confident about it now since I was actually surrounded by people that spoke Spanish and I learned more than I usually do in class.”
This field trip became an eye opener for many Monsoons since they were able to get out of their comfort zones and step into the world and discover more about diverse cultures. The students became enlightened as they explored different countries and teachers were able to display the wondrous things that the world shows. Teachers and students are grateful for this experience, as there are many more exciting opportunities for students to go beyond the classroom.
Image Courtesy of Sra Kodesh
