During this trip you will... ... develop lifelong friendships! ... experience the French culture! ... learn by living in another country! ... enjoy the history - visit ancient sites! ... receive personalized teaching!  ... experience intensive language instruction in small classes!  ... build confidence!  ... increase your knowledge of French!  Nova Languages offers students intensive learning, exciting cultural and historical experiences in the form of a fully supervised tour. In addition, there will be exciting trips and cultural excursions to various regions of France, including Paris. To be eligible, you must be 15 to 18 years of age, currently learning French as a second language (core or immersion), and able to supply 2 letters of reference (1 teacher, 1 personal). Why France? Given the importance of a second language in today's world, a summer excursion to "the Source" is an opportunity for young people to live in a country whose history and culture have enriched our own in many ways.  The acquisition of French as a second language becomes a very authentic experience when the traditional lessons of the classroom come alive in the cities, towns and countryside. It is difficult to imagine the excitement one feels with the opportunity to learn to communicate in both oral and written forms while making new friends and enjoying a lifestyle whose culture is so unique.  Outcomes Students will improve their written skills through written activities and a daily journal. Students will improve oral skills through coursework and total immersion. Students will gain an appreciation of the people and culture of France through cultural excursions. The oral component stresses the importance in putting English aside for the duration of the tour. During the first week, we spend time each evening as volunteers with Les Folklores du monde. Our students will be in contact with many visitors and performers from around the world. Students conduct surveys of visitors to accumulate information for the festival committee. This has become a huge success not only for the festival committee but also for our group! It enables our students to become confident in their own ability to speak and to take certain risks when communicating with others in a second language. Classes are 3 hours in length and will deal with various aspects of the language. The written component is a main part of the classroom activities. Each student will be provided with textbooks and a workbook (that we refer to as a cahier).  There are several sections in the cahier that are used during classes as well as a journal that is used on a daily basis. These short entries end up being a great reminder of the trip! As educators, we try to enable our students to spend more time perfecting their written expression.   The cultural component of our tour will be greatly enhanced by the variety of excursions that are being offered. There will be ten planned excursions, the first of which will begin as soon as we arrive. We plan to spend our first night in Chartres so that students and staff can enjoy a rest, have some time to get to know each other, as well as have the chance to see one of France’s great cathedrals! There are nine other excursions that will be integrated into our course work. Prior to each visit, students will be taught about the destination. The excursions offer students an opportunity to learn about the history of the places we visit as well as attending guided tours in French and listening to a variety of accents. Instructional time, excursions and cultural activities, and volunteer service will amount to at least 160 hours. We encourage our students to take a serious approach to learning and make a commitment to the immersion process while enjoying France and everything that Saint-Malo and Quiberon have to offer. The trip promises to be one where students will learn a great deal while still having the time of their lives!! Excursions Please see the Itinerary 2008 for a complete list of excursions!