From Bergerac to Buffalo: BHS students welcome French friends
A recent visit from French counterparts helped Buffalo High School students connect to the wider world, improve their language skills, and see their own surroundings in a whole new light.
As part of an ongoing connection that began in 2011, BHS students and their families hosted 27 students and three teachers from Bergerac, France, from Oct. 8-18. Later this school year many of those same BHS students will travel to France over spring break to take their turn as guests in a new culture.
“It is a really cool experience,” said BHS junior Guthrie Lostetter. “I’m getting to see my life in a new way. I didn’t realize just how much is different in France and in Buffalo. What was once just an everyday boring thing is now a cool thing that I took for granted. For example, in France they were talking about how they don’t really talk to their teachers or be friendly to them – they just sit quietly and take notes – while in the U.S. we joke with our teachers and grow connections with them.”
The French visitors accompanied their hosts during the school day and spent time answering questions in French language classes. They described long school days from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in their home country, more formal lecture-style classes, and small specialized shops instead of larger stores.
“Everything is different from France,” said French student Manon Lapaix. “For example, if you travel between European countries it’s mostly the same. Only the language and maybe food is different, but overall everything is pretty similar. But in America everything is different. The roads are so much bigger, the neighborhoods bigger, the food is different, the schools are different – everything is different. So we’ve made so many discoveries.”
Because of the longer school days, French schools don’t offer the same opportunities in sports and activities. Longer days are offset by frequent two-week breaks during the school year, but a half-dozen French students interviewed agreed that they would rather have the American schedule.
“I would prefer to have shorter days and less vacation, because you have time to do many things, like sports,” said Hinémoa Thomas, another French student.
The group attended several sporting events, including the home football game on Friday night.
“It was just – wow,” said Thomas. “American football is kind of weird because they stop so often. The game was cut into these tiny parts. But it was fun.”
Another difference that was hard to comprehend for the French students was the size of American stores. Several said they most enjoyed visiting places like Target, because there is no counterpart in France.
“There were so many things to see. My brain was like, ‘Oh, oh, oh!’” said Thomas, laughing.
Aside from memorable life experiences, the chance to interact with native French speakers over a sustained period of time was a valuable learning opportunity.
“I’m definitely not the strongest French speaker in my class, but having two French students stay with me, I’ve been able to learn some new words and phrases,” said Lostetter. “They usually talk to each other in French, so I try to listen and pick out what I can. I say it has for sure improved my listening skills and understanding what I hear.”
BHS French language teacher Jason Swanson said that many past BHS students have formed long-term friendships during the exchange visits, which paused during the COVID time period but re-started in 2023.
“To me, it is priceless,” Swanson said of the experience. “There are many memories that are made, as well as opportunities to bring the learning in the classroom to real-world situations. I think we tend to want to focus so much on what makes cultures different. I believe this is an opportunity to also realize how similar cultures are as well.”
