Based in our own centre in Normandy, this residential French language immersion programme offers a fun mix of cultural visits and excursions with some on-site activities.
Led by our French animateur team, our language immersion programme at La Grand’Ferme, uses excursions to local attractions to completely immerse your students in the history and culture of the region, allowing them to practise their French by interacting with native speakers in real-life situations. Our animateurs will encourage your students to speak French at every possible opportunity, helping to improve their confidence and language skills both inside and outside the classroom. The rest of the programme is composed of engaging on-site activities which are of course, all taught in French and reinforced through our bespoke workbook given to each student.
During a typical 5-day trip, your students will have more exposure to speaking and listening to French than is possible in a whole term of formal lessons back at school. Your students will have so much fun, they will hardly notice how much they are improving their French and growing in confidence, which translates to a classroom full of energised and able students upon your return to school.
With a stunning view towards Le Mont Saint-Michel, La Grand’ Ferme is our gîte-style centre located just 2km from the coast. Consisting of a unique set of converted buildings within 3 acres of its own grounds, La Grand’ Ferme provides a safe and car-free environment which is ideally suited for school trips with plenty of on-site amenities such as a sports court, a large games room, petting animals, heated outdoor swimming pool, football pitch and beach volley ball. What’s more, your school will have the benefit of 24-hour care and supervision from our experienced managers who live on-site.
Select the appropriate excursion to build a bespoke trip tailored to your students and learning objectives.
This island and its surrounding bay are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Scale the cobblestoned streets to reach the churches and the famous gothic-style abbey. Groups with an Animateur will experience a guided barefoot walk across the bay, which is a highlight for students.
Visit the memorial to the fallen soldiers of WWII to gain a greater understanding of the loss of life and the human effects of the war.
A chance for students to be immersed in local culture and produce and to pick up some souvenirs, a visit to the market is a great opportunity for learners to interact in French with the welcoming stall owners.
Saint-Malo is a historic walled city with a surrounding beach. Central to the cobblestoned old town is the Roman Catholic Saint-Malo Cathedral. Popular visits also include the town museum and the Great Aquarium, home to 11,000 marine animals.
Visiting Dinan is like taking your students back in time. This medieval walled town is full of charm thanks to its 13th-century castle, river, narrow streets and magnificently preserved timber clad buildings.
The seaside resort of Granville is a historic fishing port with views towards Jersey and Guernsey. Students of fashion and design will be particularly interested in visting Musée Christian Dior to tour the exhibition housed in the fashion designer's childhood home.
The port city of Caen features a castle built by William the Conquerer but is of most interest to our groups for the Caen Memorial Museum, which is an essential stop for students studying WWII and the Battle for Caen. There is also a section on the Cold War.
© EmilyStAubert
If you'd like to factor in some time for your group on the beach, your animateur will be happy to organise a picnic or beach games on one of Normandy's many sandy beaches. Your animateur can also lead a coastal walk where students learn about the local wildlife.
Suitable for all ages bread making is not just a case of making bread, it’s also a golden opportunity to practise your singing talents, as we sing French songs. Students will be guided from the very beginning with simple French instructions. From the measuring of the flour to the kneading of the bread, this activity will keep their enthusiasm going throughout. They will even get to taste the fruits of their hard work as their bread will be baked in time for the evening meal.
Kayaking sessions are conducted on our on-site lake. Simple instructions are given in French and the students will master various skills in a very safe and fun environment. Students should be confident in water, but do not need to be excellent swimmers. Raft building is a team-building exercise, where the group has the task of making their own raft with some ropes, barrels and plenty of patience.
The students will be taught map reading in French using orienteering games and courses in the Château grounds. As well as using French language for features, directions and map symbols the team orienteering challenges will involve other French language quizzes along with finding the control markers.
On location in the Château forest, tasks are set for each group to encourage the students to work together. These team-building and problem-solving activities are challenging, fun and require good communication skills and a lot of team spirit.
Archery is conducted on the Château’s own archery range, where the pupils get the chance to be a Robin Hood. After the obligatory safety talk and explanation of the equipment, the students shoot the arrows onto targets, an excellent opportunity to practice French numbers (scores) and directions. All this followed by a balloon shooting competition!
Climbing sessions take place on the Château’s own climbing wall which is suitable for students of any age. After issuing equipment and explaining the safety procedures, the students will climb various paths on the wall. They will use commands in French to each other and will learn French words for movements and parts of the body.
This popular session is held on our purpose-built assault course in the Château grounds. Explanations are done in French and pupils repeat action statements before being allowed to do each obstacle. Ideal for practising popular verbs and the use of prepositions. Usually rather wet and muddy, the students enjoy finishing off the session with a run against the clock and a dip in the river!
Fencing takes place at the Château in one of our purpose-built fencing rooms and is an excellent opportunity for students of all ages to learn French in a safe and fun environment, as well as learning about the safety and the equipment. This activity also encourages the students to practice new phrases in French as well as enjoying the fencing itself.
Enables pupils to discover the art of circus on an artistic as well as technical level. Students are introduced to juggling, diabolo and other circus equipment in a fun and educational manner. The French spoken during this activity is very varied and is based on using the names of the equipment (stick, balls, diabolo...), action verbs (to walk, to move...), directions (left, right, up, down...), colours (orange, red, green...), numbers (one, two, three...).
Aeroball is a fun, totally unique sport! The trampoline-basketball-volleyball game is suitable for all ages and is played by two teams of 2. Simple instructions are given in French and the students will have the chance to learn/practise the vocabulary for the body parts. It’s also a great opportunity to practise the numbers (scoring and counting down the end of the match). Aeroball is quickly becoming a favourite activity for students and teachers alike!
Our French language immersion programme includes the following as standard:
Extras to budget for:
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Join us on a subsidised visit to see the La Grand' Ferme programme in action.
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