Bon Voyage France!

by Jane Winslow

The allure of France is strong throughout our country. Americans have a deep admiration for French culture and their contributions to world culture: food, wine, philosophy, art, architecture, film, prose—and to the English language—40% of English is of French origin. Not only is France the most visited country in the world, hosting over 80 million tourists annually, because it is one of the two most studied languages world-wide, travelers can use French to communicate globally. French speakers are found on five continents, across multiple cultures, religions and ethnicities. French is the official language of the Olympics, the European Union, UNESCO, United Nations, Nato, International Court System, and the Red Cross.

Madame Elizabeth Porter, owner of Bon Voyage French School, lived in France off and on growing up and attended university in France. She has a deep love and fascination for all things French and is passionate about bringing French culture to Americans. A teacher and a life-long learner, Madame Porter opened Bon Voyage French School to offer a wide variety of French language and culture programs that are not readily available to American students.

The Bon Voyage Method, Language with the 5 Senses, is unique in that it focuses on communication through pictures, stories, music, body movements, and well-focused experiential learning tasks. This method focuses on how the brain naturally acquires language for fluency. Bon Voyage teachers do not use translation but instead focus on feeling and experiencing the language.

Bon Voyage French School’s programs are all online and include French classes for American English speakers; American English classes for native French speakers; a Global Citizenship and Multicultural Leadership course; a 20-day Immersion Travel Program for ages ten to adult; and a 10-day Immersion Travel Program for families with children ages 4 to 9. Online classes are available at scheduled times or as independent study.

Madame Porter is proud to offer a new Global Citizenship and Multicultural Leadership class. This self-study class for ages 10 through adult shows students the importance of understanding how we are tied together as citizens of the global community and how our struggles are interconnected. Students are presented with a variety of challenges to carry out in their individual communities in the form of projects and thoughtful discussions. This class is a required prerequisite for students participating in the Immersion Travel Program. Students who complete the course and also participate in the Immersion Program save $500. Students may earn one full year of Social Studies/Sciences credit for high school by completing this course.

The 20-day Immersion Travel Program takes participants to the Auvergne region of France and the town of Vichy. Immersion students attend classes at Bon Voyage French School’s partner school, Cavilam, with students from 120 different countries. Students are fully immersed in French culture and forge friendships with a diverse group of people from all over the world. Previous French language skills are not required as there is much to learn and interpret through body language and non-verbal communication, leading students to learn a deeper form of communication – not exclusively spoken language. It is a true study of global citizenship.

Each student stays with a different host French family, attends daily intensive French classes, participates in cultural enrichment activities and excursions around the region, and spends two days in Paris at the end of the trip. The Immersion Travel Programs also include one year of continuing study through Bon Voyage French School following your return from France. High school students who complete the Immersion Travel Program can earn up to two foreign language credits when they complete their online language class with Bon Voyage French School.
Bon Voyage French School courses are available to students attending traditional brick and mortar schools, Charter schools, or those homeschooled. A complete list of participating Charter schools is available on the website. Visit www.bonvoyagefrance.com for more information and to register for classes. Ω