In the Know

Languages Faculty News 

Lucie Dickens, Academic Dean of Languages

Welcome to our visiting students from Japan

As part of our Global Connections Program, two students from our partner school, Todoroki Senior High School in Tokyo, are spending Term 1 at Kilvington. Yurika Imai has been placed in Fethers House and Ririka Mastuda is in Burman House. 

They are attending classes as Year 11 students and will assist with Years 7 and 8 Japanese classes. We wish them both a wonderful time. We thank their host families for looking after them so well already! 

Kilvington students returning from France and Japan 

We welcome back our Years 11 and 12 students who, as part of our Global Connections Program, participated in an individual tour over the summer. Five students travelled to France for five weeks and one student spent three weeks in Japan. 

 

These students improved their language skills throughout this immersive experience and developed personal growth by living with another family and experiencing a different culture and environment, including attending classes at our partner schools. 

 

Below are some of the students' reflections on their experience. 

 

FRANCE INDIVIDUAL TOURS 

Darcy Spragg-Harris, Year 12 French 

 

Over the school holidays, Milly Eyres, Ronnie Bhuteja, Chloe Dickens, Chester Webb and I went on an individual tour from Kilvington to Toulouse, France for five weeks. 

 

This experience was truly unforgettable. I made deep and lifelong friendships, not only with my host sister but also with my entire host family. The opportunity to become so integrated with another family was an incredible experience -one that I will treasure forever. 

Throughout the trip, we had two weeks of ‘holidays’ and three weeks of French school. Although I found French school quite tough, with a nine-hour day being the norm, it was also rewarding to be in an all-French environment, especially since I'm in Year 12 French this year. 

 

As we mainly had one core class group, we also managed to make awesome and hilarious French friends who made the tiring school days seem incredibly enjoyable. I definitely felt a bit of culture shock in the beginning, with the amount of bread and cheese eaten being the biggest one! However, after a while, I started feeling thoroughly French and a bit like 'Emily in Paris'. 

Obviously, the language barrier was tough, but after a few days of acclimation, I could understand what everyone was saying with enough confidence to respond back. By the end of the trip, we were all able to speak to our host families with ease, a lot of whom did not speak any English. We even managed to teach them some English along the way! I am forever grateful for this life-changing experience. 

 

Milly Eyres, Year 12 French

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our host families, we all got to participate in all sorts of activities outside of classes. Some highlights include holidays in the Spanish Basque country, skiing in the Pyrenees, road trips to the Mediterranean coast and Barcelona, and weekend trips to Paris. 

We also spent Christmas in France, and it was very interesting to see how the traditions and customs vary on the other side of the world. And of course, no trip to France would be complete without indulging in French food, with the highlight being the five-course meals enjoyed every night.  

 

The warmth and hospitality that my host family showed me truly enabled me to fully immerse myself into French culture. Although the initial language barrier posed its challenges for all of us, everyone was patient and encouraging with us, always willing to help us improve our French. By the end of the five weeks, I can confidently say that we all improved immensely, not only in our competencies in French, but also our general communication skills.  

 

We would like to thank Kilvington and Madame Dickens for fostering these global connections and allowing us to go on amazing trips like these. Thanks to their tireless effort, we now have memories that will last a lifetime, and also now have new families on the other side of the world. Thank you.

 

JAPAN INDIVIDUAL TOUR 

Shiyan Yin, Year 12 Japanese

 

Over the school holidays, I had the chance to go to Tokyo for three weeks on an individual tour. While over there, I attended classes at Todoroki Senior High School and explored Tokyo city. 

Due to my poor Japanese skills, I had a hard time communicating with Japanese people, but this also meant I had ample things to learn and a lot of room for improvement. I took away a lot of useful learnings from making mistakes, and I know this experience will greatly help me with my Japanese studies. 

Overall, my experience in Japan was amazing. I formed wonderful friendships with my host siblings and classmates, and created memories that will stay with me for life. 

 

I would like to thank Kilvington and Madame Dickens for providing me with the opportunity to go to a country that I've wanted to visit for a long time. Without their help in getting through the different hurdles, this trip would not have been possible. Thank you. 

 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM STUDENTS

  • Our partner school was very welcoming. We had a morning tea on the first day. 
  • I had a very good experience at the partner school.
  • I felt extremely comfortable as soon as I got there. I really felt a part of the family.
  • Continue offering individual tours, it’s a great experience!
  • My host family was very welcoming and always made sure I was okay and having a good time. 
  • Everyone was very welcoming at the partner school. All of my host students and friends were very kind and included me in their activities. The teachers also made sure I could understand them and was enjoying myself.
  • I felt very comfortable and consider myself a part of their extended family. We all got along so well and I felt so comfortable in their home.

PARENT COMMENT ON INDIVIDUAL TOUR 

Sharon Spragg, 2024 Year 12 parent

 

The 2023 Individual Tour to France was a joy from beginning to end. We were thrilled to meet Victoire, our guest student from France, in July 2023. We had a fabulous five weeks together, culminating in Victoire attending the School formal with our daughter, Darcy, before heading back home. There were lots of tears at the airport when saying goodbye. 

 

Fast forward to December 2023, where a very excited group of Kilvington students headed off to Toulouse for five weeks. Darcy had a fabulous time with Victoire’s family. She enjoyed every minute of it: savouring lots of amazing food, experiencing French Christmas and Christmas markets, and exploring the Occitanie region and Basque Country, including a quick trip to Spain. This was an amazing experience for her, during which she made lifelong friends.