French immersion course in Salignac 7-13 July 2007 Sue Mithen Willow Bank Junior School me

Last year I applied for and was awarded a grant to attend an immersion course in France It was:  A 6 day immersion course held in Salignac, Dordogne  Fully funded by British Council including half funding for supply cover  Very efficiently run by Le Français en Ecosse  Great fun and directly useful for improving your French and using it in the Primary classroom

What is an immersion course? The stated aims of the course were to develop discursive skills, update methodology and exchange ideas for good practice in the classroom. The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed. There were 19 people on my course and the age group was quite mixed. Most people had a a fairly good level of French but the group was divided into two ability groups for some of the time. A large part of the lessons was conducted in French and we were encouraged to speak French at mealtimes.

Accommodation Salignac is a small, very french village near to Sarlat. The course is held at a ‘maison familiale’ which is like an up-market youth hostel.

Accommodation is in small chalets around a central courtyard and classroom. All food and wine was included! Bicycles and a swimming pool were available for use in free time.

Lessons Lessons took place each day in a classroom from 9.00 to and to including work on: Pronunciation and grammar Singing and rhymes Games and activities for children Inter-cultural understanding – map work, French culture etc Websites and internet materials

Extra-curricular! An evening guided tour around Sarlat. An evening of pétanque. Wine tasting

A traditional ‘périgourdine’ meal A visit to Salignac weekly market A half day visit and guided tour to Rocamadour, a pilgrimage town

How to apply First contact Richard Tallaron at Le Français en Ecosse, or (courses are held in Salignac and Lyon throughout the year, for Primary and Secondary school teachers). Application forms can be downloaded from Your Head Teacher will have to complete some sections. Information about the British Council SOCRATES Comenius2 training activities is available from I applied before Christmas 2006 but I think the deadline was the end of January 2007 for courses taking place that summer.

Funding Funding for the course fee, accommodation, subsistence and travel expenses is 100% from The British Council. It arrives at your school: 80% before the trip, 20% on receipt of all travel expenses etc Funding for 50% of the supply cover had to be done separately, also via The British Council. The remaining 50% had to be provided by the school.

Finally I hope many more teachers apply for and benefit from the scheme. This course offered a great experience for me. It was hard work during the week but great fun. It gave me more confidence in my ability to speak and to teach French. It inspired me to return to the classroom with new ideas and enthusiasm. Santé