Through a program, Language and Friendship, Lafayette has been hosting six French students. The students are here from Feb. 19 until Mar. 8, 2019. For the past couple weeks, these six students have been shown around by current Lafayette students to various classes.

After a couple of weeks, two of the students from France, Lucille and Rania, compared their experience between French and American schools and culture.

How different is the school in the US compared to France?

Rania– “Everything is different.”

Lucille– “Yes we have a different planning (schedule) for the week not for a day. So everyday it is totally different and we don’t have the same subject. And with the teachers, you are more relaxed [here], in France it is very strict. We can’t speak with the teacher.”

Rania– “We have something called a DSD, it is a big test on every single thing that we have learned in the week.”

What are some major things that you have noticed that are different?

Rania– “The people here are very nice. Everyone is nice. If american students come (to France) everyone would be like ‘oh my gosh’. No one would talk to them. So yes, people are very relaxed and nice [here]. And something that is very different, you have a lot of subjects like Choir, Photography, Cooking, we do not have that.”

Katie Greenstein and Sanjana Jumar are a few of the American students that had the opportunity to show the French students around the school.

It is challenging showing them (french students) around and teaching them the life in the US?

Katie- “Honestly, No. I do so much around here and like my family is just one of those families that is super involved with stuff and so like I just kind of do it already. I already do everything and so it is not difficult for me to be like oh yeah so here is my friend that also wants to do these things.”

Are you guys in French class is that how you got to show them around?

Sanjana- “Yes, both of us are in French 4. They open it up to [french hours] 3, 4 and 5. All of Madame Tamaroff’s classes she asks someone to have one of the students and so I think most of her classes has an exchange student it in or a host student in there.”