Two very diverse cultures united at Diamond Bar High School with the arrival of French sophomore students from Lycee Catholique De Pontlevoy, a private school in Pontlevoy, France, on April 15. The exchange students came to the United States to experience a taste of American culture.
The French students who have been staying with their host families, will spend time in the area before leaving for San Diego on April 25. During their time here, they will have the opportunity to visit famous Los Angeles spots such as the California Science Center, Venice Beach, and Universal Studios.
To develop a friendship before meeting in person, both the American and French students had been keeping in contact via social media. Junior Molly McCabe, one of the students opening up their home to a French student, communicated with her French student through Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, and the two even snapchatted each other to countdown the days until the French students arrived. McCabe plans to take her French student to watch some of her basketball games, attend a concert in Los Angeles, and go paddle boarding in Huntington Beach.
Unlike those in America, schools in France do not offer as many extracurricular activities or sports and have schedules that run more like a college schedule with long lunch breaks. Moreover, students remain in one classroom and don’t switch classes; instead, the teachers are the ones to switch classes.
“French schools are more career-based at a young age. You basically chose what you want to do when you’re 12, and from then on you take classes pertaining to that,” stated McCabe.
Because American and French cultures are so different, the French students are eager to show the DBHS students their country. In the past, a few DBHS students have even had the opportunity to stay with their past French students during the summer. McCabe hosted a French student last year, so her French student plans on taking her on a backpacking trip all over France after she graduates next spring.
“[Hosting a student from France] makes me more comfortable speaking and helps my listening skills. Even though we are supposed to speak English to them, a lot of people speak French because we want to get better too,” McCabe said.