French Students Headed HomeAfter a six-week stay in Warsaw, two high school students will return home to Niort, France, Saturday.
In February, two Warsaw Community High School students will stay six weeks in Niort with them.
Thursday afternoon, Annabelle Henry and Anne de LaPorte sat down to talk about the differences between American and French customs. They had been staying with the families of Alexandra Floyd and Lawney Francis II. Sponsors for de LaPorte's and Henry's stay were David Chastain and Anne Slaughter.Henry said she wanted to visit the U.S. to know more about America, the food and to learn English more.
During their stay, the girls said they visited Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio.
De LaPorte said all the cities were very different. Warsaw is a little city and pretty normal, she said, like in France. However, Chicago is very different from her home country because of the skyscrapers. There are no such tall buildings in France, she said.
"It was interesting to see a big city like that. It was my first big city," she said.
Henry said streets in America are very geometric and uniform. In France, they sidewind more and zigzag with no geometric pattern. De LaPorte said the homes in France are very close together. French architecture is better, but Chicago is very cool, she said.
In Niort, Henry said, the school day begins at 8:10 a.m. and finishes at 5:45 p.m. However, they get a two-hour lunch and two 20-minute breaks in the morning and afternoon. They have an open campus and can leave school if they want.
"We can do what we want," said de LaPorte.
In France, lots of students smoke, de LaPorte said. She estimated 50 percent of the high school students smoke.
"We have a lot of commercials for and against smoking in magazines in France," she said.
If a friend smokes, everyone wants to do it because it becomes cool, she said. Then they become addicted and can't stop anyway.
As for food, Henry said, in France, they try not to eat burgers. In America, every lunch is burgers and French fries, she said. They eat more fruits and vegetables in France.
Dating is also very different in France, she said. In America, she said, teenagers hang out and are boyfriend and girlfriend, but they don't really care if they love each other or not. In France, she said, couples care more about loving one another.
De LaPorte said in France, in school, students have more freedom but less freedom at home. In America, the reverse is true.
Floyd said it's been fun to host Henry. She's learned a lot and is looking forward to her trip to France. The two girls got really close, she said.
While Henry and de LaPorte started learning English six years ago, Floyd has taken only two years of French. De LaPorte recommended that Floyd watch many French movies with English subtitles before she travels to France.
"For me (to learn English), I watched a lot of 'Desperate Housewives' in the original version," de LaPorte said.
Henry said many people in France speak English. When Americans visit, students get very excited about them being there so they will speak English with them.
"To speak to a foreign person in his or her native tongue is the most affirming and befriending of human interactions," said Chastain. "Every sentence our kids say will impress the French."
De LaPorte said their stay has been very cool. Most of the people have been very nice and courteous.
