Radford hosts Long Exchange Students
By Michele Sharp, Head of Languages
Radford has a long history of reciprocal Long Exchange programs with our sister schools. This term we welcomed three students on this program. Soichi Konko from Konko Gakuen in Japan and Soleine Hulin and Lena Rocher from Lycée Blaise Pascal in France. Soichi was hosted by Year 11 student Alex Stockbridge, and the French students were hosted by Year 12 students Petra Belgun and Bella Schofield. Petra and Bella attended Lycée Blaise Pascal during the summer holidays last year. Whilst Radford students have participated in the Long Exchange program with Konko Gakuen since 2019, Soichi Konko was the first student from Japan to visit Radford on this program.
The Long Exchange is a 8-week immersion opportunity that Languages students can apply for at the end of Year 11. It is also a reciprocal program, meaning those who participate must be willing to host a student in return. The program aims for students to:
- gain first-hand insight into other cultures to develop a tolerance, understanding and respect for different ways of life and different values,
- improve foreign language skills through the practical use of the language in a native-speaking country,
- widen perspectives and social experience, and
- gain experience as a host to an overseas visitor at home and school.
We are thankful to the schools we have relationships with and the host families who ensure the continued success of this very beneficial exchange. Below are student reflections on their experiences.
Soichi Konko from Konko Gakuen, Japan
Hello, I am Soichi Konko. I’m a high student at Konko Gakuen. I came to Canberra in June and stayed at the house of a Year 11 student at Radford.
I’m surprised every day because it’s so difference between Konko Gakuen and Radford.
I think Radford students enjoy studying more than Japanese students. Japanese students are forced to study. For example, they have to go to school to join supplementary lessons during the holiday. Some students go to cram school after school. However, I thought Radford’s students are very self-motivated to learn.
I’m also surprised because Radford has a lot of events. Most 3rd Year high school (Year 12) students in Japan need to study to enter university, so they cannot join school events. So, I envied the Radford senior students who were able to attend events.
I really enjoyed playing soccer with my friends at Radford for lunchtime. I felt it was easy to become friends with them playing soccer. I’m so glad because everyone said to me “We’re so sad because we have to say goodbye soon.” I don’t want to go back to Japan!
My host family is so kind and nice. I enjoyed spending time with them. They took me to many exciting places like restaurants and the mall. My favourite foods were pasta cooked by my host mother and chicken risotto cooked by my host grandmother.
Thank you so much, everyone. I’ll never forget my schooltime at Radford.
Soleine Hulin from Lycée Blaise Pascal, France
My name is Soleine Hulin, I come from the west of France near Nantes. After Petra came for two months in France, it is now my turn to visit her country, I arrived after 24 hours of flight (including the four hour long change over in Qatar) on the evening of 7 July.
At the beginning, I spent the holidays with my host family. We first went to Byron Bay for three days, we swam, we walked around, and I had time to shop for souvenirs. We saw a variety of wildlife like whales, dolphins, and wallabies. I also saw the biggest waves of my life.
We then went to Melbourne for two and a half days. It reminded me of Normandy in France, since the weather was so nice that I was surprised. Back at home we made croissants and choux cream, and the plates were soon empty.
After these two beautiful weeks of vacation, we have to go to school. To be honest, the subjects are easier, and we finish earlier (in France we work from 8 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m.). Anyway, it’s very nice, but there is always homework. Some school differences I noticed:
- Subjects: in France everyone does history, geography, and science
- Lunchtime: in France the majority of students eat in the canteen, we also have around two to three hours of break, here it is the opposite, people bring lunchboxes and eat for 30 minutes.
- Class breaks: here students have two breaks, one recess and one lunch. In France we have two 10-minute breaks.
- In France, I get home from school at 6p.m. and that’s when I have my snack. Here I have my dinner at 6 p.m.
- The France-Australia differences:
- Australians drive in the wrong lane . . .
- About traffic lights, there are two things to say: 1) the intersection lights are quite different. In France we have a large one and a small one, and in France we don’t have specific lights to turn, we have to wait in the middle of the intersection and hope that no one takes your bumper away.
- And finally, here in the morning it’s cold, but later in the day the weather is more pleasant. In France, our winter is freezing all day. If you take off your coat, you’ll look like an ice cube that is going to have a cold the next day.
Léna Rocher from Lycée Blaise Pascal, France
I have loved being in Australia, in my first week of travels I saw Noosa in Queensland which is my favourite town in Australia. I was scared at first to go on my plane because it was very long, but when I arrived in Australia and saw the sunsets and the sunrises and the kangaroos I was very grateful that I took the flight.
I think that the sunsets and the kangaroos and the very nice beaches are my favourite thing of Australia. I also have found the dance experiences (RadPac and the House activities) very fun, and I wish there was something like that in French schools.
The teachers and the students at Radford have all been very nice to me and I have liked how the school days are shorter in Australia compared to France. I am excited to come back to Australia in the future to travel, and I am very sad to have to go back to France and start school again in two weeks. Thank you Ms. Sharp and Mme Bateman for organising the exchange.