Led by M. Mark Levesque of Prométour Educational Tours, students toured the city and visited numerous museums, the Cathedral Sainte Anne-de-Beaupré, the Montmorency Falls, the famous Château Frontenac, and various other fascinating places. Our IHA girls learned a great deal about Canadian history and spoke predominantly French while staying with their host families. They were truly immersed in the French language and Francophone culture of Québec.

Dr. Boutcher said the students’ favorite part of the trip was bonding with their host families. Kyra Surgent’18 stressed that it’s one thing to learn French from a textbook, but after spending time in a French-speaking household, she felt more immersed into the culture than ever before.

“At first I was hesitant about the fact that the class would be staying with various, French-speaking host families and I feared that the language barrier between us would create issues,” Kyra said. “As soon as I met my family, however, my qualms were immediately eased. Not only was the Canadian family kind and welcoming, but they were also incredibly eager to share their culture with me. In the few short days we spent together, I created wonderful bonds and grew immensely as a French speaker.” 

Morgan Honor’18 also enjoyed spending time with her host family. “Every night after dinner, my host family, other French students, and I would play Scattergories,” she said. “It was super fun and a great way to learn new French vocabulary.”

Exploring the city presented opportunities to communicate with other French speakers and put our students’ years of French studies to the test. Kyra pointed out that she found herself learning not only in the interesting and educational museum trips and group activities, but also through simple exchanges like ordering from a French menu. Many students were invited to return and visit with their host families this upcoming summer and Dr. Boutcher plans to return to Québec with the AP French class next year.

Leah Ramge’18 said she is grateful for this immersion experience, helping her to become more cultured and well rounded. “It’s amazing that IHA offers trips like this,” she said. “I was able to take what I’ve learned through my years of French at IHA and apply it in Québec.”

Kyra said she will always cherish the memories she created with her IHA sisters on this trip. “The class trip to Quebec was an incredible and unique experience that I will remember forever!” she exclaimed. “I love that IHA offers trips such as this one because they provide students with opportunities to challenge themselves and further pursue their foreign language studies. I would recommend a trip such as this one to each and every one of my IHA peers and I am already looking forward to my next visit to Québec!”