My study of French A level gave me the opportunity to go on a trip to Versailles to fully immerse myself in French culture, learn about French history and practise my language skills. First and foremost we explored the picturesque city of Versailles in the snow, seeing the Notre-Dame cathedral, the shops and quintessential French cafés. The city of Versailles was built around the lavish and breathtakingly beautiful Palace. We explored the palace and learnt about the lives of the French monarchs, we also saw where the guillotine was placed during the French revolution. We obviously exploited the opportunity to take photos with the snow-covered palace. My personal highlight of the trip was the macaron making class, I will certainly be making some at home after how delicious the ones we made as a collective came out! Boating around Paris was the coldest and most beautiful experience, the architecture was amazing. My love for politics meant I was very excited to see the National Assembly. But for me, the most valuable element of the trip was speaking French all week. I stayed with a retired lady who couldn’t speak any English so I had no alternative but to push myself and have confidence in myself to speak as much French as possible.

Jomaan Sherlala, Year 13