Hillcrest High School has had an exchange programme going on for the last three years between French Switzerland and New Zealand.
We host 2 or 3 Swiss students (depending on the demand) for 2 months in Term 3 and the New Zealand students go over to the Swiss’ house and school in December and January after the NCEA exam. It really is an amazing opportunity to learn another language, discover another country (sometimes our students get taken to other European countries too) and make new friends in another part of
the world. This opportunity is open to students taking French and happens at Yr 12. If you want to find out more about it, go and talk to Isaac Campbell and Gina Barton who are hosting Nicolas Zuber and Emmeline Bertrand-Verdier at the moment or see me directly. In the mean time, here is what the two Swiss students have to say about New Zealand in their first four weeks with us.
Nicolas
Hello, my name is Nicolas. I am 17 years old. I speak French at home. I’m the youngest of a family of five people. I have one sister and one brother. I’m a student in a high school in Sion. Sion is a small city in the south of Switzerland and in the middle of mountains. Switzerland is in the middle of Europe, next to Italy, France, Germany and Austria. In my free time, I have a lot of hobbies. I climb outdoors in summer and in winter I climb indoors. I climb in Bramois.
Bramois is a small village near Sion. In winter I ski. I ski in many ski resorts. In my area we have so many ski resorts, so I can choose where I want to go.
I arrived in New Zealand a few weeks ago and I’m really excited to be here and have a new experience in a different part of the world. I am in New Zealand for 2 months and after, I will go back to Switzerland. Here, in New Zealand, I can try out new activities, new foods and I can now see life from a new perspective. Life in New Zealand is very different from Switzerland, here you have more time for getting on with your hobbies.
So don’t hesitate to learn French to discover another culture and other countries where French is spoken.
Emmeline
My name is Emmeline. I’m 16 years old and I come from Geneva, a city in the southwest of Switzerland, just next to France. I am an only child in my family. Switzerland is a small country in Europe. It is next to France, Italy, Germany and Austria. I’m in New Zealand for a language exchange. I’m here to learn English. It’s a big chance for me to be here, see a new culture and live a special experience.
I go to a school college in Geneva. In my free time, I like swimming and horse riding. In winter, I often go skiing. I also like surfing, but it’s hard to surf in Switzerland.
I arrived in New Zealand a few weeks ago, and I’ve already learned a lot. I’m discovering a new way of life, new food, beautiful places, and I’m also making new friends. School is very different here: it’s calmer and more relaxed than in Switzerland. I think we have more time to do the things we like.
I’m really happy to be here. It’s a great experience, and I think it helps me grow. I
recommend doing an exchange if you have the chance!
