Speaker: Sacha Golob, Professor of Philosophy | King's College
Sacha Golob: So what made this special was we had lots and lots of times set up by Maria where we could just talk at length with all kinds of different native speakers, um, but who weren't French teachers, right, who weren't there to, to, to phrase things in a nice, clear way, who were just speaking straightforwardly, idiomatically, quickly, as they normally would.
What drew you to this kind of immersive travel experience?
Sacha Golob: I was drawn to this kind of immersive model because I was looking for a way to make a real step forward, um, particularly my spoken French. Uh, but I wanted to do it in a, a fun, relaxed, um, environment, have a bit of time to see, uh, see some of the beautiful towns and villages of the area. Didn't want to spend two weeks in a language school. Um, so this sort of a really nice balance between making a big step forward, but doing it in a, in a relaxed and enjoyable setting.
How would you describe the overall quality and curation of the trip?
Sacha Golob: So the trip was brilliantly organised, everything was arranged, everything ran very smoothly, um. During the day, we'd do some small group teaching, um, very focused. Um, there'd be some free time in the afternoon, um, and then we spend a lot of time just talking either with Maria, with each other, or most importantly with, uh, some of the local people. Um, so all very well organised, very well created, curated, um, all run very smoothly.
What moments felt truly unique or unforgettable?
Sacha Golob: It's the most important thing is anyone learning the language knows, the problem is actually talking to native speakers and in particular, talking to native speakers who aren't your teacher. Right? So we've all had this experience, you were in Paris or whatever and you think you've got a quite a decent level and you try and talk to someone, someone who's not paid to be there and help you, um, and. Oftentimes they just switch to English, which is incredibly annoying, um, because you don't have the chance to find out what you're doing wrong, to, um, to practise, um. So what made this special was we had lots and lots of times set up by Maria where we could just talk at length with all kinds of different native speakers, um, but who weren't French teachers, right, who weren't there to, to, to phrase things in a nice, clear way, who were just speaking straightforwardly, idiomatically, quickly, as they normally would. Um, and that's a unique opportunity because it means you can really find out what level you're at and you can really develop it. Um, to get the kind of fluency that um I think we're all after.
How did the experience help you connect more deeply with the language and culture?
Sacha Golob: The experience offered a deep connection because You're in one place for, you know, 1 week, 2 weeks, um, you really get to know the town, you really get to know, um, the area, um, and you get a chance to talk with a lot of people, you get a chance to talk with people people of a formal setting. So most evenings we'd go into the village, have dinner, um, and we just chat with some of the local people on that, um, because you feel for the, for the place, um, and it's also obviously the best way to upgrade your language skills.
Would you recommend this to someone looking for something beyond a typical retreat?
Sacha Golob: Absolutely, we would definitely recommend this. Much more relaxed, fun, flexible than sitting in a language school for 8 hours a day. Um, but it offers a real chance to make big progress because you're immersed not just in the classroom, but in the village, and talking to people in restaurants, talking to people in bars, and it's that kind of contact with native speakers that's gonna make the real difference going forward in your skills.
