Secondary News

French field trip to the French Institute

Yesterday, 17 January, we took a group of 20 Secondary students who are studying French to the French Institute - l’Institut français - in Alsancak.

We had a tour of the Institute and were very impressed to see the range of their facilities. They have a very comprehensive library of French books, magazines, DVDs, computer games and board games, which can help to make learning French more fun and more interesting; anyone can go and read the printed materials for free at any time and by signing up to their Culturethèque App and paying only 50 TL per year, you can access a huge range of online resources and take out books and DVDs. They also have a programme of free exhibitions - we saw an incredible artwork installation based on the story of ‘1001 Nights’, made from miles (literally!) of thread and thousands of screws. Every month there is a programme of French films and discussions. To our surprise, we met some French students who use the Institute as their school for three days a week. The Institute runs courses for people who want to learn French too of course.

Students were divided into groups for some team-activities: playing Pictionary and a Treasure Hunt in the library - both of which involved following instructions in French. We then went to their cinema to watch a French film called ‘L’Ascension’. This based on the true story of a boy from a poor neighbourhood who climbed Everest to prove his love for his girlfriend. From the silence in the audience, it was clear that the film was a hit - it’s quite an incredible story!

No French cultural experience would be complete without food, so we finished our visit with a delicious 3-course lunch at La Cigale restaurant.

Thank you to all of the parents who supported this trip. Please encourage your children to make use of the Institute’s great facilities to support their learning. Here is a link to their App:

Nikki Robinson -

Teacher of French