Western Heights High School students creating food as part of the total immersion French programme.
Western Heights High School students creating food as part of the total immersion French programme.
Language and food have been merging together at Western Heights High School, which has put a tasty and enticing spin on learning.
WHHS has restarted its French programme, and in the spirit of being cross-curricular, the school has provided a new twist on how French is being delivered and developed by offering cooking in total French language immersion.
Wendy Pike, a teacher of food technology and hospitality and French, says they started halfway through the school year with only eight in the class, and this has increased to 22, the programme proving to be a real hit with great results.
She says this innovative and creative new programme gives WHHS students the unique opportunity to learn French together by having the hands-on experience of French cuisine.
“It was to promote language within the school, to create engagement with the students, and to introduce them to culture through food. Food is a great connector, because everyone loves food.”
Students cook once a week. The recipe is not introduced beforehand - they get it on the day, and the recipe is entirely in French. All communication is done in French, too.
Wendy says students have made croque monsieur, crepes, pain perdu, croissants and la gallete des Rois, just to name a few.
Western Heights High School students putting their French into practice while making French cuisine.
Students also had the opportunity to visit Le Café de Paris Rotorua in town.
“The integration of cooking into the language programme is known as Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL).
“It is based on the principles of language immersion. It is a dual-focused approach, where students balance the learning of a second language and a subject simultaneously, and with equal emphasis on both skills.”
She says this is an approach that challenges the students to think creatively, critically, and to facilitate collaborative and communicative skills.
“Thus, it enriches the curriculum with the students because they learn by immersion into both the French culture and traditions in a practical and hands-on way.”
She says once students found out the French class had this opportunity for total immersion through cooking, they were really excited because it was something new.
“The feedback is they really love it because it they get to make something and eat it, and it motivates them to continue with French.”
This is great, because language seems to be a curriculum area that is overlooked and undervalued in many schools.
Wendy says learning a different language helps you to be more of a global citizen, as well as to be more accommodating and embracing of cultures.
It can open up new goals and visions for students, too, she says.
“Due to the success of the programme this year, it is also being offered next year, with the potential of offering it in all levels of French.”
She says the school is also looking at doing an overseas trip to a French-speaking country in 2024, and at doing the same integration programme with Spanish next year.
