Observation and Interaction in French Class for Second-Year Students as Part of the COLIBRI Program

As part of activities related to the Japan-France High School Network (COLIBRI), which our school is a member of, we had the honor of welcoming distinguished guests from the Embassy of France in Japan. The visit included Mr. Frédéric Pena, Deputy Cultural Counselor; Mr. Maxime Bonnet, French Language Education Officer; and Ms. Virginie Villechange, Director of Studies at the Institut français du Kansai.

At our school, in addition to English, students can study French and Chinese as second foreign languages. Each student chooses a language based on their interests, and expands their learning through exposure to different cultures. During this visit, the guests observed a French class for second-year high school students.

After the class, a Q&A session was held based on questions prepared in advance by students on topics such as "French culture," "language," and "studying abroad." It was an engaging and lively exchange. The students seemed greatly inspired by the rare opportunity to directly interact with experts involved in French language education.

Through this visit, students not only enjoyed learning French but also realized the broader possibilities of international exchange and future opportunities. We sincerely thank our visitors for their deep understanding and warm support of our educational activities.

About the Japan-France High School Network (COLIBRI)

COLIBRI was initiated in 2002 by Jean-Noël Juteau, then French Language Officer at the Cultural Department of the French Embassy. It was established with the cooperation of Japanese high school teachers. The first exchange program took place in 2006, and since then, over 1,000 high school students from both Japan and France have participated in short-term exchange programs.

Currently, about 30 Japanese schools from Hokkaido to Okinawa are members. On the French side, 29 schools across mainland cities such as Paris, Bordeaux, and Montpellier, along with six in New Caledonia, participate—totaling 35 schools, with more joining each year.

Our school became a member in 2011. This was prompted by a temporary difficulty in accepting exchange students in the Kanto region following the Great East Japan Earthquake. We offered support to continue facilitating exchanges between Japanese and French high school students. Today, it has become a vital program that nurtures our students’ global perspectives beyond just language learning.