SULPHUR — Fourth-grade students at Maplewood Elementary got to test their French-speaking skills Thursday during a Skype session with fourth-graders in Marseille, France.

The two classes —the students are pen pals — were able to not only see and converse with each other but also celebrate Christmas. Sandrine Le Galliard, Maplewood French teacher, said students sang Christmas carols in both English and French; exchanged gifts that had been mailed and had a visit from Santa Claus; who spoke both languages.

Le Galliard, who is originally from France, said she used to teach at the school in France and coordinated the event to help both classes practice their skills. She said it wasn’t the first time her class had Skyped with their pen pals in Marseille.

Le Galliard said using technology in the classroom is a good way to keep students interested in learning French.

“There’s nothing better than active learning,” she said. “It’s a really good way to promote the language and culture. My students are really excited about it.”

Le Galliard said she is planning more interactions between the two classes. In January, she said, she hopes to have her class follow a French math lesson while using Skype.

Brad Brinkley, school principal, said the event was a great experience for students because it made learning the language more real for them. He said conversing with native speakers of French helps the kids to better understand the language, which also benefits their understanding of English.

“They understand both languages better as a result,” Brinkley said. “It goes back and forth and strengthens the whole process of understanding languages.”(Rick Hickman/American Press)

Rick Hickman