This past week, 24 Manual students hosted French foreign exchange students. The 27 visitors followed their respective hosts in and out of school to experience American culture. Meet some of the French students who visited Manual:

Moran Devos
Host: Skye Spalding (10, J&C)
This was Moran’s first time in the United States.

Host Reflection: “I learned that [the French] don’t have buses at home,” Spalding said. “So at one point, all the students were taking a picture in front of the yellow school buses.”

Q: Why did you want to participate in this program?
A: I wanted to participate in the Foreign Exchange Program to discover a new country.

Q: How is your school different from Manual?
A: I think in America, the schools are bigger. The class is not the same. We do not take the same subjects in France. School lunches are earlier.

Q: What do you think about the United States?
A: In America, there is a lot of fast food. The people are very nice. I ate at Burger King: a burger, fries, and coca cola. Cars, schools and the people are different.

Q: Where was your favorite place to visit in Louisville?
A: I liked the Slugger Museum because I like sports.

Laetitia Sejourne (16 years old)
Host: Hannah Phillips (11, J&C)
This was Letitia’s first time in the United States.

Q: What American things did you try this week?
A: My favorite thing I tried was probably waffles.

Q: What is the difference between your school and Manual?
A: I stay at school longer than you do. We have longer lunch times, at least one hour. You are more free in your class because you can use phones.

Roxane Laville (17 years old)
Host: Brigid Stakelum (10, J&C)
This was not Roxanne’s first time in the United States. She has visited New York; New Jersey; Washington, D.C. and Florida.

Host Reflection: “When I went to France last year, I stayed with Roxanne’s family,” Skatelum said. “I went to church with her and her parents. Roxanne’s mom kept yelling, ‘C’est le américain!’ and everyone else would yell back. It means, ‘It’s the American!’ There were some translation issues because I was only in French 1. For the most part, people were willing to speak English to me once I said, ‘Hi, I’m an American.’ They didn’t want to talk to me in French; they wanted to talk to me in English.”

Q: Why did you want to participate in this program?
A: I wanted to come to America another time. I wanted to see more states.

Q: Had you heard of Louisville and Kentucky before arriving?
A: I have heard of Kentucky but not Louisville. I know of Kentucky from KFC.

Q: What is the main difference between French and American culture?
A: Americans eat earlier. Americans snack and in France we do not. My favorite thing to eat in America is cupcakes. We have cupcakes but they are little.

Gwendoline Juillard (16 years old)
Host: Maura Appleberry (12, MST)
This was Gwendoline’s first time in the United States.

Host Reflection: “It was really fun getting to see what they think is different from their country, compared to our country,” Appleberry said. “I went to France last year and the differences we found were different than the differences they found.”

Q: What did you learn from this experience?
A: The classes and culture [are] different. We have only 20 minutes to eat lunch but we can eat, drink, and use our phones in class here. Classes finish too early! American people make false plans. The plans change, the plans change, then no plan.

Q: What is the main difference in French and American culture?
A: All the girls and boys have a girlfriend or boyfriend. There is no spicy food here, also.