Penfriends, Exchanges & School Trips

Ginger Gerald delves deep into the past and looks at the fun and games of having penfriends, doing exchange visits and going on school trips overseas. For many of us these were our very first ever overseas experiences. And, in the dim & dark past, GG even took a school group overseas himself (sounds like a disaster to me) - have a listen to find out for yourself. 

DON´T FORGET TO RATE THE SHOW ON YOUR PLATFORM OF CHOICE
Contact "Ginger Gerald you Lucky Barstard" with your feedback, ideas or anything you fancy...we are everywhere:
Website: https://gingergeraldyouluckybarstard.buzzsprout.com/
Email: GGYLB@outlook.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gingergeraldyouluckybarstard/
Instagram: gingergeraldyouluckybarstard
Twitter: #GGYLB1

Transcript

• Discover the latest episode of Ginger Gerald’s podcast, Bon Appetit, for some food, fun, and banter.
• Ginger Gerald is broadcasting from his hometown of Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire.
• Penfriends were a popular strategy used by language teachers to help students engage with foreign languages before the internet.
• Penfriends involved writing letters to a random person in a foreign country assigned by the language teacher.
• The idea was to write in the language you were learning and receive a response in that language.
• Today, it is simpler to communicate with someone in another country through a phone and translation services.
• Sometimes penfriends became real friends over time, like Ginger Gerald’s mom who has had the same penfriend for over 75 years.
• This friendship has led to a range of exchange visits over the years.
• Penfriends were a great way for kids to experience exchange trips to other countries, with opportunities to stay with local families and try new foods and activities.
• School trips were another exciting way to break out of the classroom and explore new places, with camping and refuge trips being some of the best for making memories and having fun with friends.
• When the author became a teacher, they got the chance to organize an annual school trip to France, which was a fun and unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
• Despite some mishaps and challenges, the trip was a success, with one memorable moment involving a student ending up neck-deep in a ditch.
• These early experiences with travel and cultural exchange can inspire a lifelong love of exploring new places and meeting people from different backgrounds.