ENGLISH and French students enjoyed a friendly exchange of words and experiences at Priestley College recently.
Around 50 young people from Alain Colas school in France spent the day in lessons and socialising with Priestley students.
Brexit was a hot topic of debate with those on both sides of the Channel voicing their opinions.
“For me it was a sad decision for my country to lose an ally like the United Kingdom,” said Jean Mathias Pelletier, who has visited Priestley College for the past three years.
“I appreciate this country because it is open-minded. Days like today are important for us to continue to get to know each other.”
Matthew Allen, from Appleton, agreed saying he did not believe the Brexit vote represented his views or that of many young people.
“I’m glad that, despite the vote, there are still opportunities like this so that we can experience other cultures,” he said.
“If you are surrounded by those who have similar views to your own it is easy to have a close-minded view of the world so it is important to get to know other people.”
Every year Alain Colas stop off at Priestley during a week-long trip to the UK and each visitor is paired off with a local student.
Both English and French students enjoy the exchange and some make long-term friends staying in touch via social media.
Carol Mtitimila, Head of Modern Languages at Priestley, said: “We’ve noticed how many of our students are talking about politics and the Brexit vote.
“Some of them can see how foreign languages will be more important for Britain after Brexit.”
