Go on a business trip to Marseilles and learn about work etiquettes in France.

On this live, interactive, session, learners will take a virtual 'business trip' to Marseilles where they will visit and spend time at the offices of a local business. Over the course of the session, attendees will gain a thorough insight into workplace culture and business etiquettes in France, while also practising language in a work context. (Fun fact: The word "etiquette" comes from the Old French word "étiquette" meaning 'signboard'- basically a code of 'dos and don'ts' for social behaviour representing good manners.)

The session is divided into three parts;

Part 1: You will be welcomed by counterparts at the local business in Marseilles and escorted into the office where you will be introduced to each team member.

Part 2: The members of the local team will demonstrate work place do's and dont's and business etiquettes.

For example, you will learn that the work environment in France is generally very relaxed, and so not be misled by formalities such as 'Mister' or 'Madam' in conversations between co-workers. Or that the The french love small talk and they usually talk about politics, football (soccer), TV series, movies and food at work. A basic question about deadlines could make people perceive you as being serious.

Part 3: In the final part of the session students will be divided into two separate teams, and each will be paired with a different staff member from the French office. Each group will be put into a breakout room and have 20 minutes to discuss and design a marketing poster in French for the company's products. Learners will have to collaborate on the marketing messages they would want to include on the poster, seek insights from their French colleague. At the end of the session, both groups will present their final poster.

Role play and live interactions, particularly with native speakers, are known to have greater impact in learning a language or culture than simply learning out of a book. This office interaction will certainly help cement knowledge about French culture and language and pave the way for more fluent conversations. 

This session accommodates up to 50 students. Once you book this experience, we will send you a confirmation email with a link to join the session.  Students and teachers can log in from their individual classes or congregate in one single class/hall and access the tour via the link provided.