Open University course LXR122 - Level 1 - 10 points
"Action in French" French Summer School at the University of Caen - Normandy
LXR122 is a Level 1 stand-alone residential French course presented by the Open University. Emily, Sheri and I went in July 2001. As far as the course itself was concerned it was very well planned, apart from the teething problems associated with a new campus abroad. I learnt a lot from our excellent tutor and gained a huge amount of confidence, except for one memorable afternoon when I completely lost the plot! We worked incredibly hard and I would have loved to have done it again, but it costs a fortune for the 2nd time as the first is subsidized. It was also a good opportunity to get the feel of an OU summer school - in preparation for L211 in 2003.
Emily and I took the Eurostar from Waterloo and stayed in Paris overnight before taking the train down to Caen. Sheri joined us later as she was already in Normandy. The new campus(2)in Caen is quite a way from town and Emily and I toyed with the idea of getting a bus from the station. Not for long did we toy - it was jolly hot! By the way, the weather was a bit unpredicatable, so shorts and an umbrella seemed to be a good combination - and comfy shoes - there's quite a bit of walking between the residence and the study block.
Take your own pillow if you don't like a skinny bolster and you'll have to make your own bed before you get into it! Unpack as soon as you arrive on the Saturday - the enormous shopping centre across the road, Carre Four, is not open on Sundays so if you don't run straight over there you won't be able to shop for anything you've forgotten until Monday. You can make it in the lunch break but you'll be a bit breathless when you get back! You don't need to buy booze (unless you are a secret drinker) because there is a good bar at the residence - the cider is a killer!
There is a washing machine and a tumble dryer - but to be honest you'd be better off taking enough to see you through the week. They said they wouldn't provide towels, but they did, but take them anyway!
Access to the Interent was a bit sketchy, but I gather things have improved, as has the food!
We had a visit to the Bayeaux Tapestry - which was fascinating, and a treasure hunt through the town. We felt it rather rude to go into a bar, ask the ingredients of a particular local quaff and not stay to imbibe - so Bart and I lost our considerable lead!
Finally, there have been some summer schools in Manchester, but I did hear a rumour that the OU was phasing them out - now I don't know if that was all summer schools or just Manchester, so keep your ears open and your eyes peeled! Nigel Gibson said "As a Mancunian I can only suggest that anyone lucky enough to find themselves there for Summer School should include fish and chips at Harry Ramsden's followed by a river cruise on their list of "things to do". They should try to get to Maine Road (home of the only team in Manchester) and the biggest "must see" is the Museum of Science and Technology - it's the business!"
