Identity across ink: Owasso’s French letter exchange

 By Tony Cerqueira

Picture of letter taken by Tony Cerqueira

In a world where social isolation is an increasingly prevalent issue, there has never been a better time to stay interconnected than now. Whether it be through a simple phone call, text message or even an old-school postcard, small efforts can make all the difference in connection. For Owasso High School's advanced French students, bridging the social divide is an all-too-familiar engagement. 

OHS students who take AP French Language and Culture can choose to be a part of a pen pal letter exchange program. Through the postal service, students are then able to write back and forth to each other and share life experiences, exposing unique cultural perspectives. 

Junior and AP French Language and Culture student Ty Elias explains the fundamentals behind the exchange. 

“Every one of us is assigned a unique pen pal from [Owasso’s sister city,] Chaumont, France. [Our pen pals] send us informative letters [in French], and they’ll have like maps and photos of the city in it. We’ll respond and continue the conversations they start,” Elias stated.

Unlike an instant text message, these postcards have to physically travel halfway across the globe—this wait time can leave students anxious to read their peer’s next steps in their treks through life.

“Wait times can vary—it took us, like, two months [for the last batch of letters],” Elias recalled. 

Unique to Owasso High School’s advanced French section, this communication between sister cities not only allows local students to cultivate an understanding of external cultures but also endorses the healthy growth of interpersonal relationships.

“My pen pal was talking about how they tried wine for the first time. [Without these letters], it’s hard to really take into account these varying perspectives,” Elias mentioned.

Abbigale Schiefelbein, another Junior in the Owasso AP French Language and Culture class, relays her opinions regarding the exchange.

“It’s honestly pretty cool to see their different [expressions] of culture,  we were talking about our Christmas and our holidays, and they were like, ‘oh yeah, I went to Belgium and Germany and other cool places,’” Schiefelbein exclaimed.

It is easy to overlook cultural distinctions, especially when cultural exposure is limited. Communication, exemplified by the postcard exchanges Owasso High School’s AP French students participate in, can assist in converging varying perspectives and bring a better understanding of the significance of individuality. For these students, this is a skill they can apply into daily life.