Learning French to keep the mind active
HELPING older people keep their minds active is one of the aims of French lessons being given to islanders attending the Jubilee Day Centre.
The lessons are being provided free of charge by the Accent Language School, and director Anna Lisa Detassis said it had set out last year to find a local cause to help.
After hearing that learning another language could be of benefit to elderly people by helping to keep their minds active, she approached the Guernsey Voluntary Service.
'We thought it would be a nice thing to offer to the Jubilee Day Centre this opportunity for their guests,' she said.
The 30- to 40-minute weekly sessions take place on Wednesdays and are not all about formal teaching, but often include listening to music, playing games and singing French songs.
Day Centre manager Josie Breton said that while one of the centre's Wednesday clients already spoke fluent French and another spoke Guernsey-French, while others barely know any.
'You're never too old to learn and this is something for them to experience,' she said. 'It's entirely up to people whether they take part, but the majority of them do.'
