For today's knowledge seekers, understanding the world around us is crucial. Being able to understand other cultures and different people's lifestyles, customs and practices opens up to a deeper understanding of the world and enriches us as individuals. Language is a big part of this. If we can master one or more foreign languages, we have an advantage in broadening our understanding of globally expanding, intercultural relations. This study focuses on the French language, more specifically how students at a Swedish high school have developed it through a language exchange in France. We have seen that the overall experience has enriched them in many ways and provided them with a greater understanding of the world around us, but we wanted to more deeply explore the authentic language learning linked to their motivation. Learning the language by being in the country where the language is spoken all the time - how did this experience feel authentic for the students, and did it increase their motivation to continue developing their French? The results of our study are many, varied and addressed from several theoretical perspectives, of which Leo van Lier’s (1996) ideas on authenticity are prominent.