French Immersion Challenge Past Review
By Laura B (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., Providence College) for
France Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
My abroad experience was nothing short of wonderful. It helped me not only to understand many other cultures, but better understand my own. I also thought I was very independent, but I am now so much more independent, and am very comfortable with who I am.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
AUCP prides itself on being an intense french immersion program, which it does very well. It has many programs within the institution which provide numerous opportunities for its students to significantly improve french language and fluency through the interaction with actual french citizens. This was wonderful. However, I felt like the program sometimes tried to impose values or opinions on its students that I did not necessarily agree with. It discouraged its students from travelling around Europe during the semester; while I understand the philosophy behind this policy, I also believe that students needed a break, as the program was very intense and challenging, and the students that did travel, myself included, gained an incredible sense of independence and confidence, and were also able to continue learning beyond the AUCP/Aix "bubble." |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing was arranged by the program, so I didn't have to do anything as far as that was concerned. The city of Aix was generally very safe, and my apartment was no exception. I walked to and from school every day (about a 15-20 minute walk), and also into and out of town at night (same). It was not necessary for me to buy any house-hold items such as sheets, cookware, towels, etc. I was definitely treated as a family member by my host family. |
| * Food: |
Food was great with host families: always wonderful quality, and always more than enough food. Eating in town is good really anywhere you went. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
very safe |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Be careful with your money: be conscious of every purchase you make, and don't let yourself throw money out on small purchases that you don't really need--they add up. Also, make sure you have room in your suitcase to bring back everything you bought! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
All students had to sign a language contract before arriving that stated that they would only speak french while enrolled in the AUCP program. I was not allowed to speak english, and thus spoke french with everyone with whom I came in contact, i.e. my host family and their friends, local french university friends, professors, the people who I worked with at my community service activity, etc. No one spoke english. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Keep an open mind, make things happen for yourself, make your experience what you want it to be, don't wait for someone else to make it for you. This program was wonderful at what it does, but you MUST be very committed to learning french. This program would be great for french majors or anyone looking to become fluent in french. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Advanced Written and Oral Expression |
| Course Department: | French 331 |
| Instructor: | Jean-Michel Cosse |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | This course was incredibly helpful and useful, and advanced my french especially in focusing on the nuances and particulars of the french language. I would recommend this course not only to future AUCP students but to universities to use this course as a model for a course for a major or minor program of study. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
