Experiencing French culture in Arles, France Past Review
By Carissa P (French and International Relations, University of Arkansas - Fayetteville) for
IES Abroad: Arles Summer – Study in Provence
My experience was definitely worthwhile. I loved bonding with a French family and I now have a special understanding of their culture. The program also forced me to become more adventurous. It gave me more confidence that I could live in France longer-term if I wanted to.
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. |
The educational experience here is just right for a study abroad program. You learn in the classes, but they are not terribly difficult and only give a little homework. We always spoke only in French. In my grammar class, we did worksheets that were kind of lame and had periodic tests. In my immigration class, we just listened to the teacher lecture and discussed. There was no homework or testing except for a final. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program directors great but seemed to assum everyone was ready to be independent in a foreign country, which some people were not. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was wonderful. I felt very welcome by them and spend a lot of time with them. They treated me as a family friend; they asked me to do a lot of things with them and talked to me a lot, but I had space/independence to do what I wanted. They lived within walking-distance of everything in town. I did not need to buy anything special. My only complaint was that the house only had one bathroom for all of us (at least 4 or 5 of us, often with other guests). |
| * Food: |
My family made great meals, and most of the restaurants the school chose were pretty good. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program included several weekend trips to great places like Avignon. They also made sure we knew about all the local events, such as concerts, shows, etc. There are two huge festivals that occur in Arles during the summer- one for international music and one for photography. It's a great cultural opportunity. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I fainted momentarily during orientation, and they made me go to the ER in an ambulance even though I was fine. I appreciated their concern for my health, but it ended up being a huge pain to get the student insurance to pay for the hospital bill. The healthcare was fine, although I had to wait for a couple hours and felt totally normal by the time a doctor saw me. |
| 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? | Food is expensive in France. It can be hard to find a balance between going out for meals to socialize and saving money. I suggest you take advantage of as many meals your family will provide, since they are free and will probably be better than what you buy anyway. Plan to spend money on clothes-shopping; there are lots of fun shops and it is cool to have clothes from France. Also, they have great sales in the summer in France. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Advanced French, French Civ and Lit |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Try to spend lots of time with your host family and speak with them! They are your best resource. Especially if they have children; you can ask to do things with them and talk a lot. Most people speak at least a little English but it's best to stick with French. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I recommend this program to students who have studied abroad before and/or are confident in their French skills and independence in a foreign country. I think this program would be a bit challenging/overwhelming for someone with less than advanced French skills or who is very nervous about going abroad. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Immigration in France |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Martial Geuret |
| Instruction Language: | French |
| Comments: | This class was very interesting and Martial is fantastic. I definitely recommend it. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
