Full-immersion French Experience? This is it! Past Review
By A student (Loyola University Chicago) - abroad from 06/18/2018 to 07/28/2018 with
IES Abroad: Arles - IES Abroad in Arles
Professors and administrators encouraged students to push the limits of our comfort zones in terms of language barriers. As a result, I experienced rapid growth in my understanding of French language and culture. We had a couple locals that were our tour guides who showed us around the city, introducing us to their favorites spots to grab a bite, study, attend community events. On Fridays, trips were organized to explore neighboring cities and neighborhoods. I was also in France during their World Cup victory, making the experience even more memorable! I could only do a summer abroad with my schedule, but I definitely would have done a year abroad if I could have.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
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 |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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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: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I highly recommend IES to anyone looking for a trustworthy study abroad program. I went abroad with IES Arles for the summer of 2018 and I had an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. The staff and administrators made themselves very available and accessible in various ways to provide a fun and safe environment. |
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? | Start saving money earlier, ideally when you are 100% committed and accepted to the program. You don't need to save a lot, but every little bit helps and in the long run, you'll have more money to comfortably cover spending money and unexpected costs that might come up while abroad. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
We were strongly encouraged to speak 100% French and 0% English. This was pretty strongly enforced by professors and administrators which resulted in rapid growth in language skills. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 271 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Don't be afraid to speak or make mistakes. Take every opportunity you can to practice the language with native speakers and fellow classmates. |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | One suggestion is to offer more levels of French grammar/language classes. There was a wide range of French levels among my fellow American students. This program only requires the completion of 4 college-level French classes. Therefore, there were some students who had only taken French 101-104 and others who had already taken 300-level French courses. Also, I think the program could have done a better job at communicating ALL costs of the program. Not all of the costs were clearly explained in the pre-departure information and many of us were caught off guard by certain extra costs and that the cost of some things (like food or eating out) was more expensive than initially stated before arriving in France. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
