My 20-year-old daughter wants to study abroad in Paris next year. She is looking for a program that offers classes in international relations/political science, but in English, since she is a beginning French speaker. Does anyone have any personal recommendations? Thanks so much!

Hi Weadles,

There are a few. I attended Schiller College in Paris in the 1970s, and I believe they're still in operation. They have campuses all over Europe, and classes are in English.

There's also the American College of Paris (ACP), where a lot of Americans go. I think it's now called the American University of Paris --

Good luck!

s

Thanks so much, swandav2000! My daughter attends a school that only offers programs in Paris to fluent French speakers.

My niece just started a program studying in France (Dijon) for a year. Her course work will be in French and she's attending a 3 or 4 week immersion course (along with many other students from other schools) to get her ready for her studies. She did take French in high school and college but was still only a beginner. After 2 weeks in France she reports that speaking French daily has become a part of her life. She also boards in a private home rather than a dorm so she has to speak French with her host "mom" and the other student (Japanese) who also boards there who doesn't speak English.

She loves meeting students from other countries and talking politics with them (she's a history/women's studies major and loves politics) and has 4 or 5 students from her college to hang with so there was a comfort zone traveling and getting started in France.

I think most students are probably in the same position with the language as your daughter and it appears that the immersion classes are really working. My neice is now throwing in French phrases in her blog and emails where before she left for France she wouldn't even say anything in French. She reports her confidence in the language has increased and laughs at the communication mistakes she makes.

Hope this helps look at the other perspective. I will find out how well she can speak French in a couple of weeks when we meet up in Paris as I will make her do the talking. If you want, I can email her and ask if the couse has really helped prepare her for her studies.

adrienne,

Any info you can give me would be most appreciated! Particularly interested in programs in Paris, as my daughter's minoring in art history. Thanks!

In the 1980's I spent a semester in Vienna with the Institute for European Studies(IES). https://www.iesabroad.org

I just checked their website and they have a program in Paris that is taught in English and teaches Business and International Affairs.

IES was a fantastic program that was very well run. Quite a few of my friends from college spent a semester or year abroad with an IES program.

One place to check out is studyabroad.com, in particular their pages on programs in Paris: http://www.studyabroad.com/programs/academic/paris

Hi Weadles,

I've just emailed my niece and hopefully she will respond tomorrow. I believe she is with the Study Abroad program (asked her to verify this) but she signed up through her college, not independently, so she didn't have a choice in programs.

I've looked at her blog again and she says she is at the Institute de Touraine (in Tours) for the first month and all they do is study French language "non stop." She is in a class of 12 students (assigned according to proficiency). That's a very small class size so there's a lot of attention. She also says that her teachers are "dynamic and interesting."

She also talks about her host "mom" taking her to some wineries and on a picnic. The woman she is living with for the first month sounds very nice.

I'm not sure if she will be studying in Dijon because of her subject or if all the students from her school (who chose to study in France) are in Dijon. Paris would be more exciting but Dijon is only an hour and a half away and students get a substantially reduced rate on the train fare on Saturdays.

If I hear from her early tomorrow I'll post again. She does not have internet access from where she is living so can only email from school when she has time.

Hi Weadles,

I haven't forgotten you. My niece has just moved to Dijon and now has internet access where she is living. She has had 6 years of French in high school and college but says that the kids who have had 2 years are doing just as well in the language.

In addition to the Tours Institute for a month she will also get additional language lessons at the university in Dijon in addition to her normal course work.

She says that living with a family really makes a difference since she is forced to speak French.

She is not with the Study Abroad program but a program from her college (doesn't seem to have a name). It seems that she is loving every minute and is exposed to new things every day.

Even though your daughter's college doesn't offer programs of their own that fit her needs, they should help her find approved programs. You have to make sure the program is approved or she may not get credit. Lots of colleges (maybe even most)offer their programs to students of other colleges. Her school is the best place to start. It's definitely worth it!Good luck.

I want to give a big second to Skiddy's remarks. Your daughter should go to the international education office at her university. They will work with her to find an approved program and to make sure the credits transfer to her home institution. There are a wealth of study abroad and exchange opportunities available to her. Even if her school does not run programs directly they most likely participate in some sort of consortium.

I'll third SKIDDY's remarks about checking with your school, first. My daughter's school (U. Delaware) only offered a French study abroad in Paris, so we went to the U. Maryland to see about their program in Nice. Maryland accepted her for their program, and Delaware eventually agreed to accept the credits from Maryland. However, when she returned, she had to jump through several hoops on her own to get Delaware to agree to their earlier agreement. After that, Delaware closed the door on any study abroad programs except those run by them...no more working with other institutions to figure out credits policies. So, work with your current school, and get it in WRITING if they agree up front to grant equivalent credits for another school's program, otherwise, you'll likely have a real battle on your hands when you get back!