What are the suggestions for phone services for students spending a year in Paris?
They would probably need two types:
1) Phone for local calls : probably a cell service in Paris, take a phone or buy one there?
2) Some method to call home (U.S.) FREQUENTLY ! Maybe several times a day at the beginning. Does anyone have experience with portable Skype Wi_Fi phones? Any other suggestions? The apartment does not have a phone, and using a calling card at a pay phone is out of the question.

Skype is hard to beat, provided you have a network to connect to. Free computer-to-computer calls anywhere (Europe to US and visa versa).

Also, for $39 you can get a year of computer to phone calling.

I don't know anything about Skype wireless phones (they have them?) and you haven't said if you need to have mobile phone capabilities. If you do, Skype may not be for you.

Buy the cellphone there. I did a 2 month stay, and I went to an Orange Mobistore, bought the cheapest phone they had (€89), and that way I didn't have to have an adapter to charge it, if it didn't work, I could go in and they'd take care of the problem, etc. Incoming calls to your cell are free, so my family called me from my US home phone with a plan of 5 cents per minute to France. That was in 2004, before Skype, but I will try Skype or one of the VoIPs when I am in France for a month this summer.

France Telecom has a number of possibilities. I have a deal where calling the U.S. (or 36 other countries) is a local call for me. The FT cell phone company Orange has similar deals. Orange proposes unlimited ADSL internet service, unlimited telephone, and 35 television channels for about 35€ a month.

I'd try a mix Paris-"home" communications via mobile phone on the French end, with home initiating all the calls, and via e-mail from an Internet shop and/or if the student is taking a portable computer.

Your portable-Skype question needs an expert answer. Aside from any hardware required, an Internet connection via mobile phone is likely to be pricey.

That should read "and/or cafe with Wi Fi if the student is bringing a portable computer."

Thanks for the advice, I will try both FT and Orange then.