Emily Wieder French/Francophone Studies Ph.D. student
Practice Tips:
Going Abroad
Learning another language opens you to new cultures, and visiting those places is the best way to strengthen your skills
ENTERING THE FRANCOPHONIE
To start, check out Campus France, which has visa information and opportunities for studying in France.
Institute for Field Education (IFE) provided me an incredibly enriching experience in Strasbourg, France. The courses prepared me to engage in informed dialogues with my colleagues when I was an intern at the National and University Library of Strasbourg (La Bibliothèque Nationale et Universitiare, la BNU). I highly recommend using IFE for a full-immersion experience. The team is a joy to work with and there are options for studying in France, Belgium, and Spain.
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I traveled to Aix-en-Provence with CISAbroad and had an enriching experience in the French Honors Program at IAU College. The honors program and the homestay were the highlights of my experience. For me, working with IAU was easier than with CISAbroad, but CISAbroad does a great job of getting you situated in the country.
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Projects Abroad features volunteer and study opportunities. I don’t know anyone who has gone through Projects Abroad, so proceed with caution while exploring the website. Some of their Francophone places include Senegal and Madagascar.
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Blogs: a search for “my study abroad in France” will bring up blogs and videos, which shed light on daily life in certain locations more candidly than will reading testimonies on a company website. Here are a few sources, based on Aix, to get you started:
Go Overseas (you can search other cities too)
THOUGHTS FROM WHEN I WAS ABROAD
I spent the fall 2017 semester in Aix-en-Provence (at IAU College) and the spring 2018 semester in Strasbourg (with IFE).
Homestays: both times I lived in a homestay, which significantly advanced my language skills and cultural awareness.
Internships: I also held internships both semesters, first at Aix's municipal library and then at the BNU. If given the opportunity, you will optimize your time abroad by engaging with the locals in these settings. I would not change a thing about my undergraduate year abroad because I was fortunate enough to have immersive experiences.
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Cellphones: Free Mobile offers a 2 euros/month plan that sufficed for me. It consists of two hours of calls, unlimited texts, but no data. With Wi-fi being fairly common, I could access the internet on my phone whenever necessary. Rather than buying a new phone, I bought a SIM card from Free that I inserted into my phone.
I did have trouble leaving the plan despite sending a letter two months in advance of my departure. When Free charged me for two additional months of service (I left France in May and was charged for June and July), I only lost 4 euros (roughly 5.50 USD at the time).
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Other people in my programs used Orange and paid 20 euros per month for data.
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