- France
- Paris
- Grenoble
About Program
API offers a wonderful opportunity for students to take a gap year in France on a study abroad program and immerse themselves into the French culture and way of life in Grenoble or Paris. Courses are taught in French at all levels, from beginning to superior. Classes are comprised of other foreign and American students.
Whether it’s gastronomic greatness, artistic endeavor or cultural cachet you’re looking for, there’s no doubt that France still sits right at the top of the European heap. France is the country for which the word chic was invented – seductive and aloof, old-fashioned and forward-looking, but always characterized by a certain je ne sais quoi. France is Europe’s most diverse, tasty, and, in many ways, exciting country to explore. It’s a multifaceted cultural fondue. France is nearly as big as Texas, with 60 million people and more than 500 different cheeses!
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Aspire by API is now known simply as API. API (Academic Programs International) has been the parent company of Aspire by API since 2009, and API has sent thousands of students abroad since 1997. Our name has changed, but our mission will remain the same. We still aim to transform lives by providing enriching experiential programs abroad that foster increased self-knowledge, cultural sensitivity and understanding of the global nature of our contemporary world.
Popular Programs
API Gap Year invites recent high school graduates (minimum age of 17) to study abroad in Paris, France in the French Language and Liberal Arts program. Students will take courses at the Institut Catholique de Paris based on their French language ability. Students in this program select a combination of French language and cultural electives, and have the option of taking cultural electives in English.
This intensive language program is available for students at all levels who wish to study abroad in Grenoble. All students complete a comprehensive French language course that focuses on writing, oral expression and pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Students spend three hours a day in class and one hour a day in the language lab. This equates to twenty hours a week, as classes are taught Monday through Friday. Level of French study is based on a placement exam administered upon arrival.
Students who choose to study abroad in Paris with API in the Language and Culture Studies Program select a combination of French language and cultural electives, referred to as French Civilization courses. The number of credits earned for each language course and the cultural electives varies according to the particular session a student selects.
Hi Grady, thank you for your question! No, it is not necessary to have a previous background in French for this program - in fact, we encourage beginners to apply! If you have any further questions, please feel free to email me directly at api-hs@apiabroad.com. Thank you! Sincerely, Jenny Doder