APA Paris: Gap Year - French Language & Cultural Immersion

What is your favorite travel memory?

During my time living and working in the USA, I really enjoyed seeing the vast landscapes throughout the country while traveling by train. As the train rides were rather long, I was able to take advantage of the opportunity to meet and talk thoroughly with American travelers of vast backgrounds which allowed me to have a more well-rounded view of the country.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Since being with APA, I have been able to be a part of a team that has expanded our scope of studying French abroad beyond France and into other French-speaking communities around the world, such as Senegal and Morocco. To help facilitate this growth and be able to partner with local staff members in their respective country has been a dream come true for me as I continue to learn about different cultures and ways of life.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

What I really enjoy is when students who I saw less of during their time with APA return to their host country (whether that be France or Senegal) and share everything that they have done to create an opportunity for them to return long-term. It shows me that students enjoy our program and the introduction it gives them to local culture and language to the extent that they often return for Graduate Studies or work opportunities and integrate with locals as an extension of the experience we provided them.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would enjoy participating in our semester program in Dakar, Senegal as I feel it offers the truest and most concrete academic and social integration. Students are enrolled in one institution that houses studies for management, engineer, and politics in one place alongside local students from Senegal and elsewhere in Africa. This allows our students to see the same students regularly day by day and make friends easier to develop a close relationship with classmates and better understanding of Senegalese culture.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

We are a complete linguistic and cultural immersion program. We do all that we can to make sure students have ample opportunity to only speak French between our programs in France, Morocco, and Senegal.

We do all we can to accompany students in mastering the French language and better understanding the culture of the host country.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I believe that having a coherent educational program that offers the best quality of support to students is absolutely necessary for the success of any company operating in the field of International Education. I truly feel that this is imperative for continued success in this field and it allows for a mutually beneficial exchange between company and client.