It is More Than Learning a Language

This program is special for two main reasons. The first is that it allows the participant to choose if they want an English, English/French, or French program. In other words, this program is a self-made experience. You can do almost everything in English or you can choose to almost completely immerse yourself in the culture and language. It depends on the participants' goals in going abroad. There were people my semester who took classes in English, made friends who spoke English, did an internship in English, and then there were people who did the same thing in French. The second reason is because this program requires the participant to live with a host family. This allows the student to be a part of the French culture and feel like a part of the city community. I think the students comes to a better understanding of the culture compared to if they stayed in the dorms with other foreign students. A few other details that make this program stand out is that Toulouse is a student town so there are several other French students and foreign students, and I became friends will several. Further, the support of staff is outstanding. They pour their heart into the program planning activities for students, helping students reach their goals in many ways, and are avaliable at anytime of the day. Then, it was nice to have a small group of Americans to see throughout the semester. In other words, you can immerse yourself in the French culture, but if you need a break to speak English or talk about challenges you are facing, it is nice to have people who speak your native language and are going through the same thing.