IES Abroad Nantes

Borrowing the title from a song from the movie "Dirty Dancing" I think this is the most accurate way to describe my semester abroad. It was a incredible semester filled with new friends and lots of new experiences. From living with my French host family, to taking classes all in French, to getting to explore France everything about the IES Nantes program was incredible! I truly enjoyed my time and my French improved immensely. Nantes is an really fun city to live in and perfect for practicing French. The classes offered as well as the places you visit as part of the program really give you a good understanding of the French culture and way of life. Studying abroad in Nantes taught me so much and helped me to expand my world view and grow as a person and I would honestly recommend this program to anyone!

Participating in the IES Abroad Nantes program was the best decision of my life. Not only did my French improve immensely from the intense language immersion focus, but I also made lifelong friendships and connections with the program staff, participants, and my host family. Having a homestay was very important to me, and, as I had hoped for, it made my experience wonderful in just about every way. The staff at the IES Nantes center is amazing and they are willing to help with just about any problem one might have, whether big or small! I enjoyed all my classes through the IES Center, and was able to take a class at the local university, which extended my outlook on the French education system and my own personal experience. I highly recommend this program, especially if someone is looking for a chance to improve his/her French language skills and truly experience an authentic French lifestyle for four months. I wish I could have stayed forever, but I will certainly cherish my time in the beautiful city of Nantes with the best host family a girl could ask for, my whole life. It is my second home, and will always have a special place in my heart.

I was extremely impressed with IES Study in Nantes and my stay there ended up being some of the best five months of my life. The program is very well organized and the staff is professional, enthusiastic, and truly cares about the students. They made it clear that they were there to help us and they were all very approachable. All of the assistants were great-our TA went out of her way to answer our questions and help with our homework assignments and we never had a lack of planned activities. We were provided with everything we needed both physically in the form of our school center and mentally in the form of information and preparation. They offered a nice variety of courses and one had the option of taking courses at the University of Nantes of they were so inclined. Both through my IES courses and my course at the university, I greatly improved my French and learned so much about their education system. The four fieldtrips that were included in the program were also well-organized, fun, and took us to places that we greatly enjoyed and probably would never have gotten to on our own. I personally absolutely loved my homestay. My host family and I got along so well! Not only did they make sure I had everything I needed, but they really cared about me and we enjoyed spending time together. They were very inclusive with me and by the end of the semester we were all so sad that I had to leave! We still keep in contact and plan to for years to come. There was no better way to learn the French language and culture than with my host family! I was lucky to go the semester that I did because I ended up with a wonderful group of peers. We all got along really well and making friends was never an issue! Nantes itself is a lovely city. I loved the fact that it is not tourist-y and so I got a real feel for French life. The city is a nice size, not overwhelming but plenty to explore. I also felt very safe in Nantes and in my host family’s neighborhood. With all of the wonderful experiences I had, I hardly felt homesick at all! I have nothing but positive things to say about my time in Nantes! Overall, my semester abroad through IES Study in Nantes was very educational and a great adventure! I was able to make Nantes my home away from home and hope that future students will have just as successful of a semester!

If you are seeking a study abroad program to help improve your French language skills, IES Nantes is an excellent choice. It is an exceptionally well-organized program (they are very experienced and just celebrated their 50th anniversary!) with support staff who are always there to help. The city is a nice size--a big city but not so big that you encounter English speakers (read: NOT the touristy maze that you find in Paris). I loved my semester and was able to immerse myself in my host culture, but I also had the opportunity to travel extensively outside of France. The Spring semester students generally get two separate week-long breaks in addition to multiple three-day weekends. Take advantage! I would re-enroll in a heartbeat.

IES Abroad Nantes is an amazing program! Specifically, the host families and the program/university classes are two things I will highlight that were a huge part of everyone's day-to-day experiences. The host families are your home base: they really do welcome you in with open arms (which is rather difficult when you think about it, inviting an almost complete stranger into your home!) and want to help you immerse into the French culture. Most nights, I had dinner with my host mom and it was the perfect opportunity for me to speak with her and for me, those dinners were the main reason for the improvement in my French communication skills. The program offers its own classes, but also allows you to take courses at the local universities. I split my course load between the program and the local university: at first, the classes at the local university were difficult, because the professors spoke rather quickly, but I got used to it after a few weeks (as most people did once our French improved) and began to enjoy taking classes that I would not have thought about taking at my home university!

One thing I wish I had done differently was I wish I had talked to more French students at the local university. From my own experiences and what I heard from previous students, it is rather difficult to speak to them, because it is intimidating trying to speak to a native French speaker with his or her friend group who have probably been friends for years. However, once you make a French friend, you become very close and have a bond that you might not have with friends at your home university.

I absolutely loved my time in Nantes. The staff was friendly and helpful, I forged a lasting bond with my host family and made friends I will never forget. The city is so easy to get around in with the public transportation system. It is a charming city, big enough that something was always happening but small enough that I was able to get to know it well in just one semester. It was beautiful, and walkable.

Nantes is a beautiful city and I think it's a great place to study abroad if your goal is to improve your language skills. While people do speak English to you on occasion, I found it to be true far less in Nantes than in other areas of France. Living in a host family is a key part of this program. The opportunity to take classes at the local university with actual French students and professors is possible; however, many choose to take all their classes within the program. While I think their curriculum is very helpful in improving your academic French (reading literature and writing essays/research papers) it's hard to improve your conversational French when the majority of people in the building are other Americans who speak French. Speaking French in the school is a requirement in the building but when you're speaking to people who you share a first language with in another language you can get them to understand your meaning through direct translation. So I felt I made most of my improvement in this area with my host family. A lot of the host families have been hosting students for years so they're very understanding and great. The staff members are always open to helping with any problems or misunderstandings that may arise between the students and host families. Overall, I think the experience was incredible and the friendships I made their will last a lifetime. A couple weeks back in the United States and I already can't wait to visit Nantes again!

When I first started planning my semester in France, I was convinced that I wanted to study abroad in Paris because, well-- it's Paris! Looking back on my experience now, I could not be happier that I chose Nantes instead. I truly believe that I gained so much more from living in a smaller city where English is not commonly spoken than I would have in a more international city like Paris. While I did enjoy a weekend trip to Paris, returning to Nantes felt like coming home.

What really stands out in my mind about the IES Nantes program is the opportunity it presents for complete immersion in the French language. All students are placed in a homestay with a French family, and many of these families have been hosting American students for years. While living with a host family can be a bit uncomfortable in the beginning, the adjustment process is just another part of the experience and is well worth the linguistic and cultural benefits of being part of a French family. The post-dinner conversations I had with my host mother were some of the best learning experiences for me as far as improving my speaking skills and gaining a better understanding of French culture. She even made me a little book filled with my favorite recipes of hers when I left at the end of the semester so I can try to replicate her wonderful cooking!

The IES Nantes center also has a French-only policy. All of the classes are taught in French and students are required to speak French when in the building and on IES excursions. One of the reasons I chose to study in France was that I wanted to really focus on improving my language skills, so this aspect of the Nantes program was wonderful. Unfortunately, not all of the students were so eager to speak exclusively French, so by the end of the program, almost everyone was speaking a lot of English, which was a bit disappointing for me. That being said, there were always opportunities to practice French, whether at the university, with locals, or with a host family.

IES also does an amazing job of creating a sense of community among its students and staff. The directors were so supportive and helpful and because it's a relatively small program, it's easy to get to know the other American students. I met some of the most wonderful people and I truly felt at home in the IES center. I absolutely recommend this program to anyone looking to study in France!