Middlebury School in France: Paris

I was lucky enough to spend an entire school year abroad with the Middlebury School in France, and I had the time of my life. The Middlebury program is the most academically rigorous than other student abroad programs in Paris. But, if you really want to improve your French dramatically and immerse yourself in French culture, this program is the way to go. I loved my classes at the Middlebury Center, had a great host family experience (they're coming to visit me in NYC this summer!), and I improved my French immensely. Going abroad for an entire year was really such a great experience for me, and I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to have a fun yet fulfilling year abroad.

I chose to go to Paris with the goal of improving my French; I got that and so much more! The host family program was fabulous- living with a French family gave me insights into the culture, and a change to practice a different type of French that what I learned in the classroom. The art and music in Paris is incredible also, and worth taking time to enjoy- there are incredible things to see and enjoy on basically every street. Spending months in the city helped me learn the different cultures of different areas.

There are a lot of study abroad programs in Paris, but if you're going with the intention of linguistic and cultural integration, this is for you. I met a lot of other students studying abroad and Middlebury's was, based on my observations, by far the best. I advanced a great deal in terms of language, and they planned a lot of fun activities to learn more about Paris and France. They do a great job facilitating with the French universities and I always felt comfortable approaching the administrators whenever I had a problem. A really invaluable experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a truly enriching study abroad experience!

I loved my time in Paris with the Middlebury Program. The staff is very supportive and knowledgable and the courses are thorough. Amy Tondu is the absolute best. You have the opportunity to enroll directly in a Parisian university and simultaneously take 1-2 courses with other Middlebury abroad students at the Middlebury center. In my opinion, this is the best of both worlds: support yet immersion into this fabulous city. Although the language pledge is difficult to uphold, it really does make a difference in your language acquisition. Learning a language is partly physical. Your muscles need to be trained to move in ways that you are not used to and so by staying in the pledge you build up these muscles and fluency becomes much easier to attain! I stayed with a host family who I became very close with. When I was sick my host mom even made me special balms and syrups to help me get better. Paris is an incredible and vibrant city, but if you are not ready to live in a bustling metropolitan where you will likely need to commute daily via metro, then it might not be the program for you.