AIFS Abroad: Study Abroad in France

I went abroad for a semester because I wanted to challenge myself, to become more independent, more wordly, and be able to relate to many different kinds of people. I also wanted to improve my French. My experience provided all of that and more. It's been a year now since I was in Paris, and I miss it every day--I wouldn't give up my time in Paris for anything.

During the week, we had classes every day. You could choose however many classes you wanted to take. Don't let the program staff bully you into taking more than you want to take--the point of being in Paris is NOT to go to school and study your butt off, but to experience the city! I took the required language class (3 hours/day) and one other French Civlization class. Both were good classes but were time consuming. I decided early on that my grades didn't matter that much to me and was much happier after that. The language class is every day, and the other classes are once or twice a week. I lived with one other girl in a French family's house, which was amazing. We had our own bedroom. We would wake up, eat the breakfast provided by the family, catch the metro to school, go to class, then do something fun in the afternoons (museums, parks, etc). Our classes were located in the middle of Paris, right across the river from Notre Dame Cathedral.

The excursions provided by the program are wonderful. They're free, they're guided by experts--why wouldn't you go? They took us to places like Versailles, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Edith Piaf museum.

Wonderful, amazing, life-changing, extraordinarily fun! DO IT!

The AIFS program I did in Grenoble was the best experience I have ever had, no question. In terms of academics, you take a placement test so what you're learning is achievable, but still challenging and helps to improve your french. My family was incredible - so fun and helpful, and were a great when I missed my own family from the US. My program director was so supportive and answered all of our questions. She truly went above and beyond, but at the same time, we have the freedom and independence to explore Grenoble, and learn a lot of things on our own. I couldn't have asked for a better study abroad experience.

I really enjoyed myself with this study abroad program. Every detail is taken care of for you. They literally walk you through every step of what you need to get done before leaving. Miranda, our Resident Director, was wonderful. She went out of her way to plan excursions & treats for us so that she could share the culture with us. She provided support for us each step of the way. She helped us with culture shock when we first arrived, the homesick feeling you get in the middle of the stay, & again, she prepared us for the culture shock we would experience when we returned home. The food is delicious. My host mom catered to my vegetarian diet. Everything is prepared from scratch & "eating out" is not an option with your family! You will love your stay & your language skills will grow immensely.

Not only is the city of Grenoble in a great location if you want to travel to other parts of France, or even other parts of Europe, but the were friendly and helpful. There is so much to do in the city. The social scene includes hip bars, great museums, historic sites, delightful cafés, and let's not forget, it's located in the French Alps, so the winter sports scene is unreal.

AIFS made everything extremely easy for me to adjust. The staff was not only helpful, but would go out of their way because they genuinely cared. There was always someone I could go to if I had questions.

The actual French Language Program I took was through the Université Stendahl. The professors were focused and took interest in my education and also, my personal life. They wanted to make sure we were enjoying our time in the city.

The living situation was by far the best. As I was placed based on my personality and likes, AIFS placed me with a woman whom I still keep in contact with after 2 years and I am planning a trip back to Grenoble to visit her and the city.

Overall, AIFS makes things simple but exciting, you can be independent, but there is always help if you need it. I would recommend AIFS French Language Program in Grenoble to anyone and everyone because it was the time of my life. Living in a foreign country wasn't intimidating at all in Grenoble because everyone involved made it extraordinary!

I was very pleased with my experience with AIFS. The staff over there was extremely supportive and helpful and they worked hard to coordinate great housing and activities. The academics could have been more rigorous with more courses that were actually in French and with French students. Also, there could have been more organized opportunities to interact with French students because almost all of our academic time was spent with American or other international students. The average day consisted of attending language courses that were tailored to the individual's level and these classes were shared with international students. In addition to the language classes, all participants had at least 2 additional classes that were spaced out during the week. I had two classes that met twice a week for 2 hours and one class that met once a week for 3 hours. Two of these courses were extremely informative and offered great opportunities to learn more about and explore Paris. After classes, students were free to visit the AIFS and hang out, explore the city, or go to lunch and dinner together. Though classes were important, the majority of the experience was available for exploration, fun, and a simple enjoyment of and experience with the city.

I experienced the Intensive French program in Grenoble in the Spring 2009. This program changed my perspective on the world as well as enhancing my abilities in the French language. I know for a fact that I would not be as successful now in my field of study if I had not had the experience I had with this program.
I went into my program thinking I would understand everything immediately and become fluent by the time I left. I found out quickly how idealistic and unrealistic my expectations were. I did not understand everything, and it took a lot of work to get to the point where I could understand French fairly well. No, I didn't leave France fluent either. However, my time in Grenoble helped me so much in gaining confidence in my abilities as well as in my understanding of French culture.
The staff of AIFS were vary supportive in helping me throughout my time there. I loved how I could meet with my resident director, and she would help me think through the difficulties or misunderstandings I was having. She was knowledgeable and very supportive because she knew French culture and she knew how best to help American students struggling with culture shock or just trying to understand and speak French. She taught me how to laugh at my mistakes as well as how to view French culture in a different way.
The people of Grenoble were generally very friendly. You have to understand though that it is a different culture, thus, their way of engaging in conversation and making friends is different from that of Americans. However, most of them were delighted that I was trying to speak French and they would even correct me when I made mistakes. For example, I had a cashier at a restaurant correct my pronunciation and vocabulary from time to time. He told me to keep trying though.
The living experience was a great experience! I really loved my host family, and I still keep in touch with them. They fixed good French meals and Madame would tell me about the food and where the recipes originated. They were very sweet to me and a very large part of my experience.
Academically, the program boosted my understanding and abilities in French. A professor at my home university in Texas commented after I returned that he could see a huge difference in my progress from before I went and after I returned. Yes, the classes I took in Grenoble often did seem long and difficult, but it was worth it in the end.
I would highly recommend my program to anyone who is wanting to take some major steps in their abilities in French and in gaining understanding of another culture. This program will also give a student the opportunity to experience French culture in a daily life setting. This setting is the best way to better learn a language and a culture.

One of the best experiences I had in college was studying abroad in Cannes. I went for my spring semester, which was perfect because we were there for the festival. Being a part of the AIFS group was wonderful - I loved that we came from different schools and different parts of the country. We all became friends, and some I became close enough with that I still name them as some of my best friends, and keep in touch with them today. The two AIFS representatives in Cannes with us were like older sisters - helpful, warm, and knowledgeable.

We also had a great time being in the Collège in Cannes - it gave a great opportunity to make friends with international students all over the world - from France to Brazil to Switzerland to Japan. Having mixed classes with different nationalities gave a much better perspective on learning the French language, and the classes were challenging but engaging. Living day-to-day at the Collège was great; I especially enjoyed living right next to the beach, where we would often spend our afternoons in the sun and evenings hanging out with friends, as well as my specific Art History and French Civilization classes. It was my first experience taking French classes that were subject-specific, as opposed to just general language classes, and it was a great way to learn that really interested me.

The trips - to London, Paris, and around Provence - were extremely well organized and I always enjoyed the activities we did, as well as appreciated the free time and choice we were given. It was a nice contrast from a trip I took in high school: although things are planned for you, you are given the freedom to come and go as you like. I usually chose to stay with the group as the things we saw, such as the ampitheatre in Nîmes, a winery in Provence, and a Cabaret in Paris, were always fun and great opportunities. It was perfect that these trips were included in the package and we didn't need to pay extra.

Staying in Cannes also had the benefit of the Film Festival in May, and we had unique opportunities through our program to go to film screenings, walk the red carpet, and help out at a gala event all through AIFS, and for free.

All in all it was a unique, well-organized, exciting experience that I will always cherish.

The AIFS Cannes, France program had everything: challenging courses for every level with great teachers, beautiful and exotic scenery, safe environment for everyone to enjoy themselves, opportunities to gain work or internship experience and travel throughout Europe and even Northern Africa at affordable prices, etc. It was definitely one of the greatest experiences in my life.