Second Home in Nantes

I absolutely fell in love with Nantes during my four months there, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. The city itself is beautiful and has such great energy, and with a big university, there are lots of young people around. There's also a really small anglophone presence so it's the perfect place for French immersion. If you want to improve your French, this is the program for you! All the classes are in French and my French improved so much, especially through speaking with my host family, which was one of the biggest highlights for me: they were so sweet to me, made me feel welcome right away, and my host mom made such amazing food!

The courses at IES were fun and engaging--I especially loved the art history course I took--and the professors were overall tuned into the level of French students had. The staff at the IES are so sweet, and the center provides a kind of home base for its students.

I also got to take classes at the university, which was challenging but really fun especially because it led to me making French friends. I met so many great people and some of my favorite memories are just exploring and hanging out in centre ville with other IES students. Studying in Nantes was an amazing experience for me and I definitely found a second home there. IES and often the host families provide you with guidance, but at the same time you are independent and free to explore as you wish. I definitely recommend this program to anyone looking to improve their French, meet really nice people and explore a beautiful city.