Studying Abroad in France
Setting aside typical motivations to study abroad in France, such as the prospect of adventure and the desire to experience a different culture and language, it’s (duh!) also important to consider the educational aspect. Depending on which study abroad program you choose to participate in, students are faced with different options for furthering their education in France. The Education Abroad Program affiliated with the University of California provides a well-structured central organization for students to turn to with a wide range of questions and needs while embarking on their life abroad. The program also gives students a head start on studying abroad in France with its Intensive Language Program, basically a month-long French language and culture bootcamp to prepare for the semester or year ahead.
Studying at the Institute d’Etudes Politiques in Lyon, France allowed me to continue to pursue both my International Relations and Communications degrees, although at first I had my doubts as to how long I would last… I distinctly remember my first class there, on Communication Theory. After the first few minutes of lecture, having grasped about a fraction of it, I immediately went into panic mode, asking myself why I couldn’t have chosen to study abroad in England instead. As soon as class ended, I found a fellow EAP-er to commiserate with. Soon after, we were joined by a Taiwanese student who shared our shock at the difficulty of the class. Luckily, one great thing about this program was that we had the option of choosing among a number of classes to fit into our degree programs. (After attending a few other classes, I swiftly vetoed Communication Theory in favor of more basic material).
The first few weeks of school in France were stressful for me, as I struggled with the language barrier while trying to create a schedule that corresponded with my major requirements. Also daunting was the stark difference between French class syllabi versus the clearly outlined guides back home. Most of my French professors simply handed out lenghty lists of books and articles, and it was often up to the students to decide which ones were important enough to study. I couldn’t help but feel intimidated by what looked to be a precarious road ahead. However, as the school year progressed, things began to look up. My French reading, writing, and comprehension gradually improved; in no small part due to the courses and homework. Armed with my enormous Robert Collins French-English dictionary, I waded through tedious readings on international law and the role of journalism in society. By the end of the first semester, I had written at least three papers on these subjects, all in French! I also gave a 20-minute presentation, completely en francais. At the year’s end, my language abilities had even improved enough to help earn me some top grades and praise from my professors, which are notoriously hard to come by in the French education system!
Another potential hurdle in the educational journey abroad in France is befriending classmates. Something I noticed in the small French university I attended was that most students already knew each other and had already formed cliques, making them harder to approach. The freshmen were a bit friendlier, but for obvious reasons were more apt to stick with their French classmates. In addition, the French are generally more reserved and closed-off towards strangers, which some Americans may interpret as coldness. However, I found that most of the local students that I approached were ready and willing to help out, offering up their course notes and answering my many questions. In my case, I also befriended a handful of fellow international students; kids from Mexico, Taiwan, Italy, Austria, Canada, and of course the US. While it was tempting to hide behind my EAP friends, I was also psyched for the chance to meet so many kids from different cultures. Plus, studying International Relations suddenly took on a whole new relevance in a classroom filled with multinational students. Regardless of our national origins, we were bonded by our chosen major, and the fact that through French eyes, we were all les etrangers.
When the school year came to an end in May, I was amazed and grateful for having completed a year at a French university, marvelling at just how far I’d come. Buffered, of course, by out-of-the-classroom immersion, having to complete major requirements in French made all the difference in my language development. Somewhere in between the initial shock of being plunged into that first class in September, to handing in a thoroughly researched 10-pager in May, I had become bi-lingual. Pausing for a moment to reflect on my progress, I began to realize that with determination and a little help, there was no challenge I could’nt overcome.
