I was looking for a way of living in a Francophone city but continue my study of Arabic (my college major). Marseille definitely was the answer, and this inter-cultural relations program with AUCP was amazing.
Not only was it an advanced-level program--which doesn't seem to be as common as those that offer beginning-level classes--but all of the students were very dedicated to benefitting from the experience to the max. Everyone in the program adhered to the language contract; additionally, the program provided language partners (volunteers from the local community interested in the cultural exchange with an American).
I became good friends with my language partner, who brought me to a soiree with her friends my first weekend in France. From that weekend til my last 9 months later, this group of Marseillais became my core social group, which accelerated my language skills exponentially.
The program was well organized and well though out. The courses offered were interesting and taught by French professors. I especially loved the mandatory Arabic class--it was new for all of the other students but I got a class on my own due to my level. During the semester, we took a week-long 'field trip' to Fez, Morocco which was amazing.
I could write about AUCP Marseille for days but it's hard to zero in on all that I loved about this program. In the end, leaving was extremely hard. I went back in July 2014 to visit my friends and a couple of them came to visit me in DC in September. I am already planning my next trip for Summer 2015 and speak with my friends in Marseille about once a month.
What would you improve about this program?
No program is perfect but there's nothing that immediately comes to mind for something AUCP needs to change. Perhaps the only thing I noticed was that the requirements for a full-year student seemed like they still needed a bit of hashing out, as they'd only had a couple of full-year students in Marseille prior to my year.
