AIFS Abroad: Study, Intern, or Study & Intern in France

My semester that i spent in Grenoble, France was the best semester I have had so far. I have never had more fun, met more amazing people, and learned so much academically and personally. From the moment I arrived in France I was comfortable. Our program director Miranda went above and beyond, making sure that everything went smoothly and without unnecessary road bumps.

My host family was amazing. They instantly welcomed me into their family. The food was amazing, every meal was new and different. I still think fondly about wednesday night pasta night. So good. The initial awkwardness of living in someone else's home faded after the first night after playing board games with my host brother. My host family was instrumental in my stay in France. I always new that I had somewhere that I could go home to and people that really cared about me and wanted to help me in whatever way they could. I miss them immensely now being back in the United States and cannot wait until I can go back and visit them. I know that I will be in contact with them for the rest of my life.

I love Grenoble as a city. I come from a small town in northern NH and had never lived in a city and was a little nervous before leaving about living in a city. It was amazing. From the public transport system to the culture and activities, I was never bored. I could get anywhere I wanted on the tram and the bus system and there was a plethora of things to do. There was free museum weekend, a wine tasting festival, movies, cafes, shopping. Literally, anything I could dream about doing I could do it in Grenoble. Not to mention the city's location. Nestled in the Alps, the city is surrounded by mountains. It's gorgeous. I hiked the Bastille multiple times and its beauty never got old. It was one of the first things that I took my mother to do when she visited me.

I really enjoyed my time as a student at University of Grenoble Stendhal. It was really an incredible experience to be taught by professors of a different culture. It is definitely different than the US, professors do not have office hours and are not as readily available to you as much as they are in the US but I learned an amazing amount by merely letting myself experience something new. Learning went outside the classroom, even ordering a crepe at lunch became a lesson. My professor for my language classes was incredible and I still listen to my playlist of classes that I accumulated from him classes. He made learning french fun. He included popular films that were always very french and a tad bit bizarre, classic french songs that we got to sing in language lab, and his personality just made learning that much more fun. I really enjoyed my semester at the University of Grenoble and can say that my french definitely improved by leaps and bounds.

I would most definitely recommend this program to a friend. Anyone who is interested in studying abroad in France should consider AIFS Grenoble because it will be an experience that will change your life in so many ways. You meet people you will never forget and forge relationships that will last a lifetime.

I did experience some difficulties living abroad, but they mostly related to picking up and moving half-way across the world. It was both terrifying and exciting but turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made.

My goal in studying abroad was to really improve my ability with the language. Living and learning in such a beautiful place with a number of people who could only speak French was ideal. Additionally, I ended up taking all of my classes (including non-language classes) in French even though the idea made me nervous at first.

Sandrine, the program coordinator, said that she'd be more than happy to help me with difficulties, advice I took advantage of on several occasions. By the time I came back to the US, I was comfortable speaking casually even though I knew my speaking wasn't perfect.

I'm returning to France this summer and am completely excited! I hope I haven't forgotten too much!

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.