Collioure

Author: Samantha Glidewell | Majors: Chemical Engineering and French

The French in Perpignan program was the perfect choice for me because as an engineering major there simply is not enough time in my degree plan to devote a whole semester to studying abroad for my French major. This four-week program in the summer was the perfect opportunity for me to have a study abroad experience while solidifying and growing my knowledge of the French language and culture. Being in the summer, this program was a great way for me to knock-out two out of the three remaining French classes I needed to fulfill my French major. Not only was it a great way to continue practicing my French but it also helped me manage my course load during the primary academic year so that I could graduate on-time with two majors. Being in another country for so long also helped me reanalyze my professional goals for after graduation. I was able to learn about different work cultures and the opportunities I have already as a student learning French. After this experience, I will greatly be considering working abroad after graduation.

During this program, we had classes Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, with university-led excursions in the afternoons. We went to about 10 different beaches and a few different museums where we were free to roam around the different cities and see the sights. On occasion, we would have the opportunity to sign up for activities such as wine tasting and cheese tasting as well. This was a great setup because we had a full week of classes that were devoted to different aspects of learning French, and the free time to experience France in the summer and meet locals. We had a different instructor almost every day of the week, however each week it was the same instructor schedule. Each instructor worked with a different sector of French teaching so that every day we had one primary focus and the lessons were not too repetitive. On Mondays and Fridays, we had classic French grammar classes similar to those at the U of A, with the exception that the basis for teaching these lessons was in French rather than English. The other days we had classes dedicated to Phonetics, French music and cinema, and we often worked with current events and world news as well. During this program, each class has their daily lessons, but they also work on one big project to take home at the end of the four weeks. My class wrote a love story set in Paris and made a short film to go with it. On the third week, I was able to go to Paris to gather footage for the short film and experience the city on my own! I planned my trip so I would be in the city for Bastille Day, French Independence Day, where I was able to see how the French celebrate their independence and participate in the celebration as well. In the morning there was a huge military parade that ran through the Champs Elysees, and in the evening, I got to see the most amazing fireworks display in front of the Eiffel Tower. Of course, while I was in Paris, I was also able to see many other sights. I visited the Musée du Louvre, l ’Arc de Triomphe, and La Bourse de Paris (French stock market). Three days in Paris was not nearly enough time to fully embrace such a rich city, but it has only increased my desire to visit again.

I would highly recommend the French in Perpignan program to anyone with a French background looking to study abroad. This was a great learning opportunity for my major and a great way to experience another culture. This is also a great option for those who don’t have the time to devote a whole semester to studying abroad. The U of A did a really great job preparing me for this trip, nothing was thrown at me out of the blue that I was not already expecting. The biggest culture shock I experienced however, was the general lack of air conditioning in Europe.
I flew into and out of Barcelona for this trip, and neither in Spain nor in France was air conditioning very common. Many buildings used windows and fans to cool the areas, but only museums and some stores had functioning AC units. My host family had an AC unit for the house that would only be turned on for especially hot days. Otherwise, we opened windows and turned on our fans! The first thing I will be doing when I get home is sleeping. I made the most out of my trip and am so grateful for all the memories I made during this program, now its time to rest and recover.