Posted By: Career Enrichment Network
The department of French and Francophone at Penn State offers a variety of resources when it comes to studying the French language and culture abroad. One faculty led program that the department has been running for many years is the French Language Studies program in Besançon, France. Eligible students must have already completed 2-3 semesters of French and have a 2.5 minimum GPA.
Besançon is located two-and-a-half hours southeast of Paris, in the Jura Mountains, near the Swiss border. A city of 120,000, Besançon is near numerous small medieval towns and castles and also within three hours of a variety of interesting major cities, such as Basel, Lyon, Dijon, and Strasbourg. Students may plan weekend excursions independently or join trips organized by the institute. They must have completed at least two semesters of elementary French to be accepted into the program.
The French language program at Besançon was established to provide this ideal environment for intermediate-level students of French who want to make a quantum leap in their oral language proficiency. Program participants enroll in the intensive French program at the Centre de Linguistique Appliquée, which is part of the University of Franche-Comté. Proficiency is developed through classroom work related to French language and civilization, with an emphasis on the culture of the region, French culture both high and popular, and life in contemporary France and within the European community. Small classes that meet five days a week, combined with host family lodging, provide students with an environment that promotes rapid progress.
For more information about this program, please contact Heather McCoy in the College of the Liberal Arts. You may also schedule an appointment with the education abroad adviser for this program.
Applications are open for this Summer 2016 and are due on February 1, 2016. All Liberal Arts students studying abroad are eligible for Enrichment Funding. To learn more, please schedule an appointment via Network Symplicity or email Jackie Smith, Global Experiences Coordinator (jds54@psu.edu)