Farida’s Yr Overseas in Cannes

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Wanting to step into the footsteps of a school scholar who’s learning overseas in France? We just lately caught up with AIFS Overseas program participant Farida from the College of Cincinnati, who has been spending an educational 12 months on the French Riviera in Cannes. 

Learn on to be taught extra about her research overseas expertise with AIFS Overseas and the affect of being a global Scholar in Cannes. 

Selecting a Examine Overseas Program Vacation spot & Time period 

Deciding when and the place to research or intern overseas could be a problem for lots of scholars and younger professionals (our staff may also help with that!), however regardless of the place you go, you’re in for the journey of a lifetime! 

Farida selected Cannes as a result of it’s an awesome vacation spot for her to enhance her French proficiency and find out about French tradition. In truth, she’s so devoted to learning overseas in France that she is doing a fall and spring semester back-to-back.

There are various scholarship and grant alternatives accessible to college students who need to research overseas however are in want of economic help, like Farida who was awarded the Sir Cyril Taylor Legacy Scholarship. 

Language Studying 

Whereas it’s not a requirement to take international language courses to review overseas, some folks, like Farida, need to use the research overseas expertise as a possibility to be taught a brand new language or enhance their present international language abilities.  

For our French Language and Tradition program in Cannes, there are three intensive French programs accessible for elementary, intermediate, and higher intermediate ranges, along with different programs in artwork, economics, political research, movie research, sociology, and theater research. 

Since starting her research overseas program in Cannes, Farida has discovered her French communication abilities enhance considerably. She likes how her class is concentrated on talking—permitting her and her classmates to debate their every day lives, their targets, and cultures from all over the world whereas bettering their oral French. 

“Every morning I attend a 3-hour French class with two different AIFS college students of an identical degree. We regularly have college students come and go for per week or two from everywhere in the world. The category is essentially oral primarily based and we’ve gotten comfy with having conversations in French about how we spend our days, our future targets and aspirations and the variations between French and different cultures. This was an enormous change from the grammar heavy courses I used to be used to. After we are engaged on grammar, we regularly learn by and do workout routines as a category in order to select weak factors as they come up.” 

Farida’s research overseas expertise has additionally taught her some native French phrases that you could be not encounter in your conventional American classroom: 

“I’ve heard this expression [‘zut alors’] used rather a lot each within the classroom and by French folks outdoors the classroom. I’d say the closest English translation for ‘zut’ could be ‘shoot.’ A non-vulgar exclamation to specific disappointment. In school if we get one thing mistaken or if there’s a large number up within the photocopies we’ll typically hear our trainer say ‘zut, alors’ and the expression is infectious. We discover ourselves utilizing it with out pondering. Les vrais français!” 

Farida explains one among her favourite components of French class is the open-ended discussions she engages in along with her trainer and classmates: 

“When now we have class discussions our trainer will ask ‘que pensez-vous?’ that means ‘what do you suppose?’ Whereas partly requested to get us to apply talking in French, this query invitations everybody to share their opinions and begin an attention-grabbing dialog. We speak about all types of issues from the that means of friendship to what we prefer to eat for breakfast and it’s at all times attention-grabbing, particularly when now we have visiting college students from different components of the world.” 

Most multilingual folks agree that one of the simplest ways to be taught a language is to be open to creating errors. Right here, Farida explains the open-minded and accepting perspective of her classroom in relation to studying French: 

“In our classroom errors are widespread, however our trainer reminds us ‘c’est pas grave’ or ‘it’s not severe’… The one method to be taught a language is thru making errors, loads of errors. After we get pissed off with ourselves for repeating the identical errors again and again now we have our trainer to reassure us ‘c’est pas grave’.” 

Journey Reservations 

It’s regular to have some reservations and considerations about learning overseas—questioning should you’ll make pals, have enjoyable, be secure, or in Farida’s case, have the ability to sustain at school. Nonetheless, it’s necessary to remember that any challenges you face will enable you develop as an individual. Plus, the AIFS Overseas staff will at all times be accessible that can assist you, 24/7! Hear Farida clarify her personal reservations about learning overseas in France: 

“I used to be initially nervous about learning in France due to all I had heard about strict French lecturers and tutorial rigor however after being right here for 2 months, I can say that this has been removed from my expertise. The category is relaxed and at all times supportive and I’m extra assured in my French dialog abilities than ever earlier than.” 

Making Mates Overseas 

School is usually the primary time many college students are out on their very own. This newfound independence could make some college students hesitant about becoming a member of a research overseas program alone or trigger them to carry off making use of till a pal is on the market to go together with them. 

We suggest that you just research overseas when it’s handy for you. Likelihood is you’ll forge new friendships as soon as overseas, like Farida did in Cannes. Do not forget that your friends learning overseas can be in the identical place as you—so that they’ll be simply as desirous to make pals! 

Excursions & Day Journeys 

One of many advantages of learning overseas is the power to discover a international nation—doing so will enable you broaden your cultural and historic horizons—keep in mind, you’re not there solely to take courses.  

Probably the greatest methods to get on the market and discover is to participate in excursions and day journeys. Many AIFS research overseas applications supply day journeys and excursions which can be included in this system price. Our research overseas program in Cannes will take you to close by places and deepen your social, historic, and cultural understanding of France. Earlier excursions have included a day journey to Antibes to discover the Picasso Museum and a go to to the medieval city of Grasse, the fragrance capital of the world. 

Tradition Shock 

While you first arrive at your research overseas program vacation spot and begin to transition into your life abroad, odds are you might expertise a little bit of tradition shock. Tradition shock is completely different for each scholar—folks expertise it in numerous levels and as a result of a lot of various factors. Whereas Farida was initially nervous about learning in France, she’s settled in properly. One among her favourite issues to do at school is evaluate the variations between cultures all over the world: 

“Due to the vary of backgrounds in our class, we regularly evaluate cultural norms between French and our personal cultures. When explaining a French expression or cultural norm, our trainer will ask ‘et chez toi?’ which straight interprets to ‘and your house?’ or extra loosely ‘and your nation?’ This creates an attention-grabbing dialogue and typically pleasant debate concerning the methods of dwelling in numerous international locations throughout Europe and the world.” 

In Farida’s case, tradition shock was extra of a constructive studying expertise than a damaging one! 

Ultimate Ideas 

As Farida continues to embrace her journey and equipment up for one more semester in Cannes this spring, she leaves us with some closing ideas: 

“Attending to be taught French on the French Riviera has been an enriching expertise that I wouldn’t commerce for something. After being in Cannes for nearly two months now I’ve felt an enormous enchancment in my French communication abilities and in my confidence. I owe this enchancment to my great trainer and to a brand new model of studying which I had but to expertise in earlier language courses.” 

Are you a scholar who’s able to take the leap and research overseas like Farida did in Cannes? We’d love that can assist you begin your journey! 

Right here at AIFS Overseas, we all know a factor or two about serving to faculty college students and pre-professionals research and intern overseas. Our applications are extremely inclusive, which takes loads of the stress out of planning. From coordinating your housing to offering issues like cultural and social actions, excursions, complete insurance coverage, 24/7 emergency help, on-site employees, and extra, you’ll take consolation in figuring out you’ll have help all through your total expertise overseas.