Paris

Immersion

The Paris Predeparture Guide prepared by IES provides important information about the program, and you should read it with care. The following supplemental information pertains to Indiana University students only.

IES and IU

IES Abroad is a nonprofit organization that administers 140+ study abroad programs in more than 34 global locations worldwide. More than 250 U.S. colleges and universities, including Indiana University, have formal agreements with IES, and their representatives work with the Institute to set academic policy and approve curricula. Through its office in Chicago, IES administers the Paris Language Immersion program.

IU and IES have made special arrangements for IU to recruit and orient its students for this summer program. You will have a number of classmates and roommates who come individually from other U.S. universities.

Financial Arrangements

You pay all program fees directly to Indiana University. Any questions regarding finances for the program, including financial aid, should be addressed to the Office of Overseas Study at Indiana University. Students from other U.S. universities have different arrangements with IES regarding fees and housing deposits.

Housing Assignments

You will be introduced to your French hosts when you arrive in Paris. Final assignments are not made until that time, so you will not know the name, address, or composition of your French household in advance.

Orientation Day

Orientation Day at the IES office will give you a chance to learn about the academic program, meet the teachers and staff, and begin to get to know others on the program. Orientation Day will be demanding: your ear will be adjusting to French, you may be a little jet-lagged, the French attitude of letting you take responsibility for yourself may feel a little "brisk," and you will not yet have established the friendships that will soon occur. Relax. Everyone else is feeling the same initial uncertainties, but you will soon make friends, get settled in classes and feel more confident about your language skills.

French Teaching Style

Be prepared for a different approach to teaching and learning in France. First, French professors are likely to assume that you know more about European history and culture than you actually do, since students your age in France have a solid background in world history. Before the program begins we encourage you to review the history of Western Europe in general and France in particular, to remind yourself of significant moments and issues over the centuries. (See the list of recommended readings in the IES Predeparture Guide.)

Second, French professors are unlikely to distribute a detailed syllabus of what they plan to cover in class. Nor will they teach from a single textbook, but will depend on various articles and handouts. They will expect you to take detailed notes of their lectures to be used as a "text" to prepare for the final exam. We recommend that you outline the day's notes each evening and review them daily. Your French note-taking skills will improve each day so you should not panic during the first few days. Although your course grade will rely heavily on the final exam, don't put off reading and studying until the last few weeks. You will need to plan a schedule which balances studying with travel and social outings.

Coursework

1. Students who have completed two or three semesters of French are required to take Intermediate Intensive French Language & Culture (6 credits). You will be awarded IU credit for two 3-credit courses: Intermediate Intensive French Language & Culture (FRIT-F 296) and either FRIT-F 200 or FRIT-F 250.

2. Students who have completed four or more semesters of French will take Advanced Grammar & Culture (3 credits), for which you will receive three IU credits in either FRIT-F 315 or FRIT-F 316.

In addition, you will select one area studies course from the options below. Each is shown with its IES title and its equivalent IU course title and number.

3. Very advanced French students, who demonstrate their proficiency on the placement test, may be allowed to take two area studies courses.

CASE GCC = Glocal Civilizations and Cultures for COLL

CASE AH = Arts & Humanities credit for COLL

CASE SH = Social & Historical credit for COLL

IES has its own numbering system for the Paris courses. These are not related in any way to IU course numbers.

General Education Requirement: This program will satisfy the International Experience option of the World Languages & Cultures general education requirements.

IU Credit for Language Courses

The IU credit that you receive for the language course in Paris will be determined by both your IES placement test and the language courses that you have already completed. For administrative reasons, all IU participants will receive course equivalencies from the IU Bloomington course inventory. Students from other IU campuses should work with their home campus foreign language department to have the IUB courses count toward home campus requirements. You will receive credit for the next course in the sequence below, unless you receive prior authorization otherwise.

IUB: F200-F250 (Second-Year French I-II: Language and Culture), F315 (Phonetics and Pronunciation), F316 (Conversational Practice).

Language Placement

You will be assigned to language classes on the basis of an IES placement test. Since IES students come from many different U.S. colleges, each with its own textbooks and class sequence, IES language classes cannot match IU's courses perfectly. Nevertheless, every attempt will be made to place you in a level that challenges you sufficiently and does not repeat previous coursework.

We anticipate that you will, based on the placement examination, be placed into the next highest level of language ("Intermediate" if you have completed 2-3 semesters of language OR "Advanced" if you have completed 4 or more semesters). If you test into a language course at a lower than anticipated level, you will receive elective credit (FRIT-F 296). You may petition IES to be re-assigned to a higher level language course, but the final decision would be at their discretion.

Language Classes

In IES language classes you will find that primary emphasis is placed on speaking, communicating, and vocabulary building, not on grammar exercises.