May Term Foreign Language Study Abroad Programs in France

studying abroad with AIFS Abroad helped me grow personally and professionally—I developed confidence, adaptability, and skills that will carry into my career. I’d recommend AIFS Abroad to anyone looking for not just an academic program, but a complete experience that combines education, culture, and personal growth.

I felt so immersed and so comfortable in my scope of exploration, travel and academics so quickly and fondly with the CEA Team at the CEA Paris Center ! With weekly tastings of local cultural foods, beverages and humanities, workshops, community events, there was never a dull moment !

Engineering in Paris is an incredible opportunity for undergraduate students around the world to complete several of their engineering requirements while being able to experience an amazingly rich and diverse culture. Academically CEA CAPA provided great teachers who were passionate about their subjects and understanding of the unique circumstances that students were placed in. They taught the course material well, formed connections with us, and encouraged us to explore and travel while we had this opportunity. The CEA CAPA staff were very helpful as we started to gain our bearings in Paris and organized many activities and excursions to immerse us into the culture. Paris itself is an absolutely beautiful city that has a plethora of options for nightlife, food, drink, shopping, museums, historical sites, and natural beauty. The public transportation system in Paris is very accessible and serves as an easy way to travel around the city, however, I encourage walking as much as possible because it is the only way to truly embrace all of the natural beauty and sites of the city. Furthermore, Paris is a very centrally located city in Europe and allows easy and relatively inexpensive travel opportunities to most other countries in Europe.

I studied with CEA CAPA over the 22-23 school year and had a great time! I love the flexibility of their programs- I was able to get a lot of experience with the French language, and didn't feel that I had any huge advantages or disadvantages compared to those who chose to study in English. They offered great cultural activities and excursions for all interests as well.

I studied abroad with CEA CAPA in the Summer of 2023 in Paris, France. In my 6 weeks spent abroad, I was very pleased with what CEA CAPA had to offer. In terms of housing, the apartment was about what you would expect to receive at any university, and the kitchen was very small, though that was okay because I was able to spend most of my meals out, really getting the full French cuisine experience. The engineering class that I took was difficult, as is any, but the small class size made it easy to collaborate with others and to really delve into the knowledge. The sports & culture class that I took was fun and engaging, and really offered exploration of parts of the city I never would've ventured to on my own. CEA CAPA offered many opportunities to see parts of the city, starting with the initial boat ride along the River Seine, where I had my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, and ending with a ticket to a football match at the Stade du France, where we got to see a very exciting win! These are some things I never would have thought to do, but CEA CAPA made it all possible.

I loved going abroad with AIFS! The campus is so close to downtown and a block away from the beach. We had so many planned activities and excursions that were super fun. Our director was so supportive and helpful with anything we needed during our stay.

Studying abroad with CEA pushed me academically and personally to go outside my comfort zone and grasp every opportunity that came my way. Thanks to the support of the CEA Paris Center staff, I was able to apply for jobs within the city, learn about the best places to hang out (such as some awesome language exchange cafes), and accomplish seeing everything I set out to and then some. The team worked diligently to provide us with enriching cultural experiences, taking us to the opera and a football match, hosting cheese tastings, and leading trips to different parts of the country. I am thankful I experienced all that I did with CEA, because CEA is more than just a company, it is a community. I will always cherish the memories I got to make with the CEA team and my fellow students.

CEA responded to this reviewMarch 24, 2020

Thank you so much for your review, Anna! We are so glad to hear you had a wonderful time with CEA in Paris, and took advantage that all the city has to offer. “CEA is more than just a company, it is a community” is music to our ears. We hope you’ll stop by and say “bonjour” the next time you find yourself in France, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

Living in Paris has given me not only the opportunity to live in my favorite city in the world, providing me with new reasons why I love it each day, but it also gave me the opportunity to get to travel to other incredible cities, that essentially left me even more aware of the reasons why Paris will forever be home to me, and why nothing felt better than the peace that filled my heart each time my budget airline flight hit the tarmac at Orly or Charles de Gaulle airport. During my time in Paris, I was consistently pushed out of my comfort zone, in which I quite literally dove into the world of French language and culture. My ultimate goal during my semester was to improve my French and reach near-fluency level, as well as truly see if I have what it takes to live in a big European city with a national language that was not native to me. Although these were my destinations, the true beauty and life-changing growth I experienced was found on the twisting turns of the Parisian journey. I have made several French and European friends that were perfect for learning about the French culture and improving my French conversational skills, and it doesn't hurt to add that they are some of the richest and beautiful friendships and relationships I have ever encountered, making the "au revoirs" all the more painful, in which we turned them into "à bientôts" instead. While learning about the incredible aspects of French culture such as the rhetorical strategies behind the French's love for arguing, the importance of meals and café culture to the overall well-being and philosophical state of French society, I ended up learning so much about myself. I have learned so much about my dreams and values, and what makes up who I am. And after this life-changing time in Paris, I have realized that I owe so much of who I am becoming to this city. I have learned that no matter how far across the world you may be, if you are with the right people, anywhere can feel like home, and I learned that I could not be more in love with Paris. Nothing will ever compare to the growth, confidence, hunger to learn, and utter joy that this city and Parisians have brought to me.

CEA responded to this reviewJanuary 30, 2020

Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough review, Lauren! “Nothing will ever compare to the growth, confidence, hunger to learn, and utter joy that this city and Parisians have brought to me” is truly music to our ears. Your words echo the same sentiments of so many other CEA Paris alumni, and your detailed review will serve as a guide to future students when researching their own study abroad programs. Be sure to stop by and say hello the next time you’re in France, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

This experience was truly amazing, not only because of the beauty of the area but because of all the wonderful things I learned. I never expected to learn as much French as I did and to learn so much about Frances culture. I think that studying abroad is essential because if helps you understand another culture, but also it helps you look at your own culture more critically. I wish I could do it again and I hope that everyone deciding to study abroad looks at the program AIFS. I would’ve never gotten to see all the amazing places and to do the things I did without being in the program that I was in.

Going to Paris with CEA was one of the best decisions i've ever made! Our campus was right in the middle of the city, surrounded by the best shops, restaurants, and museums. I made incredible friends and memories to last a lifetime. My classes were enjoyable to attend and we went on many field trips to places like the louvre and the opera house. We even took a trip to Belgium at the beginning of the semester. I wouldn't trade my experience with CEA for anything.

CEA responded to this reviewDecember 12, 2019

Thank you for your review, Alexis! We are thrilled to hear you had the “adventure of a lifetime” with CEA. It makes us so happy to hear your kind words about the staff, academics, travels and your internship! Be sure to stop by and say "bonjour” the next time you find yourself in Paris (it sounds like it's time for a trip back soon!), and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

CEA is a wonderful program and I am so glad I was able to go abroad with them. They help you with the entirety of the application process and have guidance for your pre-departure process, making everything a smooth and less stressful process. As for the actual experience, I was always welcomed by the staff and they incorporated a wide range of opportunities to further enhance the Paris experience. The cultural immersion was brought to the program and they also took the students on a wide range of activities in order to gain more cultural insight. The classes were challenging but not overwhelming, and the professors were always willing to help. Overall the staff made the program much more fun, they were organized and overall amazing in aiding my study abroad experience. 10/10 would recommend and I would do it all over again with the same program.

CEA responded to this reviewApril 01, 2019

Melissa, we’re ecstatic to hear you had such a positive experience with us in Paris! Your thoroughly detailed review will help guide future students when choosing their own CEA programs. Thank you for your kind words about our wonderful CEA Paris team, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors! 

I have always dreamed of studying abroad and CEA made this a reality for me. They had the most classes that could transfer back into my degree — I even had the option of choosing the courses that most interested me, which was hard to find through other programs. The communication between staff and students is excellent. Just before orientation my flight to Paris was cancelled, but they were patient and attentive in making sure I still had a smooth transition into my semester in France. My studio apartment was very small (or should I say Parisian) but very comfortable. CEA was quick to respond to any housing issues we had; our washing machine broke and was fixed in a matter of two days. This communication is consistent with the professors as well. Their expectations are clear, the workload is considerate and manageable, and (in my experience) the courses are very gears towards cultural immersion. My art history classes often took place on location in the city, so we could take full advantage of studying away from our home institutions. Excursions were well planned and lots of fun. I also loved that excursions with available spots were always opened up to the remainder of the student body, so I was able to jump on even more trips and workshops. The staff was also a valuable resource for Parisian life — often giving me great food recommendations or travel suggestions — and were genuinely concerned with my learning experience and well being. Finally, I also really valued that my experience was so individual. Studying with CEA forced me out of my comfort zone and onto the streets of a foreign country. I learned a lot and am now headed home with memories I will cherish forever. That being said, if you are looking for a study abroad experience that caters more towards maintaining an American identity or fostering a relationship within the student body, this may not be the program for you.

CEA responded to this reviewDecember 28, 2018

Abby, we are grateful for your thoughtful review and are so glad to hear you had a great experience with CEA in Paris. You share so many of the same sentiments as many of our CEA Paris alumni! We’re proud to have a great team there to work with wonderful students such as yourself. Your review will help guide future students when they’re choosing their own study abroad program. Be sure to stop by and say “bonjour” the next time you find yourself in Paris!

Studying abroad in Cannes is so much fun! The program allows you to be fully immersed in the language and the community. You also get the benefit of living on the beach, and a very short distance from the Alps. The school is small, so it’s easy to meet people.

Every summer my university offers an internship opportunity in Paris, France, and last year was its first time it used CEA to take care of the program's logistics (e.g., housing, health insurance). Unlike the typical study abroad student, my classmates and I did not take any of the classes that CEA offers in Paris. However, I still feel like the staff treated us like any other student. We traveled with our professor and had class with her instead. CEA was very welcoming to us and let us use one of the classrooms and provided us with everything we needed to hold class. They also booked cultural activities for my entire group, including our professor, and accommodated them to our schedule. For one of the museum visits, we were supposed to have a CEA guide accompany us but he did not show up due to personal matters. However, CEA offered to have him give us a walking tour of Paris at another time for no additional cost (and he even brought us macaroons!). My favorite cultural activity was going to Versailles, not just because it is a wonderful place, but also because of our CEA tour guide, Agathe. She was very knowledgeable about the place and tried to engage us in her explanations. She was pretty funny as well. My favorite part about CEA was our housing arrangements. First of all, before departure to Paris, CEA informed my university that my classmates and I would probably be placed in different apartments throughout the city (we were nine students in total), and that there would be no TV in the apartment. However, CEA managed to get us all in two apartments in the same apartment building in one of the wealthiest areas of Paris. My apartment also had a view of the Eiffel Tower, and it did come with a TV. The apartment was nicely decorated and it was equipped with everything we needed to live comfortably, from a vacuum cleaner to a rice cooker! CEA also had extra cooking utensils and even hair straighteners that we could request if we needed them. My classmates and I were all very happy with our housing arrangements, they were excellent! They helped us to bond and we became like a family. Our apartments truly felt like home! My apartment had some problems with the bathroom but CEA sent someone over to fix it the following day after we had reported it. Overall, I feel like CEA truly cares about students having very wonderful experiences abroad. And I can tell that they try their best, because I am sure it is very hard to find an apartment with the view of a famous monument and to house an entire group as close as possible. I do wish, however, that CEA had informed us about cultural activities and events in Paris electronically. They posted at the CEA center a sheet with events going on that week in the city. But because my classmates and I would have class at CEA only once a week we would sometimes forget to take a look at the sheet. I would have also liked to interact more with the CEA staff, but again I did not have as many opportunities because of how little time we spent at the CEA center. It would have been nice to have our contact person in Paris come in to the museum visits with us.

CEA responded to this reviewJune 27, 2018

Gemma, we are pleased you enjoyed your custom internship abroad experience with us. Thank you for your feedback on better ways to communicate local activities. We are always looking to improve our programming and have shared your thoughts with our staff. -CEA

CEA Paris has exposed me to an vast array of challenges through the duration of my semester abroad, but the accompanying insights into culture, sociology, history (especially of art), novel academic environments, and international consciousness/"citizenship" have been utterly incredible and dually vital to personal growth that I have no doubt would be impossible to replicate elsewhere. Academics were less intellectually stimulating than I had hoped them to be, yet the content of the courses was an *excellent* gateway nonetheless into Parisian/French culture. Because CEA is an American-based study-abroad provider whose signature courses transfer through University of New Haven with no French university as a liaison, the syllabi were structured very similarly to those I receive in courses at my home institution. The instruction of the courses, however, did not wholly follow the syllabi, and rubrics for grading were distributed in only 1 of my 5 courses, thus leaving grades often ambiguous. Relative to my prior higher-ed academic experiences, course assignments too were disappointing; in 3 of my 5 courses (the two French language courses being the exceptions), I did not feel that assignments were clearly connected to learning objectives and content from lectures but rather more often created "busy work" that merely fell in the same broad genre/field of study in which each respective course was situated. Still, because I was personally motivated to make my learning experiences meaningful, I exerted myself in these assignments and consequently found value in the work—a simple reinforcement of the maxim "it is what you make of it." I will add that the French courses I took during my studies here—one as an early-start two-week language intensive, the second through the duration of the regular semester—were thoughtfully structured and instructed with much care and patience, both of them *incredibly* helpful to my language acquisition and vital to my survival and exploration here. Now at the semester's end, I am eager to continue independent study of French back home, and I am ecstatic to know that I have reasonable conversational capacity now considering I spoke NO French when I landed in Paris in January. I lived in two forms of housing during my time here, both set up through CEA. During the early-start language intensive program that preceded the main semester, I lived for 2 weeks in a shared studio apartment; by my own tastes/standards, space was very limited and gave me no privacy, which was an especial challenge with my roommate of the time. During the remainder of the semester, however, I lived in a shared apartment that though moderate in size provided ample space for me and my roommate to follow independent meal and sleep schedules, though more often than not we dined together, studied simultaneously, etc. as the space certainly permitted that too. I chose to have a roommate assigned at random, but "random" frankly seems a crude term to apply to something so well aligned—whatever their methods of matching may be, the CEA staff gave me an *excellent* pairing and thus a great new friendship in the process. Culturally, I gained ongoing insights and immersion opportunities through my courses at CEA. I think this was the greatest strength of academics in CEA's Paris Program—the integration of field studies, general out-of-classroom adventures, and French culture learning to encourage a deeper level of immersion in the local culture throughout the semester. Beyond academics too, a series of weekend trips, evening excursions, and in-house workshops supplied almost non-stop opportunities to explore the nuances and histories of Paris/France. This spread of activities was incredibly well-prepared and planned by the CEA staff and aided adaptation immensely. A bit sadly, I did not feel as though I had connection to community in Paris, nor did I find myself building relationships with Parisians through the course of the semester, though this is reflective of French social culture and *not* of CEA's immersion programming. The CEA Paris staff were an immensely helpful and kind team. All my personal experiences with them were highly positive, whether the reason for our interactions was connected to academics, student life, or my own personal life/experiences in the city. I did not have to consult with CEA to address personal health issues during my semester, though while accompanying a classmate on her hospital visit I was taken aback by the lack of communication given by the hospital staff and challenged by the depth of the language barrier in that setting. In comparison to my campus in the States, Paris (unsurprisingly) requires much more concern for one's safety; thankfully, CEA did equip students well at the semester's start with tips and recommendations for their safety. I was a victim of pickpocketing once and a victim of *attempted* robbery on a separate occasion; despite financial losses and emotional impact, my physical safety was, thankfully, not threatened in either instance. Through the excursions built into CEA courses and included as weekend activities of the program, there were many times during which I was able to connect more deeply with my peers as we shared very special exploration and discovery experiences in Paris and beyond. Paris/France are beautiful and *fascinating* places, and the people with whom you experience so many "firsts" here are ones with whom you naturally begin to grow closer. Despite the challenge of connecting with the local French people, the sense of community that I see within the student body here at CEA Paris is quite strong, and for that I am very grateful. Paris itself is a location that I genuinely believe outranks [virtually] all others as a destination for study abroad; as I see it, the simple fact is that few if any other global cities can rival the vastness of its rich history, culture, and modern-day draw. For the ways in which their program has permitted me to access and observe that, CEA has my gratitude without reservations.

CEA responded to this reviewJune 05, 2018

Jared, we are delighted that you had such a memorable study abroad experience in Paris. Thank you for providing a thorough account of your time abroad as well as tips for other students to make the most of their own experience overseas. - CEA

It was an interesting and difficult experience! I spent a lot of time doing homework but I was still able to explore Paris! CEA Paris is a great staff and always there to help. They took us on many excursions in France and around Europe! I met many new friends and learned a lot about French culture.

CEA responded to this reviewJune 05, 2018

Hi, Trent. We’re glad the program provided an adequate balance of academics and engagement with Parisian culture. Thanks for sharing your experience. CEA

I learned a lot about myself while studying abroad. I obtained a deeper understanding of the goals I want to achieve in life, and what is truly important to me. I felt surrounded by great people and had a memorable experience!

CEA responded to this reviewJune 19, 2018

Jess, happy to hear you had a memorable experience studying abroad with us. Thanks for sharing! - CEA

Engineering abroad with engineering is very difficult because different schools have different requirements. CEA offered the courses that go with my degree. My only issue that I had with the program here was how some of the professors presented what we needed to know. This however differs from country to country. I have made friends with people from different states that I never would have meet before. Overall study abroad was great, I just wish some of the classes were presented differently.

CEA responded to this reviewJune 05, 2018

Hi Lauren. Thank you for providing such valuable feedback. We are happy to hear you had a good experience! As you noted, CEA’s course curriculum is aligned with degree requirements. This is done to ensure credits will be accepted by U.S. institutions. - CEA

I did not expect to go abroad during college, but I am happy that I had the opportunity to with CEA. The program really helped me adjust to French culture through a variety of orientation sessions with this goal, and also the Communication and Global Competence class that for me, was invaluable and really helped me assimilate and understand what was going on here in Paris. The courses were challenging but fair and gave me a reasonable amount of work that still allowed me to enjoy my time abroad. Overall I had a fantastic time.

CEA responded to this reviewJune 19, 2018

Nicholas, we are pleased you had a fantastic time studying abroad with us. Thank you for sharing your story. - CEA

I loved living in Paris but i definitely had some problems with CEA. he sta as a whole were very friendly but the academics were not what i expected. I understand that classes need to be taken seriously, but i thin a lot of teachers forgot we were here to travel and experience a new city. I also felt sometimes that he program treated us like children instead of adults. I loved studying abroad in Paris but I o not think i would do i with CEA again. Mostly because i did not come here to study and that is what i had to do, a lot.

CEA responded to this reviewJune 05, 2018

Hello and thanks for sharing! CEA’s programs are academically focused so that students can transfer credits back to their home institution. As with home institutions, it’s important to attend classes regularly to get the most out of the curriculum. While students do have weekends to travel independently, CEA excursions and local activity recommendations help students learn about their host city. - CEA