Since 1977, the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures has been sponsoring its Summer Language Institute in France. The Institute is a dynamic and intensive program in French language and culture offering full immersion on location at the Château de Pocé-sur-Cisse in the Loire Valley, and in other areas of France. The program is designed to accelerate the language acquisition process of both beginning and intermediate students of French and to introduce them to life in France, a modern European power whose unique history and traditions have been part of the American student's cultural explorations for generations.

The Institute is intended to meet the needs of students from all areas of the university, including those who plan to study business, social sciences, and the humanities. The experiences afforded by the program allow students who wish later to return to France for more advanced study (for example, on Washington University's programs in Paris, Toulouse [humanities], Nice [pre-med--summer], or those who wish to study in another French-speaking country, to achieve prerequisite skills rapidly. It is also intended for students at beginning and intermediate levels of the language who wish to attain a functional proficiency in the language and first-hand experience with French culture but whose major requirements do not permit them to be absent from campus for a full academic semester or year (including particularly students from pre-professional and natural science disciplines).

Course of Study

Classes at the Institute will be taught by Prof. Lynne Breakstone, who has been the Summer Institute director for the past four years and additional Washington University Staff.

The French Institute offers 6 Washington University credits with course options at two different levels, depending on the student's preparation.

Beginning students, who have completed FR101-102 (French Levels 1 and 2), or the equivalent, prior to the summer, will study FR202 (French Level 3) for 3 credits and FR353 (Project Plus) for 3 credits. Intermediate students, who complete FR307 (French Level 4) by the summer, will receive 3 credits for FR385 (Cultural Difference), and 3 credits for FR353.

Note: FR353 and FR385 count toward the French major and minor; FR 202 fulfills prerequisite requirements for the major/minor. Students who complete FR202 at the Institute will be eligible to take FR307 in the fall after they return to St. Louis.

Students accepted for the Institute who take FR101 in the fall will be required to take FR102 in the spring. Students enrolled in FR102 or 105 in the fall will not take French in the spring. Students enrolled in FR201 in the fall will take FR307 in the spring. Students enrolled in FR307 in the fall will take FR308, FR216, or FR311 or FR32X, a topics course, in the spring.

The Château

From mid-May to mid-June, on the grounds of the magnificent Château de Pocé-sur-Cisse, the Institute is situated three kilometers from Amboise, a small historic city south of Paris. Located in France's celebrated Loire Valley, Amboise is home to one of France's most renowned châteaux. The students' own château in Pocé, where they will complete the first four weeks of the program, was built in the latter part of the twelfth century. Today it remains an imposing and elegant residence. Since 1937 the Château de Pocé-sur-Cisse has been celebrated as one of France's historical monuments, and since 1972 its lovely park is officially recognized as a registered landmark. The staff members at the Château and the townspeople of the village of Pocé-sur-Cisse are most welcoming, and their generous attention helps to make our students feel that the Château is their real home in France.

For photos and student's impressions (in French) of life at the château: Château

Program at the Château:

Academic classes at the Institute comprise one dimension of the program. Excursions and study time, as well as free time for study and outings, fill out the remainder of the schedule. French is the official language of the Institute, and students are expected to converse in French both in and outside of class. English can, of course, be used in emergency situations.

Classes

French 202, French 385, and French 353 meet five days, normally from noon on Friday through noon on Tuesday. This schedule allows students on their free days to travel away from the Institute during normal business days and to spend time with their host families as schedules permit on Sunday.

French 353 requires students to do a formal project with a French native on a subject of the individual student's choice. In the past students have dealt with topics such as the production of wine and goat cheese in the Loire Valley, the making of chocolate in a local pâtisserie,  le Clos Lucé de Léonard da Vinci, a dramatic presentation based on the ladies of the château of Chenonceaux, French current political events, etc.

Following weekly conferences with the teaching staff, students present a formal report on their experiences to an audience comprised of other members of the group and the host families in Pocé.

Host Families

The Institute has close ties with several families in Pocé and neighboring towns. During the first week of the program the families are invited to the Château to meet the students. Students assigned to a host family (famille d'accueil) generally are invited for Sunday lunch.These enjoyable and memorable meals are elaborate multi-course events that involve extended time at the table, appealing to the students' culinary and cultural appetites. A student may want to spend some evenings or additional afternoons with his or her host family. The time spent with the families allows the students to make contact with the French in their own homes--an opportunity far more rare in France than in the States--and to see some of the local sites through the eyes of their French hosts.

For some photos of students with their host families, see Familles

Taking advantage of the Institute's geographic location near Paris, students may spend their free days traveling to capitals throughout Europe, but they are encouraged , for reasons of language immersion, to restrict travel to French destinations. Students generally supplement the group's one-day visit to Paris with additional days devoted to exploring the sites of this exciting and enchanting city. These trips are traditionally among the highlights of the program.

To see pictures of student trips in the past, take a look at Weekends

Cap d'Ail , a small sea-side town on the Mediterranean coast, is located between Monaco and Nice. Students will have free time to explore on their own and will be housed in a youth hostel-like seaside facility.

The total cost, including tuition for six Washington University credits, room and board for the days spent on location at the Institute, local and out-of-town excursions, and organized group cultural activities (visits to museums, châteaux, etc.) is anticipated to be $4,200, barring unforeseen drastic changes in the exchange rate.

This fee does not include plane fare, transportation to and from the château in Pocé; throughout the program, transportation to Cap d'Ail, weekend travel expenses, personal expenses such as passport fee, required medical insurance, laundry, telephone, and costs incurred after the Institute ends on location in Cap d'Ail.

Compared with the normal University tuition, the price of these six university credits is extremely reasonable. The Department hopes that by holding costs down it can make this intensive learning experience abroad accessible to as many students as possible. There are also limited scholarship funds available to qualified students with financial need.

Students are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to and from Paris.

Flights to Paris should be scheduled to arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport (Roissy) on the morning of Wednesday, May 14. Prof. Breakstone and the staff will arrange to meet the students at the SNCF "gare principale-TGV" in Terminal 2 at Roissy at a designated time around 12 noon.

Students travel as a group by train from the airport to Amboise, an exciting first challenge that familiarizes them with the French transportation network and prepares them for their travel experiences throughout the program.

Students should make reservations to spend the night of Wednesday, June 18 in Paris before departing for the States on Thursday, June 19. There is not enough time to travel back to Paris from the Côte d'Azur for a "same day" departure, as flights to the US typically depart from Paris around noon, and passengers are advised to arrive at the airport 2 hours prior to departure.

Students may elect to stay in Europe after the Institute, and may chose to return to the States from a city other than Paris.

Students currently enrolled in the appropriate prerequisite language courses who obtain satisfactory grades are eligible to apply for admission to the program.

While strong grades are an important factor, grades alone do not determine admission. Students need to be able to meet the challenges of adjusting to life in a foreign culture; to develop a sense of community with the other students on the program; to contribute to the group (via skills as a pianist, prior experience traveling, a facility for communicating with different kinds of people, a fascination for art, or the like); to be able to travel independently; and to be open to the people and experiences they encounter abroad.

Students must successfully complete the courses in which they are enrolled for both the fall and spring terms. In addition, attendance at a series of preparatory meetings held during the spring semester is required of all students who will attend the Institute.

$500 (non-refundable) by December 7, 2007

Students need to complete an application and have an interview with Professor Breakstone.
Pick up information packet and application forms from Romance Languages Departmental Office in Ridgley 310.
Completed applications should be left in Prof. Breakstone's mailbox, Ridgley 310, by Friday, November 2, 2007.
If you missed the deadline, please contact Prof. Breakstone immediately. Late applicants will be considered on a space-available basis.

It is particularly important that students wishing to be considered for financial aid return their applications along with a letter specifying the amount of aid sought to Prof. Breakstone by the November 2 deadline, before all funds are awarded.

Students should schedule an interview with Professor Breakstone well in advance of the November 2 deadline.