Language & Culture in Southern France

Many bars have weekly trivia (questions are asked in French and English) and it is a really fun thing to do at night, just grab a group of friends! I chose this program because I wanted to be able to go somewhere where English wasn't as prominent so I could really practice my French skills. I lived in a homestay in the middle of town and it was wonderful!

Montpellier is a great city to immerse yourself in the French culture. Unlike in Paris, if you speak to someone French in French, you will get French back and not English which is great. This is a really young and vibrant community so it was great to come and just hang out with all of the young people here.

I have never been to another country before and France is not what I would have expected. The university is great and the dorms are better than I expected. Montpellier is a great city but some things aren't as nice as I originally thought. I did have some culture shock here, but it only took me about a week to get used to things. I would definitely suggest this program through the University of Minnesota because all the staff is helpful and the IEFE program plans tons of fun activities all week, every week!