Program Description This program of ten students offers a linguistic and cultural immersion in French through interaction with French natives.
Students will improve their oral language skills and their understanding of French culture by participating in many activities and doing unpaid internships in local businesses.
The small-town setting of Barcelonnette provides students with true immersion, as they will become part of the town and interact with locals in ways not possible in a larger city. We have assembled a group of dedicated individuals with whom students will interact on a daily basis and who will invite students to participate in cultural and outdoor activities and even into their homes and everyday lives.
Cultural activities include festivals, excursions to nearby cities (last year we spent three days in Aix-en Provence and one in Nice), visits to historic sites and museums, dinners with French families, as well as exploring the historic ties of Louisiana and the Ubaye Valley. Moreover, every week we will organize outdoor activities such as picnics, hiking, mountain biking, etc., under the supervision of local guides.
Program Dates May 25 - June 26, 2010. The program also includes a pre-departure program at LSU from May 17-21 and a Paris visit from May 25-28.
Location(s) Pre-Departure Program:
Before departure, participants will attend a weeklong class designed to inform them about the cultural and historical links between the Ubaye Valley and Louisiana. This pre-departure class will also allow students to get to know each other, to engage in teamwork, research the internships awaiting them in Barcelonnette, and practice speaking French.
Program Homebase:
The program will take place in Barcelonnette, in the French Alps. While in Barcelonnette, we will also spend two days visiting “Les Gorges du Verdon” and two days in Provence, enjoyingthe scenic villages of Gordes and Beaux de Provence.
Three Day Paris Visit:
The group will enjoy three days in Paris where we will visit Le Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Le jardin du Luxembourg etc.
Courses Offered Six credit hours available
(3h) French 3058 Advanced Conversation – Bernard Dubernet
The level of instruction that you will receive in this course is actually superior to what you would receive on the Baton Rouge campus, since you are essentially “in class” and with your instructor (and local native speakers) 24 hours a day.
(3h) French 4080
(3h) French 4915 Independent Study – Carla Vance (under the supervision of Bernard Dubernet).
You will complete a multimedia project incorporating interviews with local persons of interest and pertaining to the area’s rich cultural and historic heritage. You will also be asked to keep a journal in French.
As seen from this description, the academic objectives of the LSU in the French Alps program offer the students a unique opportunity not only to study abroad but also to complete course requirements in a culturally rich and historic environment.
Pre-requisite: French 2155
If you want real-life French immersion experience that will improve your cultural and linguistic knowledge, join us for LSU in the French Alps 2010!
Expected Program Costs $3,250 plus tuition and airfare. The $3,250 cost includes accommodations in single, double, or triple occupancy rooms, all ground transportation on site and three meals a day from May 29 to June 26.
NOT INCLUDED: airfare, lodging in Paris, travel from Paris to Avignon, and LSU summer tuition.
Faculty Monsieur Bernard Dubernet, Department of French Studies Please contact Bernard Dubernet by phone at 225-578-0445
or by at e-mail bdubernet@lsu.edu.
You may also contact APA by phone at 225-578-6801.
