Summer French Immersion at AUP

Every summer, The American University of Paris open its doors, both to its own students and to external students of all kinds, for two intensive three-week programs aimed at helping people quickly improve their French. Small classes of around 12 students spend four hours a day immersing themselves in French language and culture. They hone their skills, practicing their passé composé and imparfait while gaining valuable insight into how French is used as a living language as they navigate Paris outside of the classroom.

“It’s a very different type of course to more traditional language classes,” says Frédéric Attal, who has been teaching French classes at AUP for over 25 years. “In just a few short weeks, we pack in lots of different activities.” Attal uses songs, films and comic strips to help the language-learning process, and he rarely uses a language other than French in class – though all AUP’s instructors are English–French bilingual. “Plus, on Fridays, we get out of the classroom and explore Paris’s different neighborhoods and even farther afield,” continues Attal. “In this way, we’re using the city as a learning aid.”

Classes often spend time exploring some of Paris’s hidden gems, such as the Grande Mosquée de Paris or the Musée des Arts Forains. Students will also take two weekly walking tours of cities in the Ile-de-France region, to escape the Paris bubble and see more of France. And of course, another perk of French immersion is regular coffee and croissant breaks, which offer students the opportunity for casual conversation alongside delicious viennoiseries. By immediately applying learned vocabulary out in the world, whether buying a baguette or discussing a movie, students reinforce what they learn in class and improve their understanding of what is sometimes perceived as an intimidating language.

Luis Padula attended AUP’s three-week summer program to jumpstart his French skills before starting a degree at the University of Texas. He says that being in the city and having moments outside of class where he interacted with the world in unpredictable ways helped him learn French more quickly. “It is, for me, more interesting than just sitting in the classroom,” he explains. “Language is active. To be out in Paris, using French every day, from buying groceries to negotiating public transport, is a real immersive experience.”

Learn more about our French immersion courses on our website. You can also follow @aupfrenchimmersion on Instagram and read the Immersion newsletter to discover more about our classes and see what students and faculty are producing as part of the course.