France: Language, Cooking, and Culture

Orientation in Paris

Student chefs in France.

During your three-day orientation in Paris, become an expert at negotiating the Metro, visit the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre, and meander down the Champs Elysées. Practice French as you and your group visit local vendors to buy breads, pastries, fruits, and cheeses for a picnic lunch.

Language, Homestay, and Cooking

Participant group

 

Spend five incredible weeks perfecting your French, sharing daily life with your new host family, and learning the art of French cooking. Following orientation, travel to Les Gorges du Tarn for two weeks of language classes. Deepen your insight into French culture through a variety of outdoor activities, excursions to medieval towns, and hikes to a local castle. After a two-week homestay, spend the final week in cooking classes at a famous cooking institute in Lyon. By summer’s end, you’ll be able to communicate effectively in Frenchߞ and bake your own baguette!

Sample host communities: La Vallée des Baux, La Roque d’Anthéron


 

"I learned that food is a very important part of French culture. Before coming to France, I thought of mealtime as the quick pounding of a drum, but in France it is like the slow strumming of a guitar. With my host family we began with the entrée: either melon or tomatoes in olive oil. then we ate the plat principal of a meat with vegetables. After we’d finished our meal, yogurt, cheeses, or pastries would be served. then we would sit to let our meal digest and continue the rich conversation that made me feel so comfortable in my new home."

ߞErica Ballester, Ridgewood, New York

Code: FRLC (5 Weeks)
Features: Cooking, Language Training
Prerequisites: French (at least 1 year)
Depart/Return: New York