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The Mole Diaries: Raon L'Etape, Lorraine
Tuesday, 29 March 2011Emily is a third year student of French and TESOL, currently working as an English Language Assistant in two primary schools in the Lorraine region of France. Although the ‘Académie Nancy-Metz’ was not her first choice, she is having a great time and would definitely recommend taking a year abroad in this region. Read on to find out more...Published in French-speaking -
Languages and dialects in France
Sunday, 13 June 2010More than 130 million people speak French as their native language, and most of those are based in France. When travelling (and living) in France, you should also bear in mind that it is rich in minority languages and dialects as well. During the French Revolution, the French language was favoured over the different regional languages. The revolutionaries thought that the monarchists preferred regional languages because they “kept the masses uninformed”. Regional languages started to be referred to as patois, a derogative term in its beginnings. Sometimes patois refers to non-Parisian French as well as regional languages. An example of standard, Parisian French is spoken by TV news anchors.Published in France -
Working in France
Wednesday, 12 May 2010Fast Facts
Surface area: 547,030 km²
Unemployment rate: 9.1% (Dec '09)66% of the country's trade is within Europe
Minimum wage: €1,056.24 per monthPublished in Work in France -
(Don't) Mind the Gap
Monday, 15 February 2010Gap, France – quiet, charming, welcoming, pretty, small
It was a fairly quiet town but it did have a theatre, three cinemas and a few bars. There weren't many young people, but I was still able to meet lots of locals and had a great time in the process. There were 8 other assistants, so we got the chance to organise many things together. I also lived with a family which was a great experience as it meant I was never lonely, always meeting different people, going to places with them and doing new things. I made the most of the opportunities I had to travel. I went on a two week tour of France, visiting six major cities. I also went to the main towns of my region over the weekends.Published in French-speaking -
Little La Mure
Monday, 15 February 2010La Mure, France - small, quiet, mountains, snow, pretty
Living in a small place like La Mure, I felt like I'd exhausted the things to do there after 9 months. I thought that integrating and immersing myself into the local community and culture was the hardest challenge of the stay - but by far the most rewarding. After a few weeks, you start to feel at ease with the place. The people are really welcoming and there is a real feeling of a close community and pride over the surrounding area. La Mure is a very small commuter town with very little night life but great access to the 'outdoors'. I was able to travel very easily using Grenoble as a hub. Places I visited included Paris, Geneva, Marseille, and many parts of the Rhône-Alps.
Published in French-speaking
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La France, je t'aime!
Sunday, 18 July 2010It is hard to image my life without French or France in it. My summer in Nice, France and two short stays in Paris only wet my palate and inspired my hunger for a life in France, a life that I would dedicate to perfecting my French and, one day, sharing my passion with others as a teacher and writer.
In six weeks, I will be traveling to Paris where I will spend my year abroad-- a dream come true. I have been anxiously awaiting this chapter of my life where I will further develop my independence, linguistic skills, and appreciation for a different culture and lifestyle. During my year abroad, I will be attending university where I will study French, art & architectural history, and philosophy-- and where better to pursue such studies than Paris!
Published in Travel Journal -
La Cuisine Française: Extortionate but Exquisite
Wednesday, 12 May 2010A few weeks ago, I was teaching a class about the delights (or lack of them) of English cuisine, this then led to a discussion on different types of gastronomy, Chinese, Italian, Thai. To finish the lesson I asked them, 'if I gave you a hundred euros and the choice to go to ANY restaurant in the whole of Paris, what type of cuisine would you choose?' To my surprise, 90% of them said French.
Published in Travel Journal -
France
Wednesday, 12 May 2010Every single year, an estimated 75 million people succumb to the allure of France. With the glimmering romance of Paris, the frenetic frisson of the Alps, the scenic stretches of tranquil pastoral fields, the high life of the sunny South; it comes as no surprise that it is the world's most popular tourist destination.
- Read case studies written by year abroad students in France
- Find out everything you need to know for your year abroad in France
- Insider guides to your year abroad in France: The Mole Diaries
- Student accommodation in France
- Why you need to set up a French bank account: understanding the CAF
- University in France - how it all works
- French Culture Shock
- French Practice Online
- French language learning resources
- Accessing healthcare in France
- Languages and dialects in France
- CNOUS-CROUS: the institutional portal for student life in France
Published in Content -
The dark horse: Charleville-Mezières
Monday, 15 February 2010Charleville-Mezières, France - cold, wet, poor, friendly, attractive
Charleville is quite small with not a lot to do - but the people are lovely though, I had a brilliant time. The locals were very friendly, but there were no clubs or bars to speak of. It was quiet but I think that forced people to band together and groups of friends were very close. As they say "variety is the spice of life". The number of forms that need to be filled in is a joke; a lot is expected of you in this regard.
Published in French-speaking -
Hidden-away Moreuil
Monday, 15 February 2010Moreuil, France - peaceful, beautiful, cultural, lost, cute
Without making an effort, a small village can be a very isolating experience. Moreuil was a beautiful place and the people were very friendly, which helped me settle in. There were lots of clubs and societies and I wasn't far from Amiens. To really enjoy Moreuil, you'd have to be up for living in a small village. I worked a lot and therefore didn't have much time to get involved in town activities, which is important for making friends (although there wasn’t a huge number of young people). With a car, this would be a good place to be. Make sure you know exactly what you will be doing and think seriously about whether or not you will enjoy where you are living – it’s definitely worth visiting beforehand. Also, consider how much French you will be speaking.
Published in French-speaking
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