Program Description

The fastest way to become fluent in a second language is to live where the language is spoken and where there are few English-speaking tourists.

The French language program at Besançon was established to provide this ideal environment for intermediate-level students of French who want to make a quantum leap in their oral language proficiency. Program participants enroll in the intensive French program at the Centre de linguistique appliquée, which is part of the University of Franche-Comté. Proficiency is developed through classroom work related to French civilization, with an emphasis on the culture of the region, French culture both high and popular, and life in contemporary France and within the European community. Small classes that meet five days a week, combined with host family lodging, provide students with an environment that promotes rapid progress.

Besançon is located two-and-a-half hours southeast of Paris, in the Jura Mountains, near the Swiss border. A city of 125,000, Besançon is near numerous, small medieval towns and castles and also within three hours of a variety of interesting major cities, such as Basel, Lyon, Dijon, and Strasbourg. Students may plan weekend excursions independently or join trips organized by the institute. Students must have completed at least two semesters of elementary French to be accepted into the program. They must also attend a mandatory orientation meeting in April. Each student is tested for placement by the institute faculty upon arrival.