Penn Summer Abroad
Locales
Penn-in-Compiègne, France
Main | Description | Curriculum
“I found the program to be one of the greatest experiences ever. The family I stayed with truly became my family and it was in their house that I learned to speak the language.”
Penn-in-Compiègne is a total language immersion program open to students who have completed French 140 or the equivalent of two years of college French. The program is co-sponsored by Penn and L’Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC), which maintains strong links with French business and industry. The curriculum not only introduces students to the organization, structure, and culture of the French workplace, but it also provides practical training in the use of the French language as it relates to business and technology.
Courses are held at UTC, where American students interact daily with their French counterparts to polish their French language skills. Both classes are conducted in French; attendance and participation are mandatory. Classes are held twice a day for two to two-and-a-half hours a day, four days a week. The unique experience of an optional two-week internship with a French business is offered, while visits to local companies and excursions to historical sites are integrated into the curriculum. To maximize this distinctive cultural experience, students live with French families, enhancing their linguistic skills and cultural understanding.
A city of approximately 50,000 people, Compiègne is situated within a national forest, just 50 miles northeast of Paris, on the main railroad line to Brussels and Amsterdam.
Penn-in-Compiègne is a small program that cannot exceed 15 students and usually averages about 10. Requests for enrollment are accommodated as they are received. Interested students should submit their application early in order to ensure placement. Internships are competitive, not guaranteed, and placement is based upon careful evaluation of students’ coursework in Compiegne and finding a suitable match with the French host company, etc.