From June 20th to August 10th 2019, Dr. Olivier Le Blond, Assistant Professor of French, took 12 student to Quebec City in Canada with the UNG French in Quebec study abroad program. There, students can receive 9 credits or more in the span of six weeks. The first week includes a course on Quebec Culture and Civilization, with various museum visits in addition to formal classroom instruction, and the five remaining weeks are dedicated to intensive French courses taught by Université Laval faculty members who specialize in French as a second language. The program is recruiting again for summer 2020, and interested students can apply through the CGE website.

 

Student Testimony

Below is a testimony from Grant Wheeler, a 2019 participant who participated in several study abroad experiences and the reasons why UNG French in Quebec was his favorite study abroad experience:

At UNG I had partaken in three studies abroad experience; the first being Peru, second Japan, and the third Quebec. All three were extremely fun and had some phenomenal memories. However, despite Peru and Japan being more exotic than Quebec, personally, my study abroad experience in Quebec was hands down my favorite due to communicating in a different language as well as the people I met in the program.

I am a history major with a minor in French and when I went to Peru and Japan, I was unable to use my knowledge of French. While staying in Quebec, I was not only able to use my French but also challenge myself and build up my knowledge of French which I then used to communicate to the Quebecois people. Being able to communicate with someone in a different language gave me a better understanding of the Quebecois people. For instance, what they like to eat or their views on Americans. Most Quebecois people have visited the United States, but most saw New York City or California. Living in the South all my life, I was able to give a different perspective on American culture while communicating in French. Another thing that made this study abroad trip amazing is meeting a lot of people. In the program, there was not only Americans, Canadians, and Quebecois, but also people from all over the world. I talked to people from Portugal, Germany, and Vietnam. After the program, I met so many people and made so many friends which I regularly talk to.

Overall the French Study Abroad Program in Quebec was my favorite study abroad experience. It helped me build my knowledge of French while I was able to apply to the Quebecois people and learn what it means to live in Quebec. Personally, if you’re a French major or minor I highly recommend this program. You will meet a lot of foreign people and hear their stories. The food in Quebec is much similar to what we eat in the States, but there is also local food. My favorite was Poutine, which is French fries covered in gravy and cheese curds, however, there are many different types. Thus, the French Study Abroad program in Quebec will be my favorite study abroad experience due to learning and interacting with the Quebecois in their native language.