French Language, Music, and Winter Sports in Canada!

  Canada

• Quebec: 
Chicoutimi

Term: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter 
Dates: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

Description: L'ecole de Langue Française et de Culture Quebecoise (ELF)

Chicoutimi: Chicoutimi is located in the heart of the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean area which is renowned for its spectacular fjords and its interior sea, the Lake St-Jean. Chicoutimi offers museums, restaurants, boutiques, and art galleries along with varied natural attractions. Chicoutimi, with its 70,000 inhabitants, is recognized as a very beautiful city nationwide, both modern and safe. The Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region is the most francophone region in America where almost 300,000 people speak French and live their daily lives in French, everywhere and at all times!

Academics: All programs at the Ecole de Langue Français at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi provide a complete French immersion experience, where students truly "live French." At the start of the program, an oral and written placement test is given to all program participants to ensure that every student enrolls in the class that best matches their French language skills. To ensure that every student obtains the maximum possible benefit from the immersion program, students are expected to speak French at all times on- and off-campus. Making this experience fun and enjoyable for all students inside and outside of the classroom is the school's priority. All programs are complemented by a wide range of social and cultural workshops, guided outdoor recreation, excursions to Quebec City and the beautiful Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region.

Student Life: Students have the choice of living with a French-speaking family or in dormitories during the immersion program. Lodging with a host francophone family is part of the UQAC philosophy. Daily life with a host family allows students to reinforce the learning of the French language achieved in the classroom and from extracurricular activities. French and Snow participants are always placed with a family. If living in a homestay situation, morning and evening meals are shared with the family, while lunch is served at the universities cafeteria. There is a wide range of cultural, social, tourist and sporting activities available in and around Chicoutimi, including theater, folk dance, singing groups, and nature explorations.
Semester Programs at ÉLF

Course Offerings: The semester immersion program offers French language study from introductory to advanced levels. Courses at each level analyze the French language from the perspective of syntax, phonetics, and communicative competence. The program is offered in six-, twelve-week sessions during the year. Students earn 6 credits for the six-week session and 15 credits for the twelve-week session; there are 19 hours of classroom instruction per week.

Program Dates:
Fall 2009
12-week: September 8 - December 4, 2009
6-week(1): September 8 October 16, 2009
6-week(2) : October 26 December 5, 2009

Winter 2010
12-week: January 18 April 16, 2010
6-week(1): January 18 February 27, 2010
6-week(2) : March 8 April 16, 2010

Application Deadline(s):
Fall: July 15
Winter: November 15

Eligibility Requirements:
The minimum age for participation on these programs is 18 years of age.

*Costs:
6-week: $4,500
12-week, Intensive Language: $8,085
12-week, French and Internship: $12,435

Costs Included: Instructional costs abroad, instructional materials, health insurance coverage, fees, and orientation

Costs Not Included: Airfare (approx. $700), personal costs (approx. $150), optional excursion package (approx. $190), Homestay with French-speaking family (approximately $140/week, includes two meals/day)
Summer Programs at ÉLF

Course Offerings: In the summer programs, students earn 3-6 credits, depending on the length of their program. Students enrolled in the three-week program earn 3 credits while students enrolled in the five-week program earn 6 credits.

Program Dates:
French Immersion: Session I
5-week Session: May 10 - June 13
French and Music: May 17 - June 20

French Immersion: Session II
3-week Session: July 5 - July 25
5-week Session: July 5 - August 8

Application Deadline(s):
Session I (5 week): March 15
Session II (3 week): March 15

*Costs:
Session I (5 week): $4,750
Session II (3 week): $3,535
Session II (5 week): $4,750
French and Music: $5,050

Costs Included: Instructional costs abroad, room and board with a French-speaking family, fees, orientation, instructional materials, email access, airport pick-up, health insurance coverage. Students electing to stay in the student residence halls should add an additional $190 to the total program cost.

Costs Not Included: Airfare ($700), personal costs ($150-$375), optional excursion package ($190)

* All costs, fees, and dates are subject to change without notification. *

Highlights: Alumini Feedback:

"I got to go whale watching in the St Lawrence River and hiked all over the place. I also went snow camping. The region was outstandingly beautiful. If you like clear skies, evergreens water and rocks, this is the place for you to go." - Osualdo Ramirez Villafane

"The program was wonderful. All of the faculty and staff at UQAC were wonderful. They really cared about our success and well-being. They took care of us like family." - Bonnie Lynn Smoude

"It was most definitely the most enriching experience I have ever had other than at church. I would recommend it to anyone who wanted to learn French. It was amazing to watch people who couldn't even say 'bon jour' when they arrived improve tremendously. At the end of the program, they were more than able to carry on interesting conversations with any native French speaker." - Cindy-Ann Squires

"Doing this immersion was a wonderful experience for me. I had a great time, made lots of friends, and progressed immensely in the language." - Amanda Zarnowski

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Experience Required: yes

The minimum age for participation on these programs is 18 years of age.

This Program is open to American Participants.

Participants Travel to Canada Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Essay
• Letters of Reference
• Other
• Transcript
• Written Application