Summer in Tours + Paris

Tours’ 19th century town hall
The famous Place Plumereau in Tours
Private lecture on wine and cheese, followed by a dégustation
Girl feeding goat at farm
Visit to an organic goat cheese farm in the Loire Valley
Goat cheese and wine tasting
Visit to a wine cooperative in the Loire Valley
Students visiting the Château de Chambord
After two weeks in Tours, students arrive in Paris
Bella and Rose cheering for France during the 2016 Euro soccer tournament
Arc de Triomphe at sunset
Arc de Triomphe
Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie
The Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris, where students take classes
Students with program director Amandine Andrade
Day trip to the Palais de Versailles
Inside the beautiful Galerie des Glaces at Versailles
Margaret and Becca getting ready to watch France play during the 2016 Euro tournament
Visit to the Assemblée nationale
Visit to the Ministère des Affaires Etrangères
Meeting the Ministre des Affaires Etrangères, Jean-Marc Ayrault
Students meeting French diplomats
Students attending a daily press briefing at the Ministère des Affaires Etrangères
Students enjoying Paris during their free time
View from the beautiful Pont Alexandre III
Cruise on the Seine on our last night in Paris
Beautiful friendships!
Watching the sunset at the Sacré Cœur
Bastille Day fireworks over the beautiful Iron Lady

This six-week, six-credit program, organized jointly by Georgetown University and the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP), is designed for students with advanced French language knowledge and a keen interest in politics, business, and culture.

The program begins with a two-week “Cultural Integration Workshop” in Tours taught by Program Director Amandine Andrade and Georgetown faculty members. This workshop covers current socio-cultural and linguistic realities in France through the use of authentic French texts and media (magazine and news articles, videos, ads, etc.). In dissecting and discussing these various texts, students gain a deeper understanding of modern French society and are able to more fully adapt to life in France.

Through a unique combination of courses, field trips and discovery activities, students make the most of their first two weeks in France while enjoying the natural beauty and historical richness of the fabled Loire Valley. The city of Tours combines the advantages of small-town size and large-town amenities (shopping, museums, festivals) with Old-World charm: the historic town center, with its 15th- and 16th-century half-timber houses, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After the two-week workshop in Tours, students will leave for Paris and begin a four-week session at the Centre de langue française at the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris (CCIP). The CCIP is a well-known educational institution in the fields of language and business. It is located in the heart of Paris with modern facilities, has a very well-trained staff, and is in close and ongoing contact with both the Paris and European business worlds. Coursework and activities focus on improving language proficiency while also providing specialized content about political institutions and entrepreneurship in France and in the EU. This four-week program combines formal classes and lectures with visits to major political institutions, firms, and cultural sites inside and outside of Paris. In the past, students have visited Versailles, the Assemblée nationale, the Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), and BNP Paribas’ trading floor.

This program is conducted in the spirit of linguistic and cultural immersion. Participants will live with host families in both Tours and Paris.

SFS students who have already completed Advanced French II have the option to take the oral proficiency exam at the end of the program, with excellent chances of success. For more information, click here: SFS Proficiency Exam. 

Students may also take the Test d’Evaluation de Français (TEF) offered by the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris.

Please refer to the following links for more information:

For more information, please contact Professor Boutheina Bridaa or visit the Office of Global Education.