School Year Abroad - France

France

SYA France is located in Rennes, the capital of Brittany. Founded in 1967, it is SYA's second oldest program. SYA France is open to students who are currently enrolled in at least level II of French. The majority of students take seven credits, including English and math. All but the English and math courses are taught in French.

Students are required to take English, math, French language, French literature, art history, history and French society and culture.

Based on language proficiency tests administered in September and language-study previous records, students are placed in one of two groups for the courses taught in French. Adjustments in the groups are generally made early in the year if appropriate. Math placement is based on prior experience and a placement test. Courses meet for a minimum of four 45-minute periods per week. All courses except for Advanced Algebra with Functions and Precalculus and Advanced Topics in Mathematics are taught at the honors or AP level.

SYA France school trips are scheduled in accordance with the French academic calendar; during French school vacations, students travel all over France.

In October students go to the Loire Valley where they visit Renaissance chateaux and a variety of museums. In February the school goes to Paris to study the city's architectural monuments, museums and galleries. In the spring students spend nine or ten days exploring the south of France. They visit museums and Roman antiquities, meander through charming Provincal cities and villages, hike through the countryside, swim in the Mediterranean and some years explore local rivers by canoe.

One weekend in May is devoted to exploring the coast of Normandy, where students visit the sites of the two great events that have marked the region: the Norman conquest, of 1066, and the Allied invasion (known by the French as the Debarquement), of June 1944. There is plenty of time for relaxation and fun built into the school trips; however, they are carefully conceived to complement the history, civilization and art history courses.

During school vacation days and weekends students may remain with their host families or travel independently if they have made detailed plans and secured proper permission. Because public transportation is convenient and France is relatively small, a weekend trip can take a SYA France student to the famous beaches of Normandy, to museums in Paris or to the banks of the Loire River.