Information for term Summer Intensive French Language
Application deadline, and cost information.
Overview
Click to OpenImmerse yourself in the medieval flavor, idyllic setting, and rich culture of Rennes, the capital of Brittany. Here, you'll have the unique opportunity to experience life as a Breton while polishing your intermediate to advanced French language skills through our committed approach to linguistics. Improve your French while discovering the historical culture and broad heritage of Brittany.
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement
CIEE is requiring all participants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before traveling on programs. Read more ›
Unique Experiences
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Live with a French family
and share daily meals with them.
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Take language classes
that are perfect for your level.
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Volunteer
to help the local community.
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residents in Rennes
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universities
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technology companies
303
Location & Culture
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Your Destination
You’ll be in good company in the old city center of Rennes - 30 percent of the population is students.
By day, explore the charming timber houses, cafés, narrow streets, and stone roads. By night, experience the vibrant nightlife and visit the theater, opera, orchestra, and cinemas. Summer is a particularly lovely time to visit - in July, the "Festival des Tombées de la Nuit," packs the streets with people enjoying meals in outdoor cafes and free entertainment.
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Rennes.
The Culture
EXCURSIONS
Possible destinations for excursions are:
- The Cornouaille region, or the northwestern coast of Brittany or Normandy.
- Mont Saint-Michel, an abbey and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Excursion and exploration of Saint Malo, Brittany’s privateers’ haven and beautiful walled city.
PROJECTS
- Peer-to-peer tutoring. At the Franco-American Institute in Rennes, students can brush up on their language skills by chatting with French conversation partnersPeer-to-peer tutoring. At the Franco-American Institute in Rennes, students can brush up on their language skills by chatting with French conversation partners.
- Volunteering. Students can give back to the host community by helping French children with their English at the Franco-American Institute, and/or keeping elders company in a local retirement home. Students can also help at the Human Kit Fab Lab and advocate for “handicap empowerment”, or work on the rehabilitation of shared community gardens.
Daily Life
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HOUSING
All housing is within a 15-40-minute commute to CIEE.
Homestays: Live with a French family, in Rennes or a close suburb, and immerse yourself in the language and culture. Student has an individual room.
Studio apartments: Students can live in a studio apartment in a residence, with or without another CIEE students, equipped with private kitchenette and bathroom.
Housing is tight in Rennes. If we can’t accommodate your first housing choice, we’ll let you know before you arrive. -
MEALS
Homestays: Students typically have weekday breakfasts and dinners, and all weekend meals (included in the program fee) with their host family. On weekdays, students are responsible for their lunch, which may be purchased at local cafés, boulangeries, crêperies, or mini-markets downtown Rennes.
Studio apartments: Students living in a studio apartment are responsible for budgeting and preparing their own meals. Food can be purchased at a nearby supermarket, bakery, or outdoors market.
Rennes, France Where You'll Study
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INSTITUTE LANGUE ET COMMUNICATION OF RENNES
RENNES
Academics
Click to OpenAcademics
The CIEE Summer Intensive French Language program in Rennes is geared toward students with intermediate- to advanced-level French skills who want to make significant gains in French language in a short period of time. Students take three French language courses, focused on language, oral communication, and reading and writing. All CIEE courses are taught by professors who specialize in second-language teaching methodology at a private institute conveniently located in the city’s historic center. In-class work is augmented with co-curricular visits to the city’s rich variety of cultural institutions and organizations relevant to the course offering.
Before the start of the program, students must have completed three semesters of college-level French or equivalent, and must take an online preliminary language placement test.
Students agree to speak only French during the program to encourage language and cultural acquisition.
GPA
2.5
Language Prerequisites
3 semesters of college-level French or equivalent.
Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors.
Program Requirements
Three language classes at their level (intermediate or advanced); language placement test will determine the level.
Program Credit
Total credit: 10 U.S. semester/15 quarter credits
Course Credit
- CIEE courses: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 45 contact hours
- Intermediate French Oral Communication and Advanced French Oral Communication courses: 4 U.S. semester/6 quarter credits; 60 contact hours
Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors.
Academic Culture
In general, professors in France are more formal than in the United States, however, they will be accessible and will provide some individual attention to students. French professors put great emphasis on students’ ability to demonstrate logical thinking, produce well-structured arguments (both in writing and in speaking), and conform to a certain extent to French methodology. The courses build upon the knowledge that students have acquired and progressively introduce them to the more advanced nuances and complexities involved in a deeper understanding and use of the French language. This is achieved in part by reinvesting learning processes through structural exercises, games, special projects, and group and sub-group activities using authentic and didactic documents (press articles, excerpts of informational, argumentative and literary documents, theatrical papers, digital sources, radio and television shows, film clips and songs). Throughout their courses, students explore common themes (regional identity of Brittany, French society, and artistic expressions in France) and thus develop a deeper understanding of French history, culture, and society.
Class Format
Classes are typically scheduled from Monday through Friday, and combine lecture and interactive styles. Students spend part of the class in the classroom and part of the class out of the classroom: visiting markets, museums, and places of cultural interest. Professors distribute a detailed syllabus indicating course materials, assignment and exam dates, and expectations. Students should expect daily homework. Attendance is mandatory and absences will impact the final grade.
Grading
Assessment is typically based on homework, essays, tests, oral presentations, out-of-class project reports, participation, and final exams. Students can expect at least two major exams (midterm and final). Teachers notice when students are absent, and this can affect grades. Professors use a French grading scale of 0 to 20. All final grades are converted into U.S. letter grades.
Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors.
Language of Instruction
French
Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors.
Courses
Click to OpenCourse Information
Summer 2022 CIEE Courses
Click to OpenNote: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be canceled due to insufficient enrollment.
"(GI)" denotes courses that originated at CIEE's Global Institutes and that are offered at multiple CIEE sites.
Scholarships
Click to OpenScholarships & Grants
CIEE offers scholarships and grants annually to help students like you make your study abroad dream a reality.
Students who apply to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:
- Ping Scholarships for Academic Excellence
- Global Access Initiative (GAIN) Grants
- CIEE Gilman Go Global Grant
- CIEE Stem Scholarship
To be considered, submit the CIEE Scholarships & Grants application within your CIEE program application. Learn more at the Scholarships & Grants section of our website.
See more scholarship infoDates & Fees
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You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE, because our high-quality programs include everything from excursions to insurance. There are no hidden charges and no disappointing surprises when you arrive.
What's Included
Click to OpenWhat's Included
Our Staff
Click to OpenOur Staff
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Daniel Audaz
Director
Daniel Audaz has been the Director of the CIEE program in Rennes since 2008. He is responsible for all aspects of program delivery. He is originally from Marseille and studied at the University of Aix-en-Provence (France) where he obtained his M.A. in Geography and then specialized in FLE/S (Français Langue Etrangère et Seconde). He then moved to the U.S. to complete his Ph.D. coursework in Second Language Acquisition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Get Started
Here's what you need to do to take the next steps:-
1
START AN APPLICATION
Apply Now
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CONNECT WITH YOUR CAMPUS STUDY ABROAD OFFICE
Share your plans and confirm you're on track to meet all required steps to go abroad. -
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Contact Us
Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about applying to this program.