"I was looking to gain internship experience this summer, but I was unsure of what in-person opportunities would be available."

"Naturally, as we ate, we spoke in French so my conversational ability rapidly improved, as did my knowledge of French culture. My host mom told incredible stories. Once she told me about how she fled Paris during World War II. I’ll always carry that with me.” 

“Through my classes and internship experience, my semester in DC taught me to always look beyond the headlines instead of taking them at face value. It really encouraged me to maintain a diverse media diet.”
 

"The program does an amazing job matching students with families for the homestay! My host mom worked in a field similar to the one I would like to go into, and I was able to learn not only the French language, but also about what was happening in France that related to my interests."
 

“Moving to Geneva for six weeks was certainly outside of my comfort zone. I went into the program without knowing anyone else who was doing it. As a result, the Duke in Geneva program helped me become more independent and self-confident."
 

“I am certainly more fluent in reading and hearing French than I was previously, even now that it has been three years since I had any French instruction. Taking the classes at French universities also helped to improve my writing, since the writing style is extremely regimented in philosophy classes there.”
 

“This program confirmed my interest in working on the human rights side of migration. Advocating for and finding solutions to protect economic, social, and cultural rights is what I plan to pursue in my long-term career."
 

"In Aix, I learned that learning a new language is not just about the language ... it is about being grateful to the people that allow you to have the experience of studying in such a rich, immersive program, from your host family to your professors to your university."
 

"Biggest takeaway: the world is mine. In Paris, I became so comfortable with the city by the end of my six weeks there that I could navigate the Paris alone with no trouble. Strangers were surprised when I told them I was American. It was quite the empowering experience and I realized I really loved big cities!" 

By Erin Butrico

Duke in Montréal was the perfect fit for my summer. For starters, I decided a bit late in the game that I wanted to major in French. I thought that I would have to overload to get all of my French courses in, but this program helped to fix that problem. Secondly, I loved the idea of an immersive course. I knew that this course was not just a sit-in-the-classroom-and-take-notes kind of thing, but an interactive, hands-on way of learning. 

By Erin Butrico

I was always the nervous type. I relied on my twin for everything. I used to stand behind her when I was scared. I liked to eat the same food and stick to the same routine. Even though I’m 20 years old now, and I’ve lived without my family for two years at Duke, I was still very nervous when my mom left me for this program. It was the first time that I was living in a city. I had never met these girls before. My French was mediocre. I felt very alone. 

"Aix-en-Provence is the ideal locale for six weeks of immersing yourself in French culture and living with a host family. French is my second foreign language (I’m an English and Spanish double major) and this intensive course has been exactly what I need—the highlight of my experience has been gaining confidence in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing French!"