Location:

Quebec, Canada

Program Type:

Intensive Language

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Duration:

1-3 months

Language:

French

Program Overview

Program Description:

Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy offers a fully immersive French study abroad program in Québec City, one of North America’s oldest and most magnificent cities, for 10th-12th grade students with at least one year of French stuy. French Academy students will live immersed in Quebecois culture, while enjoying the picturesque city with its cobblestone streets, 17th- and 18th-century architecture, soaring church spires, sidewalk cafes and the iconic Châteaux Frontenac. Students will live and take classes at Laval University, the oldest center of education in Canada and the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French.

The French Academy will include a day excursion to Montréal which is three hours from Québec City by bus. Montréal is a cosmopolitan city and the largest French-speaking city in the world outside of Paris. This excursion will cover many sites of historical and cultural significance. Other local sites of interest in Québec that students will visit during the four-week French Academy include: The Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site: This historic site commemorates the fortress and defense system developed in Québec between 1608 and 1871. Québec City is the only remaining fortified city in North America north of Mexico and this site will give students rich insight into Québec’s colonial and military history. The Parliament Building: The Québec Parliament Building is home to the Assemblée Nationale and Québec’s 125 elected representatives. The Parliament was built between 1877 and 1886 in an architectural style inspired by the expansion of the Louvre in Paris. It was designated as a national historic landmark in 1985. Musée Nationale des Beaux Arts Québec: The first works were acquired and the idea of having a museum for Québec’s art was first explored in 1920. The museum itself is located in the middle of the 108 acre National Battlefields Park also known as the Plains of Abraham. Situated right in the middle of the Québec, the park is a wonderful green ‘oasis’ and the back of the museum overlooks a portion of the part and the St. Lawrence River.

This past summer, 91% of beginning students gained a full language level on the American Council of Teaching of Foreign Language’s proficiency scale. Over the years, we have seen up to 88% of all students across language levels gain at least one full level and roughly 45% of students gain two or more levels.

Setting Description:

The walled city of Québec is located on the St. Lawrence River and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. As the only major city in Canada that offers an 100% French immersion environment, Québec is an ideal location to learn French. The Old Town’s compact size and walkability makes it a safe environment for high school students to accelerate their French reading, writing, speaking and comprehension skills during four weeks of complete linguistic and cultural immersion.