Nice, Antibes, Cannes, Monaco
Grades 8-12, Intermediate to Advanced
French Language
French Language and Conversation
Digital Photography
Looking to get an authentic experience of French culture? Want to meet people who will pick up on your accent américain and simply slow down their French rather than switch into English? Then St-Laurent-du-Var is the town for you! Located off the beaten path of mass tourism just fifteen minutes west of Nice, this southern beach village offers the perfect introduction to French language and culture.
During your month in St-Laurent you will experience l’autentique vie quotidienne of Southern France. By sharing daily meals and plenty of lively conversation with your homestay family, you will get a genuine glimpse into the life of a typical famille laurentine. Weekday classes, daily activities, weekend excursions, day trips, and events are designed to complement your homestay experience in order to help you make the most of the French Rivera’s famous summer lifestyle. Several weekly visits to neighboring Nice allow you to compare your newly-adopted suburban lifestyle to that of a larger city.
“Our 15 year old son attended the Abbey Road St Laurent program last summer and we highly recommend it. He stayed with a French host who was warm and welcoming, and made him feel at home. Every day she provided a home cooked dinner and conversation, which helped him to improve his French. The morning classes were well planned and engaging. Our son especially enjoyed the cultural activities that Carla organized. On top of exploring Nice, they went to Monaco, San Remo and Cannes, discovering many charming places in the area. He had a wonderful time, made fantastic friends, his French improved and made lasting memories. This program offers a great balance between learning French, being immerse in the culture of the country, having a lot of fun, and growing as a person. Again, we highly recommend it!” – Beatriz Cobeta, 30 September 2024.
Optional Travel Extension
Paris
Ah, Paris! The city of lights! Delicious food, fantastic art, amazing architecture, the list goes on and on. A four-day visit to Paris is the perfect way to complete an Abbey Road adventure in France. Our exciting itinerary includes both guided visits to museums and historical sites and time for you to discover the city’s famous neighborhoods. Sure we will show you the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Centre Pompidou, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower, among others, but you will also be free (within our safety guidelines) to enjoy the city’s famous café scene and shopping districts with your good friends in tow. Who knows, you just might even take a dinner cruise on the river Seine! In Paris, we will stay in a 3 star air-conditioned hotel in the city center.
Jumping Back Into the Real World You’ve just had the most incredible experience studying abroad with Abbey Road Programs. You’ve said your goodbyes to your new friends, host family, classmates, and teachers. You have integrated into a new culture and learned more about yourself than you might have imagined. You have dined, explored, danced, hiked, and lived. So now that you've returned home from one of the best high school summer programs in Europe, what do you do now? For many students, coming home can be unexpectedly difficult. ...
Our students come from all over the United States, some of them – from all over the world. The typical group size is between 20 and 40 students, there are usually more girls than boys. The students will have the option of flying on the chaperoned “designated” flight from JFK to the program site (if there is a sufficient number), or flying independently. We will meet all students at the arrival airport and take them to the program residence. We encourage our students to arrive between the hours of 12 noon and 5 pm local time.
Your homestay mothers will make delicious food for you most mornings and evenings. Some of the local favorites include many varieties of seafood and pasta, such as the famous bouillabaisse, the signature specialty of Southern France, or gnocchis niçois, or pissaladière. Some days the group will also go on evening outings to local restaurants or outdoor picnics.
No one will better introduce you to the French culture than your homestay family. Their home, which is typically located a short walk from the center of St. Laurent, will be the focal point of your study abroad experience. Though you will live with your hosts for the duration of the program, you do not spend every afternoon and evening “at home.” The program itinerary balances time with your family and time with the Abbey Road group.
On average, you’ll spend 3-4 evenings per week at home enjoying dinner and activities with your hosts or attending family events; the remaining evenings are spent with St. Laurent and Nice groups.
You will be part of our Abbey Road family, making new friends, learning to be independent and self-reliant, to share responsibilities with your peers, manage your time, and getting ready for college years!
Every student on the program chooses two classes as their academic focus: a major and an elective. The French major class meets every morning Monday to Friday while electives meet three afternoons a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Majors: French Language
Electives and Workshops: French Conversation and Culture, Photography
On this program, students are required to have completed at least one year of French. Students are placed in their French class according to their level, we accept intermediate and advanced speakers. There is a placement test on the first day of class.
In addition, we offer individual tutoring and intensive small group workshops, for those who want to challenge themselves and see a dramatic improvement in their French proficiency. Our language classes are taught in a fun, interactive, experiential way, maximizing intensive language and cultural immersion.
Some of our students’ favorite activities are:
The students will have approximately 2 – 3 hours of free time per day, subject to our safety rules and guidelines. The curfew is at 10:30 – 11:00 pm, subject to change at the program director’s discretion.
In addition to showing you all of the most celebrated and “lesser known” cultural sites in Nice and St. Laurent, the program allows you to explore the most beautiful sites of the French and Italian Riviera.
Some of the students’ favorites include:
Jumping Back Into the Real World You’ve just had the most incredible experience studying abroad with Abbey Road Programs. You’ve said your goodbyes to your new friends, host family, classmates, and teachers. You have integrated into a new culture and learned more about yourself than you might have imagined. You have dined, explored, ...
Of all the various travel adventures I've embarked on, the most enriching experience was Exploring Nice, France with Abbey Road Programs during the summer! The few weeks that I spent there with them were the highlight of my summer. Going in, I was very excited to meet the students, I had heard that they came from not just all around the US, ...
My first trip to France was filled with excitement but it came with its fair share of drama... ...My mom was always the person who planned our trips and organized everything that we would do while on vacation. Due to an issue with her passport, she was not allowed to get on the plane with us. My Dad and I found this out roughly 15 minutes ...
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