Classes

The core of the program consists of three-hour long classes, five days a week at the Catholic Institute of Paris.

These classes, taken with other American and European students, focus on enabling the student to function in a Francophone environment with an emphasis on oral comprehension and expression.

Students will be exposed to newspapers, news programs, French as well as a review of basic skills (tenses, sentence structure, etc). The course is worth 4 university credits for a total of 60 hours.

Moreover, MICEFA offers tutoring (2 hours per week) to students who need extra help.

Activities

This includes tours and visits as well as a welcome dinner and farewell dinner in typical French restaurants.

This year we are organizing the following activities:

• Guided tour of the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay
• Opéra Garnier
• Eiffel Tower
• Cooking Class
• Sunset boat tour on the Seine
• Chateau de Versailles
• Performance (concert, musical, theatre…)
• Day trip TBD (in previous years we visited the medieval city of Provins, Monet’s Gardens in Giverney, Castles of the Loire Valley…)

In addition to these tours and visits, English/French language exchanges can also be organized through the Club-International des Jeunes à Paris (CIJP).

(depending on interest and availability)

Myths, Symbols and Iconography – Reading in the Middle Ages and Renaissance (Medieval France): taught in French and English by Professor Di Lauro of the University of Mary Washington. 2 to 3 university credits.

In the Middle Ages and Renaissance the majority of the population was illiterate. Anyone who wanted to reach a broad audience had to use images with a widely recognized significance. Thus the stained glass and sculpture of churches were used consciously to help people who could neither read nor write understand the Bible. In everyday life images rather than text marked the location of an inn, shop, and other places of business. Even beyond the visual arts in oral and written literature, well-known myths and symbols were employed in order to make certain that the intended message was accessible to all. All who lived from the 10th through 16th centuries shared a common iconography which was immediately recognizable: in the Middle Ages traditional images recounted stories; during the Renaissance these images were used as metaphors which led to a secondary, hidden meaning.

We will begin by reading the foundational myths presented in Ovid’s Metamorphoses and the Bible and will then examine how the symbolism of these stories is fundamental in interpreting both the art and literature of the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. With the help of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols you will learn how to recognize the most basic symbolism and how to read texts, cathedrals, and chateaux like an early modern citizen.

(syllabus on request)

Students will be housed at the Cité Internationale in shared dorm rooms. The dormitory has access to a shared kitchen, shared toilet/bath, a large parlor with a piano, library and cable television. A game room and work room are also available as well as washing machines. All rooms have Wi-Fi or Ethernet hook-up.

No exceptions will be made to these housing arrangements. If student wishes to find independent housing, MICEFA will in no way be able to assist the student in this matter.

(www.ciup.fr)

In order to be accepted to our summer program, you must be approved by your study abroad office at one of our North American partner universities (see the list on this website). Academic credit must be approved before the program starts. The MICEFA cannot guarantee that your university will accept the classes you take during this program.

A proficiency in the French language is NOT required. Classes at the Catholic Institute are available for complete beginners up to advanced speakers.

Students will be required to do an online placement test before arriving in Paris (mid-June). If the student does not do the online placement, they will be required to do a written placement test during the July 2nd enrollment at the Catholic Institute of Paris. All students will be required to do an oral interview to confirm their written/online placement level.

The program cost is 2060 € for July 2013. This includes housing, excursion and activities, tuition at the Catholic Institute of Paris and a one-month Paris public transportation pass.

The program cost does not include the class on Medieval France (€200), airfare, optional activities arranged through the CIJP, daily food budget or additional living expenses.

DEADLINES for the July summer program

Application deadline: April 1st, 2013

Housing Fee (560 €) required to reserve housing: May 1st, 2013

Final Payment (1500 €): June 1st, 2013

DATES

Arrival date: Monday, July 1st (this means departure from the US on Saturday, June 30th)

Orientation and Enrollment: Tuesday, July 2nd

Classes Start: Wednesday, July 3rd

Classes End: Friday, July 26th

Check-out Housing: Wednesday, July 31st (9:00 am)