Study Abroad

Students may choose to complete this requirement through the Wheaton in Québec program, or study for a semester or year abroad, or they may participate in a summer with approved programs that Wheaton does not offer.

Wheaton in Québec

Wheaton in Québec is an amazing opportunity to spend five weeks living and studying in Québec as a vital part your French language major or minor.

The program is offered by the Department of Modern and Classical Languages of Wheaton College as one of several study abroad opportunities. It's course offerings in language and culture help you grow in your linguistic and intercultural competence. Wheaton in Québec also fulfills the Cultural Understanding requirement for graduation.

Program Overview

Wheaton in Québec is a five-week language and culture program in the French-speaking province of Québec. Students study the Québec culture including its

• history
• cinema
• folklore
• literature and song

Program Leaders: Dr. Alan Savage and Dr. Sheri Abel
Term: Summer
Program Dates: TBD
Estimated Cost: TBD (airfare not included)
Prerequisites: Students must have fulfilled the foreign language competency requirement in French (FREN 201 or the equivalent)
Eligibility: Open to both Wheaton and non-Wheaton undergraduate students
Partner Institution: UQAC (École de langue francaise et de culture québécoise, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi)

Highlights: Homestay with Québécoise families and language and culture study with experienced, dynamic native Francophone teachers.

Course Offerings

Students earn six credit hours toward the French major or minor.

FREN 335: Francophone Civilization and Culture (3)
On-site study of Québec history, culture, art and politics.

FREN 338: Advanced French in a Francophone Country (3)
Advanced grammar and oral/written expression taught by native Francophone speakers in a university setting.

This program fulfills the study abroad requirement for the French major at Wheaton College.

Program Fees
The estimated program fee includes tuition, all administrative fees, orientation materials, housing, 2 meals a day, and all group excursions.
Program fees do not cover the cost of airfare to/from Québec. Students arrange their own flight itinerary so that they may travel independently after the program has ended or return home. Students are responsible for any personal expenses and souvenirs.

Learn More
If you have questions or would like to know more about the Wheaton in Québec program, contact Dr. Alan Savage, Professor of French, or Dr. Sheri Abel, Associate Professor of French, for further information.

How to Apply
To apply, visit GoGlobal, Wheaton College's registration system for off-campus study and international travel, research, and internships.

Student Testimonials 

Angélique Salib '11

"Wheaton in France was one of my best experiences at Wheaton. I got to know many of my classmates on a deeper level in addition to greatly improving my French skills."

Elizabeth Dresser '11

"I loved Wheaton in France so much it's impossible for me to choose [a favorite memory]. It was the best thing I did in college. Some highlights include a boat cruise in the Mediterranean, walking through Paris at night, and hiking a mountain in the Aravis."

Parker Nelson '11

"I most enjoyed the weekend trips that my two Wheaton in France homestay roommates and I took together. We got to spend time in cities in France that our program did not include, and we had so much fun exploring on our own."

Isaac Kawate '15

"Wheaton in France was an altogether awesome experience! My favorite memory is the time my good friend Christian Kim and I went on a hike and explored beaches in Cassis. This is just one of many amazing memories I have; it is hard to choose just one!"

Dan Dresser '12

"I think my favorite part of Wheaton in France took place near the end of our time staying with host families in Annecy. After having spent over a month struggling to improve my French, feeling culture shock, and missing food I had taken for granted, such as Chipotle, I was struggling with feeling motivated to continue studying at the language school, and also just feeling like I was ready to go home. We had a couple days off from classes at the language school we were attending, and a couple of friends and I decided to go on a weekend trip to Rome. Arriving in Italy was a strange experience. Very few people spoke English, and we had quite an adventure trying to get from the airport to the hotel we stayed at (I ended up having to call my dad and have him guide us there using Google). The trip was great, but the amazing thing was what happened afterwards. When we landed in Geneva, I found it oddly comforting to hear French being spoken over the speakers in the airport. The next day, when I was getting on the bus the next morning to go to class, it felt like I was participating in a normal routine, and like I had come home from a trip to another country. A few days later, French tourists started coming to Annecy for summer vacation, and it was funny seeing them peer at maps of the town trying to figure out where to go, while I just walked by having learned where everything was, where the best cafés were, and how to use the buses to get around. I really felt at home, and it took me feeling lost and unable to communicate entirely in Rome for a weekend before I realized how much I had adjusted to French culture and the French language. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that feeling of being completely comfortable navigating daily life in another language and another culture, when just a week or so prior I felt like I was struggling to stay above water. In addition, when we were leaving Annecy, my host mom told me my French had improved a lot, which was also nice to hear, especially since she had told me that it wasn’t that great when I first got there!"

French Majors in Study Abroad Programs

Brian Rowe '12

"I spent a semester abroad in the spring through the University of Minnesota's study abroad program in Montpelier, France. That was by far my favorite semester of my entire time at Wheaton! The south of France is beautiful and the spring is far more temperate than its corollary in the Chicago area. I took courses at the Universite de Montpelier III, part of the Coimbra group. I managed to take most of my courses directly with the university, that is, with students from France instead of taking more of the French for English-speakers courses offered through the program. This meant that I studied literary theory, literature of the subconscious, and film noir with classes of all French students. I highly value this experience because I was required to learn French much more thoroughly than I would have had to in classes designed for English speakers. I joined the university's ultimate frisbee team and also the city's ultimate club team and played in several tournaments in France, including playing in the annual all-Europe tournament. By the end of my 6 months in France I was speaking fluent French with mostly native French speakers and spending much of my time with a core group of French friends, instead of with other Americans in the program."

Emma Stencil '14

"I was able to spend a semester improving my French in Aix-en-Provence and travelling along the Riviera, and then returned to Paris after graduation to be an au pair for a French family for the year. The ability to speak French has opened many doors at home and abroad, and enabled me to meet many interesting people outside of the USA."