CSW France Blog
Keep up with students in France!
List of 20 news stories.
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Wednesday, February 12th
Bonjour , Je m’appelle Fatoumata(‘26)! I started my day with school(as always) but today we started a bit earlier because the director of the program was offering a class about law in France so some of us took that class. Afterwards, I went to Monoprix which is a grocery store to get my lunch and a little snack. I then headed to musée Fabre for a bit with the other students. We stayed there for a few hours and then we had free time. Stella(‘25), Fia(‘26), and I went to different cafes and did a bit of shopping. We finished around 6 and headed home around 6:30! I took the bus home and had dinner at 8:30 p.m.! -
Wednesday, February 26th
Hey everyone, this is Fia (26')! Today we woke up early(ish) to go to the Pont du Gard to see an ancient roman aqueduct! (One of the best preserved aqueducts in the world!) We then went to a cafe nearby to get drinks and snacks before heading back to Montpellier. After lunch we went to school and had an"Olympics" with the two other abroad groups going to our school where we did a quizlet face-off with french vocabulary. Class ended at 5 today so we went to this flower shop to get bouquets for our host families before being free to do whatever. I went with a couple of friends to a boba shop before heading home to have dinner with my host mom! -
Monday, February 24th
Bonjour! My name is Tess '26. Today in class, we briefly covered the French justice system and then delved deeply into physical descriptions. After class, I grabbed a salad with Fia '26 and Sam '26. We then headed to the courthouse, where our group sat in on multiple hearings. The cases were diverse and quite complex. Afterward, we gathered in the park for some group check-ins. I enjoyed a chai latte with friends at a nearby café, and then we headed home, where I had a delicious home-cooked meal from my host family. Before bed, I finished some homework and spent time with my host mom’s cat, Baba! -
Sunday, February 23rd
Bonjour tout le monde!
My name is Sam ('26) and today was a beautiful and relaxing Sunday in Montpellier. It is also, sadly, our last weekend here. My friends and I talked today about the things we miss most and whether or not we are ready to go back home. Personally I am not. Today I got to sleep in and then took the bus and tram with Tess ('26) to meet our other friends, Adam ('26), Avery ('25), Dana ('25), Laura ('25), and Rafi ('26) for breakfast. Today I got a burger but the Savary Stack of pancakes has been a crowd favorite. After we finished eating we went to Place de Peyrou, which has the famous Arc de Trimophe, as well as other statues, monuments, lots of green space and amazing views. Today there were some vendors so we went to check out all the items that were laid out on their tables. A lot of silver and dish wear, most of which would not fit in my suit case.
While we were browsing an American lady heard us speaking english and correctly guessed that we were students from Boston. She said that she had also studied in France long ago and was back again to visit. That will definitely be me in 50 years! We then went our separate ways to run errands, or for me, go to the gym. Most shops are closed on Sundays as it is traditional to spend time relaxing with family, but a few stores, like our beloved supermarket Monoprix remain open. After a quick workout I took the bus back to my house where I was greeted by my host mom, Nathalie and the dog that she is currently taking care of, Jasper. I attempted to clean my room because it is a mess and I need to pack soon, but got tired and had to take a nap. Mom if you are reading this I think I might have to ship some stuff home I have no clue how I am going to fit it all in my bags...
Anyways after my well deserved rest I ate dinner with my host mom, ratatouille with rice and a salad on the side, we had crepes for dessert and then rushed to go dancing! Every Sunday she goes to bachata lessons, and these past 2 weeks I have brought my classmates and teachers with us! There is a 20 minute instruction in the beginning, and then another 20 minutes of partner work rotating through all the people in the room. After that we have free dance, which is when all the professionals show up and it's a lot easier because they lead with ease! There is lots of twirling so me and my friends take this opportunity to dress up. Events like these are also good opportunities to practice our French small talk. I speak with my host mom's friends often and participate in their conversations, as well as speak with each person that I am partnered up with. The dancing runs a bit late, but Nathalie and I dropped Tess off at her home and then headed back to ours. I let jasper out and am now writing this. Soon I will go to bed to catch some Zs for not only class tomorrow, but the criminal trial we are attending in the afternoon. Our last week will be another busy one, so make sure to keep reading!
See you all so soon and Bonne Nuit!! -
Saturday, February 22nd
Hey guys! My name is Fatimata(‘26) Today is the last Saturday before we leave France and it was also a packed day. I woke up around 11 and got ready to leave for Odysseum. I went out with Morgan and Adriel along with other students to the trampoline park. We stayed for a bit and afterwards ate at a cafe. I had a chocolate cookie and a chai lattée (It was really good!). Afterwards Stella(‘25) and hung out at the outside mall until around 7. Went took a train back to the center of Montpellier and looked for laces to have dinner. After about an hour of looking, we went to pick up Fia(‘26) for the bus station and had a late dinner. After dinner we went for dessert( we got ice cream) and then went home around 10! -
Friday, February 21st
Hi guys, this is Fia (26’)!
Today was a pretty fun (rainy) day. We had school from 9-12 then we all went to Adriel and Morgan’s hotel for checking/reflection activity before being let go for lunch/free time for the majority of the day. I went with a couple of friends to a really popular lunch/brunch cafe and then went gift shopping for a bit before going to a library and a cafe. Afterwards, me and a few friends walked around before going to our dinner reservation.
All in all, it was a fun day! -
Thursday, February 20th
Today we went to La Désert de Saint Guilhem and we got to explore some caves. While we learned that it wasn’t a real “desert”, the history stems back to when people of Saint Guilhem used the vegetation to heat their houses!
-Adam '26 -
Wednesday, February 19th
Bonjour mes amis!!
For Wednesday, Feb 20th, we learned about French body language/gestures and some politics in class. After lunch, we met up with our partners to work on projects and then checked in with teachers (playing cards in the meantime). Then, we broke off for free time and I went to the mall and boba with some friends! I hope y’all enjoyed and bonne journée :)
-Frankie ‘26 -
Tuesday, February 18th
Sup Crystal here again.
Today is a pretty normal day, went to class, had a really nice lunch with my friends. One of our homework is interviewing people in streets, it was a bit intimidating, but me and Gemma got to interview a gentleman who is a writer. -
Monday, February 17th
Salut! It’s a sunny day today.In the morning we had the class and we went over the trip to Arles and Les Baux de Provence on Saturday. Later, we went through some grammar and the brief story of Serge Gainsbourg. We went for lunch after we looked at assigned groups for a small social justice project. We have a free afternoon today. My group mate and I decided to meet up in the cat cafe and finish the proposal of the project.Gemma ‘26 -
Sunday, February 16th
Bonjour!Sundays in Montpellier are usually meant for rest, most shops are closed and people spend time with family and friends. Today I went to brunch with some friends, explored the city, and spent some time at the beautiful Chateau d’Eau.-Rafi (‘26) -
Saturday, February 15th
Salut!
It’s Dana again! Today was such an amazing day in France. We started our day on the bus, made a quick pit stop, and arrived at Alers! There we got to see the Aréna d’Alers, which is where there would be animal viewing and battles back in the early 11th century. Then we went to look at a Chatheral and learned a lot about Roman architecture. Once we wrapped up our tour we went for lunch in small groups, and I had the best lasagna ever! We also got to see the garden of Vincent Van Gaugh! Our adventure didn’t stop there, after that we got on the bus and went to a beautiful mountain top, we got to visit a castle group and another church. After that, some friends and I stopped for a quick snack, and we got back on the bus! To end the night we checked in with our chaperons, a couple of us eat out on the weekend so we went to an Asian buffet!
Today was a day full of adventure and learning, I can’t wait to learn more and do more adventures like this. This was by far my favorite activity of the trip and it’s only week 2! I look forward to more adventures and more amazing memories! Thanks for reading. (ALSO IN THE PICTURE IS OUR AMAZING TOUR GUIDE JEREMIE) -
Friday, February 14th
Salut tout le monde! Today was another beautiful day in Montpellier!!During class this morning we debriefed yesterday's trip to Aigues-Mortes, I gave a mini-presentation on the history of French architecture, and we reviewed some french grammar. After school, we all headed to Comédie together as usual and split up in search of some lunch! At 2pm we met back up at the Promenade du Peyrou, and walked over to the Jardin des Plantes.There, we had a mid-mod check-in where we reflected on the time we've spent here so far, and our hopes for the rest of the trip. Then, we were free to go off on our own! I walked around and checked out a bunch of little shops, then got coffee and a cinnamon roll with some friends! After that I got some dinner, and then made my way home on the bus!Thanks for following along with me today, and happy valentine's day!Sending so much love to all my friends and family back homeAvery '25 -
Thursday, February 13th
Bonjour, je m’appelle Tess (‘26)! I started my day by going to school, where we studied various French grammar points and practiced greetings and goodbyes. Afterward, we went out for lunch, where I sat outside, ate my food, and listened to a local street performer with Fia (‘26), Fatimata (‘26), and Stella (‘25). Following lunch, we all headed to Aigues-Mortes, a historic fortified town in southern France, known for its well-preserved medieval walls. After touring the town, we had some free time to explore with friends. I picked up a small postcard of The Little Prince for my scrapbook! Next, we went to the beach for 45 minutes. We took off our shoes and dipped our feet in the water, and although it was freezing, it felt refreshing. I also had the chance to chat with some of the Spanish students who were on the same bus and made a few new friends. After a long day, I enjoyed a nice meal with my host mom and finished up some homework. Feel free to check out my full day on the @wearecsw account on Instagram! -
Tuesday, February 11th
Hi everyone, my name Crystal '25. I took the bus to the school as usual and my professor Eddie actually showed us the Gojira opening today! It was really cool. I tried vegan food for the first time and we went to the cinema🎭 -
Monday, February 10th
Bonjour!!! I’m Laura ‘25 and yesterday (feb. 10th) was my 18th birthday!!! I celebrated with a late brunch and walked around Montpellier with my friends! It was a great way to spend my 18th! -
Sunday, February 9th
Bonjour! I’m Katherine and I’m doing the blog for today. A lot of stores are closed/ opens later during Sundays. However, I was able to visit Musée Fabre since it was opened and got to see some gorgeous oil paintings with my friends (especially The Fallen Angel by Alexandre Cabanel). Definitely was one of the top things on my bucket lists here. Afterwards, we went to a cat cafe. It was a very fun day! -
Saturday, February 8th
Hi! My name is Stella (‘25). Today was our first full Saturday! On the weekends, we typically have free time to do whatever we like. I spent my morning at home with my host mom since it was raining. We watched the news and ate crêpes! After lunch, I met up with some classmates to go ice skating. We then explored the nearby mall, which had lots of fun activities such as bowling, laser tag, rock climbing, and an IKEA. I then went back home to eat dinner with my host mom. We always end our meal with cheese and baguette, my favorite way to end the day. I’m so excited for tomorrow! -
Friday, February 7th
Bonjour tout le monde! My name is Sam (‘26) and I am grateful for spending my 17th birthday in France. I started my day at 6:45am when I woke up and got dressed and packed my bag. I grabbed my lunch from the fridge and headed to the boulangerie near my bus stop. Today I got a Feuilleté chèvre épinard (pastry with spinach and feta cheese) and a pain au chocolat as a treat for my breakfast. This is a great opportunity to practice my French! I left and met Dana (‘25) at our bus stop, just in time to hop on. We ride for about 30 minutes, and halfway through, Tess (‘26) gets on as well. Our school is a very short walk from one of the stops, and everyone usually arrives early so we can chat before classes begin. Our group is split up into classes of four, six, and six, each a different level. Classes usually run from 9am-12pm with a 15 minute break halfway through. About once a week class will begin 30 minutes early for a lesson with the leader of ILP, Pascal. Today we described our homes and discussed cultural differences between France and the United States. My teacher, Corrine, helps us hold meaningful conversations with correct pronunciation. One activity challenged Avery (‘25) and I to draw the other person's bedroom with our eyes closed while only receiving directions in French, and only using vocabulary we knew. We, and our other classmates, Dana, and Katherine (‘26) also answered questions about our trip to Sete yesterday and perspired vocabulary and questions for our trip to a museum later. After class is finished, we eat lunch all together outside, packed by our host families, then head to the supermarket (via tram) to get a snack and a drink. We love trying new French foods! For our group activity today we went to Pavilion Populaire to receive a guided tour of a photography museum. It was very interesting and I am always surprised by how much French I actually understand. As a birthday treat we went to a nearby crepe shop and then headed our separate ways for some free time. Some headed home after a long day, while others continued to explore the city, and Rafi and I went to the gym. Not for long thought because we had dinner reservations! We were able to snag a table for 12 at a Mexican restaurant in the winding streets of the oldest parts of Montpellier. The food and service was great and they even surprised me with a small cake and sang happy birthday. They were extremely patient with our speaking abilities, and helped us decode the menu that had a mix of French and Spanish. Thank you to Tess, Stella (‘25), Avery, Frankie (‘26), Fia (‘26), Fatimata (‘26), Dana, Laura (‘25), Rafi, and Adam (‘26), for making my birthday dinner so special. They even complied with my request to perform the Pledge of Allegiance, which can be seen in the photo. At the end of the night they surprised me with a card signed by everyone in the class, as well as our amazing chaperones, Adriel, Morgan, and Pamela. Merci beaucoup! We then left the restaurant and went home either by bus, tram, or foot, and are now with our host families unwinding at the end of an amazing and eventful first week. Stay tuned for our weekend plans, and well wishes to everyone reading. Bonne nuit (or bonne journée)! -
Thursday, February 6th
Bonjour! This is Daisy, this morning in our class we shared our favorite music genres in French and practiced asking and answering questions in passé composé. In the afternoon, we took a trip to Sète, a commune next to Montpellier. Our guide introduced the history and the culture of Sète to us, and we had a little time wandering around the city and enjoying the beautiful sights and local food.
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