Immersion Study & Work

Generally, every section of SoLaL as well as European Studies strongly encourages its students to spend some time at a university where their target language is spoken. Below you will find information about the various exchange possibilities that are offered through the School and the University. Students will receive University of Guelph credits for courses that they successfully complete at the exchange institution. For more information, consult the faculty advisor of your language section and Centre for  International Programs on campus.
 

Some sections of SoLaL also offer their students opportunities to participate in teaching exchange programs. University of Guelph students may be able to  teach at nonanglophone high schools or universities.
 

European Studies

Study & Work Abroad

It is highly recommended that students spend their third year studying at a European university, in a country where their chosen core language is spoken. Students will select up to 6.00 credits which can be counted towards their major (core or area of emphasis), as electives, or both. Courses taken abroad are subject to approval by the program coordinator and the departmental advisor. Courses taken in Europe will not count towards the specialization average.

Successful completion of the European Studies major requires proficiency in one of the following languages (French, German, Italian or Spanish). In order to demonstrate language proficiency, students have two options: they may study for a year at a European University, in a country where their chosen core language is spoken, or they may write a final research paper in the chosen core language within a required fourth year European Studies course (EURO* 4740). Students who can demonstrate that they have written a major academic paper or exam in their chosen language while participating in an approved study abroad year may be waived from the requirement of EURO*4740.

A practicum may be part of the year abroad, provided that students find a job that is clearly relevant and contributes to their area of study and intended career. The practicum has to be approved beforehand by the Coordinator, the departmental advisor and/or the practicum supervisor. Its results must be documented in a report which may be written in the language of the country in which it was absolved. The report must be 40-50 pages in length. The report must include a detailed description of the work (both that undertaken by the student and that of the company as a whole), some analysis of cultural differences in the branch of employment between Canada and the country of the practicum, an account of how the practicum was meaningful as a learning experience and how it is likely to contribute to the student's career goals. It will be graded on a) sophistication and thoroughness of analysis and cultural awareness, b) style and language skills.

A successful practicum will receive a double weighted credit (HUMN*3501/2).
Note: students will be charged full fees for two courses.

The University of Guelph has exchange agreements with:

Austria

• Institut für Bodenkultur, Vienna

• Innsbruck

France

• Université de Savoie, Chambéry

• Pierre Mendès France, Grenoble

• L’Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Lyon Lumière 2

Montpellier
 

There is also a provincial exchange: Ontario – Rhône-Alpes
 

Italy

• Udine

Spain

• Malaga

• La Rioja, Logrono

Germany

• Rostock

• Kiel

• Konstanz

• Bremen

There is also a provincial exchange: Ontario/Baden-Wuerttemberg.

 

Etudes françaises

Nice
 

Third year study abroad program semester(s) in France
This program is organized by the University of Western Ontario in conjunction with the University of Windsor, Memorial University, and the University of Guelph.

It is directed at Third Year Honours French Students who wish to spend a year in France at the University of Nice, to perfect their knowledge of the French language, literature and culture. The program will be coordinated by a professor from one of the participating universities. Students will take 4 out of their 10 semester courses with this professor and they can select the other 6 from courses offered by the Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Université de Nice. Students must register with, and pay the fees to the University of Guelph and they will receive credit for their courses from this university. Students will be eligible to apply for O.S.A.P.
The academic year in France runs from October until the end of June. If you are interested in this program, please apply at your earliest convenience. Application deadline is February. Applications are available in the main office (Room 267) starting in November.
 

Study in Quebec
 

Semester at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQÀC)
In 2003, French Studies established an exchange program with the University du Québec à Chicoutimi, which is located in the dynamic region of Saguenay. Students may take advantage of this opportunity to study in Québec for one or two semesters. The Universtiy of Guelph welcomes students from UQÀC who are specializing in teaching English as a second language, and we send students who have declared a major or minor in French Studies. Students pay fees to the University of Guelph to study elsewhere.
All courses followed by our students at UQÀC are recognized by the University of Guelph. This offers two advantages: 1) no extra time is needed to complete a French major or minor, while the student has the opportunity to experience a francophone environment; 2) on the cultural side, students may discovery an area whose vitality and uniqueness generate great interests in visitors. UQÀC is recognized for the exceptional quality welcome it extends to students from anglophone Canada and other countries.

Various other programs are available to students who wish to study in Quebec during the summer or regular school year. Some bursary programs are also offered.

The Federal Government has several programs available including the Official-Language Monitor Program, Explore Program and the Ontario-Quebec Work Exchange Program. For more information, the web site address is: www.cmec.ca/olp. Please note that application deadline for the Summer Language Bursary Program is mid-February. Brochures and application forms are available in the office (room 267) or on the web site OLP web site (www.cmec.ca/olp).
 

Letters of Permission
 

To receive credit for a course taken in Quebec, you will need to request a letter of permission. These forms are available in the main office (French Studies), as well as at the Registrar’s Office, L-3 U.C. Contact Prof. Ania Wroblewski (awroblew@uoguelph.ca) for courses taken in Quebec and Prof. Joubert Satyre (jsatyre@uoguelph.ca) for courses taken abroad.

To speed things up, please bring the following items with you when you come to see Prof. Wroblewski or Prof. Satyre:

• A “Request for Letter of Permission” form, with the top part completed.

• A current “unofficial summary of Academic Record” of your courses taken at Guelph. If you have not taken any French courses at Guelph, attach a note listing the last French courses you took at High School or elsewhere.

• A description of the courses available at the institution you are to attend (the letter of acceptance is not sufficient).

 German Studies
 

Students are encouraged to take advantage of the University of Guelph’s exchange programs and the semester abroad opportunities in order to improve their linguistic fluency and to gain invaluable cultural insight. With the exception of the Canadian Summer School in Germany, students should have completed at least GERM*2500 by the time they go abroad.
 

Canadian Summer School in Germany
 

If you wish to fast-track your German language studies, you should consider the Canadian Summer School in Germany.

Bilateral Exchanges
 

We offer bilateral exchanges for semesters or years abroad with the following universities:

•  Universität Innsbruck, Austria

• Institut für Bodenkultur, Vienna, Austria

• Universität Konstanz, Germany

• Universität Rostock, Germany

Ontario/Baden-Württemberg Program
 

Students may also study abroad at universities that are part of the Ontario/Baden-Württemberg Program. Applications are to be made to the International Studies Centre, U of G.

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Summer and Full-Year Programs
 

The DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) offers several scholarships for summer language study at a German university, as well as full-year scholarships for students who will have completed their bachelor’s degree. Detailed information and application forms are available online at http://www.daad.org. These programs may not allow you to earn University of Guelph credit but could enable you to satisfy certain prerequisite requirements.

Spanish and Hispanic Studies
 

Students are encouraged to take advantage of the University of Guelph’s exchange programs and the semester abroad opportunities. It is recommended that students go on exchange in their third year. In order to be eligible for an exchange, students should have completed at least SPAN*2010, SPAN*2990, SPAN*2040 and SPAN*3080. Credits successfully completed at the host/exchange university are applied towards University of Guelph degree requirements. Exchange programs with the University of Málaga, the University of Alcalá in Spain, the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), and the University of Guadalajara in Mexico are very popular. Students may also apply to study at the EARTH Univerity in Costa Rica, at the Instituto de Enseñanza Superior in Mendoza, Argentina, and at the prestigious Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador.
 

Semester Abroad in Guatemala
 

Students accompanied by a University of Guelph professor can also spend a semester abroad in Guatemala.

Italian Studies
 

Teaching Abroad

France

Guelph-France Assistant Exchange Program

Each year, graduating University of Guelph students are chosen to go to France, to work for one year as “assistant(e)s”, and two students from France come to the University of Guelph to assist with the teaching of seminars and labs in the Department of French Studies. Guelph assistants, in turn, are likely to teach conversation seminars in English as a foreign language at the lycée level in France. This program is designed primarily for French Studies honours students who, upon graduating from the University of Guelph, would like to gain additional teaching experience in France before pursuing their career or studies.

Germany

The Foreign Language Assistant Program (PAD Fremdsprachenassistentenprogramm)

The Canadian Association of University Teachers of German (CAUTG), in cooperation with the German Pedagogical Exchange Office or Pädagogischer Austauschdienst (PAD), coordinates this exchange program which annually places approximately 30 Canadians in positions as English-language assistants at secondary schools in the Federal Republic of Germany.  The program begins on September 1st and ends on May 31st. The monthly stipend the TAs receive is set at EURO 800, – including health- and other insurances. Applicants must be in the final year of their B.A. degree, which they will have completed upon assuming the position, and have a very good command of German. Applications must go through your department advisor. The deadline for applications is usually mid-January but students must begin the process well before that. Application forms are generally available by the middle to end of November.