Archive
Learning French in France? C’est possible avec My French Class
I recently learned about a program that organizes intensive French programs in a range of cities – Paris, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Perpignan, Montpellier, Clermont-Ferrand, Strasbourg – for foreign students looking to master French while learning more about the country and its rich culture in person.
My French Class offers an all-inclusive package (accommodation, university classes and registration, visits in Europe, administrative procedures…) to facilitate the experience for students. You can learn more on their website (www.my-french-class.com) and especially the FAQ section.
If you are interested in signing up for summer, semester or year programs, you can get a discount with the code below AEIF. Make sure to send me an email as well: michaelbarrett1984@gmail.com.
If you are interested in this program, mention AEIF discount code and send me an email michaelbarrett1984@gmail.com
“Parlez-vous français?” My French Class is a service for foreign students wishing to learn French in France. Our mission is to facilitate your integration into French culture, life and language through our network of partner universities.
Year-round intensive French courses are focused on dramatically improving written and oral comprehension and expression, vocabulary, writing, grammar and pronunciation. Taught by native French citizens, the coursework is specifically designed for foreigners to learn the language and implement it their day-to-day life in France.
My French Class provides a complete package that begins on your first day with an airport pick up and includes housing accommodations, a city tour, a French cell phone, visa assistance, practical guide and more! With support from the beginning to the end of your stay in France, you can just relax and enjoy your experience — we take care of the rest!
Cloud computing in Europe hampered by privacy laws
This interesting New York Times piece touches on differences between the U.S. and EU legal systems governing privacy laws and what they imply for cloud computing – infrastructure storing data, files, documents, etc..online to make sharing information more accessible and flexible and cost efficient. You may think of Google Docs, for example, as a popular form of cloud computing. I’ve seen French concern, for example, over privacy issues, as privacy is considered similar to a human right, whereas in the U.S. it’s more of a consumer issue.
I’m personally in favor of efficiency and the exchange of information, though I understand concerns about companies getting too much access to private information for their benefit.
Excerpts:
“…Global sales of cloud services are poised nearly to double by 2012, to $102.1 billion, Gartner estimates. But Europe is expected to remain a relatively modest user of cloud services, accounting for only $18 billion this year, or about 26 percent of the global total. By 2012, Gartner estimates, Europe’s proportion of global cloud sales will rise to 29 percent, even though the bloc’s economy is larger than that of the United States.
Facing legal obstacles in Europe, the U.S. businesses with the greatest stake in cloud computing — primarily Microsoft, Google, H.P. and Oracle — are lobbying lawmakers to loosen restrictions on cross-border data transfers. Alternatively, some are developing new methods to make cloud computing work within Europe’s complicated legal landscape….In Europe, the legal definition of what constitutes personal data is much broader than it is in the United States, extending to information like names, addresses and phone numbers in phone books….”
American Clubs events in France
I encourage you to sign up for the free newsletter from American Clubs. You can email them at contact@theamericanclubs.com to get on the list.
To give you a taste of what events are on schedule for September and October (in Angers, Biarritz, Lyon, Grenoble, Paris…), you can download this PDF file I put together of its latest newsletter.
cheers,
Michael
Check out Bonjour Paris
Hi everyone,
I just want to let you know I’m also going to be contributing news to a great site called Bonjour Paris.
You can see my first post here about Sarkozy and the unions, and my biography here.
Karen Fawcett, the founder of Bonjour Paris, has an insightful piece here about “observing the French”.
I think Bonjour Paris is a good resource, so be sure to check it out in addition to my blog. After all, the internet and social media are all about exchange!
Michael
americanexpatinfrance
