SIT Study Abroad: Madagascar - French Language for Health Sciences (Intermediate & Advanced | Online)

This course offers three weeks of online study and three weeks abroad. The online course is open to all applicants with three semesters of college-level French (or equivalent). The in-person J-term is open to college undergraduates who have completed the online term or who provide proof of completion (or the equivalent) of three semesters of college-level French. This program, aimed at students and professionals in health-related fields, offers resources for building French language skills for public health, with an emphasis on topics such as epidemiology, biostatistics, global health, and mental health, among others. This program will be delivered through a three-credit online course and an optional three-credit immersion course in Antananarivo, Madagascar. The program will employ experiential learning opportunities and include lessons in grammar and vocabulary related to the program theme. Discussion sessions will provide opportunities to practice and develop French language skills for use in medical contexts and other practical healthcare scenarios. Antananarivo, the economic capital of Madagascar, has the most advanced network of professionals in medical and public health services on the island. While in Tana, you will have opportunities to practice your French through interactions with medical and public health professionals. You will also visit urban and rural health care centers in Andasibe and the surrounding area. During an excursion to the rural area of Andasibe, you will examine intercultural healthcare systems for local community and learn about the challenges facing rural health care workers. In both Antananarivo and Andasibe, you will be living with a host family to advance your French outside of the classroom. HIGHLIGHTS Enhance capacity in oral comprehension on themes related to public health. Discover how Malagasy culture and healthcare issues are intertwined, and learn how to apply this to sustainable and effective public health policy solutions. Practice French for public health by working alongside health workers and collecting data with study subjects in Madagascar. (J-Term) Experience daily life with homestay families in Antananarivo and Andasibe. (J-Term)