How to Make International Friends While Studying Abroad

How to Meet People from Around the World While Studying French in Paris

Studying abroad is one of the most exciting adventures you can embark on, and one of the most rewarding aspects of the experience is the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. Whether you are spending a few weeks or several months in Paris improving your French, the international friendships you build during your time abroad can last a lifetime. But making friends in a new country, in a new language, in a new environment, is not always easy. Here are our best tips to help you open up, connect, and build meaningful relationships while studying French in Paris.

Choose an Accredited French Language School with International Students

The very first step to making international friends starts before you even board the plane: choosing the right school. An accredited French language school in France, such as French-Paris, located in the heart of Paris near the Eiffel Tower, attracts students from dozens of different countries, all united by a shared goal: learning French, enjoying Paris and making friends! This immediately gives you something in common with everyone around you, which is the perfect foundation for new friendships.

At our French-Paris Language School, our multinational classrooms bring together students from Europe, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and beyond. From day one, you are surrounded by potential friends who, just like you, are discovering Paris, navigating a new language, and looking for connections.

Be the First to Say Hello

It sounds simple, but it is the most powerful thing you can do: take the initiative! Smile, introduce yourself, ask where someone is from. Most international students are in exactly the same situation as you, they are new at the school, they are probably a little nervous, and they are hoping someone will make the first move. Be that person. A simple “Hi, I’m [your name], where are you from?” can be the beginning of a friendship that spans continents.
Do not wait for friendships to come to you, go out and create them.

Participate Actively in Class

Your classroom is your first social space. Participate in discussions, engage in group activities, volunteer for role plays and oral presentations. The more active and present you are in class, the more visible you become to your classmates, and the more opportunities arise for natural, organic connections.

At French-Paris, our oral communication courses are designed around interaction (debates, group discussions, collaborative projects…) which means you will naturally spend a lot of time talking, listening, and engaging with your fellow students. Friendships often start with a shared laugh over a tricky French expression or a debate that gets everyone fired up.

Say Yes to Every Social Opportunity

When a classmate invites you to grab a coffee during the break or after class, say YES. When students from your class participate to a cultural outing, a visit to a museum, a cruise on the Seine proposed by our partner, the GET YOUR GUIDE agency, say YES. When students from the school suggest exploring the Versailles Palace or an excursion to the Mont-Saint-Michel on the weekend, say YES.

The friendships that last are built outside the classroom as much as inside it. Every social occasion is an opportunity to get to know someone a little better, to share an experience, to create a memory. Paris itself is an extraordinary backdrop for these moments, a walk along the Seine, a picnic on the Champ de Mars, a visit to Montmartre or the Marais, the French capital constantly gives you new reasons to explore together.

Use French as Your Common Language

Here is something beautiful about studying French in France: the language itself becomes a bond. When you and a student from Japan, Brazil, Germany, and Morocco are all trying to conjugate together, you are in it together, and there is a unique kind of camaraderie in shared struggle.

Make French your common language, even outside the classroom. It might feel awkward at first, but it is one of the fastest ways to both improve your language skills and deepen your connections with fellow students. Laughing together at your own mistakes is one of the great pleasures of learning a language abroad.

Embrace Cultural Differences

International friendships are enriched by difference. Be genuinely curious about your classmates’ cultures, traditions, food, music, and perspectives. Ask questions, share your own culture in return, and approach every difference with openness rather than judgement.

You might discover a passion for Korean cinema through a new friend from Seoul, or learn to cook a Brazilian dish with a classmate from São Paulo. These cross-cultural exchanges are the hidden treasure of studying abroad, they broaden your worldview in ways that no classroom lesson ever could.

Explore Paris Together

Paris is one of the most culturally rich cities in the world and exploring it with new friends is one of the great joys of studying abroad. Visit the Louvre, stroll through the Latin Quarter, discover a hidden jazz club in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, take a day trip to Versailles or Fontainebleau. Shared experiences create shared memories, and shared memories are the building blocks of lasting friendships.

Among the visits and excursions currently offered by our partner GET YOUR GUIDE agency:

• Cruise on the Seine departing from the Eiffel Tower
• Disneyland Paris
• Reserved Access to the Louvre
• Sainte-Chapelle and Conciergerie
• Versailles (Palace and Gardens)
• The Opéra Garnier
• Classical music concerts in Parisian churches
• The Musée d’Orsay
• Cruise on the Saint-Martin canal
• Excursion to Giverny
• Normandy: Guided tour of the cliffs of Étretat
• Excursion to Mont-Saint-Michel
• …and more…

Stay in Touch After Your Course Ends

Making international friends is one thing, keeping them is another. Exchange contact details, follow each other on social media, and make the effort to stay in touch after your course ends. Plan to visit each other. Share news, photos, and memories. The world feels smaller and more connected when you have friends in Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Berlin, and Rome.

The friendships you build during your time at a French language school in Paris can become the most precious souvenirs of your entire experience abroad, far more valuable than any object you could bring home in a suitcase.

Your Paris Experience Starts with an Open Heart

Making international friends while studying abroad is not about being the most extroverted person in the room. It is about being open, curious, and willing to step slightly outside your comfort zone. It is about saying yes, showing up, and being present, in class, in the city, and in every unexpected moment that Paris throws your way.

At French-Paris, we believe that learning a language is inseparable from the human connections you build along the way. Our school, located near the Eiffel Tower in the heart of Paris, welcomes students from all over the world every week, and with them, the chance to build the kind of international friendships that change your life.

Ready to start your adventure? Paris — and a world of new friends — is waiting for you.

Contact Us – French Course in France