The French are reputedly cold and uncommunicative when you first meet them. Yet they place great store by friendship.  Here are some tips for meeting your future French best friends.

International student associations 

These allow students from all over the world to attend events where all kinds of cultures mix in a friendly melting pot.  The French student members of these associations are often former Erasmus students, so very open to meeting other nationalities. 

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Language exchanges 

What better than a language exchange to build a new friendship? A lot of French people want to improve their level in a foreign language and would be delighted to teach you French in exchange. The principle is simple: you speak half the time in French and the other half in your mother tongue.
 
 
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Local sports clubs or cultural activities

For total immersion, enrol in a club near you or in the school where you are studying. There is a huge choice, so you are bound to find an activity you like: a music, theatre, dance, circus or martial arts school, or a football, rugby, volleyball or tennis club, are just some examples.