Any advice on how to integrate effectively with locals?

Hi there, Here are a few tips I have to help integrate with the locals:

• Live with locals: while it can seem intimidating, and sometimes it doesn't work out the way you hoped, the best way to get to know locals is to live with them. I would just suggest looking for locals who are friendly and willing to help improve your French (although also realize, that is not their full time job). Here is an article with the pros and cons: http://www.thirdyearabroad.com/home/item/2774-pros-and-cons-of-living-with-locals.html 
• Join a club (that is not the Erasmus club): if you are studying abroad, you will often be placed into Erasmus classes, where all the students are most easily able to communicate in English. To expand your social circle, I suggest joining a few extra curricular activates that you enjoy at home (hiking, rock climbing, book club, yoga, knitting) as those are the clubs that full degree students will also join. 
• If you are working abroad, the equivalent of this would to participate in this activities in the evening. Join a dance studio, search groupon for a cooking class, use MeetUp.com to find others with your interests, take a friend to the local pub and become regulars. 
• Join a tandem language practice programme: this is where you meet with a local over coffee, helping each other improve your language skills. You could help someone with their English, and they would help you with your French. 

To add to the above, in France there's also a site called 'On Va Sortir' where you can see events going on in the area and just go along!