French immersion courses in France
Oct 21st, 2016, 06:07 AM
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French immersion courses in France
I am looking to do a french immersion programme in France. I am an intermediate learner. I have short listed a couple that I have found on the internet that seem to have good reviews. CLE in Tours and Millefeuille Provence. I get the feeling that Millefeuille is probably more intense as it is offering 50 hours of study a week, as against CLE that is offering 20 hours but with the opportunity to do sightseeing in the afternoon. Obviously Millefeuille is more expensive. What do you think Millefeuille offer that CLE doesn't or is it just that you get more hours of study here? I will probably hire a car, so it probably wouldn't sway me if the school is not near a town. The quality of the teaching is more important to me and that you are made to feel included.
Has anyone been to these language schools recently? Are both schools friendly as I will be going on my own? What are the evening activities or are you free to do as you please? Any advice would be great so that I can decide which would be the better course to take. Thank you. Deborah
Has anyone been to these language schools recently? Are both schools friendly as I will be going on my own? What are the evening activities or are you free to do as you please? Any advice would be great so that I can decide which would be the better course to take. Thank you. Deborah
Oct 21st, 2016, 08:37 AM
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I haven't taken those but I've studied French in France at 3 different schools, mostly universities not those private ones.
CLE is not an immersion program, so if you want immersion, you'd have to choose the other. It's just classes, that's all, like most schools. From looking at the website, Millefeuille offers several things that would make it more expensive. First, it says it includes room and board, which is a huge cost. Second, the classes are smaller which means they have higher costs for teachers. Third, obviously the number of hours.
AS for evening activities, you are an adult, you can do whatever you want. However, I noted the Millefeuille being immersion has things planned all day long including dinner not until 8 pm. Which means you won't have any free time (of course you can skip the dinner sometimes, I'm sure, they can't force you but that could create a bad vibe and you are paying for it). They also have some "multimedia individual" instruction daily around 5:30 pm to 6:15 pm, which sounds like you sitting in front of a computer with some software program. Then some cultural activities from 6:30 to 7:30 pm daily, like reading poems or something.
They are very different programs, so you would mainly have to go with what you want and what kind of person you are. I'd feel captive with the Millefeuille and would never do such a thing myself. I need more down time and given I don't have unlimited time and money, I would want to have more free time for my own sightseeing when in Europe, even if attending classes all morning. Also, I'm not into some of the things they are doing and would not want my time taken up from 8 am to 10 pm nonstop.
Personally, I would not want classes that small, but that is also a personal preference. Even the CLE classes are smaller than I care for (they say an avg of 7 people), although that might be okay for certain kinds of courses (like conversation or a literature class with lots of discussion). I like meeting more people and having more people in my classes. When I've been in such a small class by accident (which hasn't been a lot), say until they close the class due to nonenrollment or a lot of students are out that day, it can be boring and if there are only 1 or 2 people you dislike for various reasons ( they try to monopolize the class, or slow it down as they can't speak well, whatever), it ruins the whole class.
I think some people on Fodors went to that Millefeuille place, but I might be remembering wrong, maybe do a search.
CLE is not an immersion program, so if you want immersion, you'd have to choose the other. It's just classes, that's all, like most schools. From looking at the website, Millefeuille offers several things that would make it more expensive. First, it says it includes room and board, which is a huge cost. Second, the classes are smaller which means they have higher costs for teachers. Third, obviously the number of hours.
AS for evening activities, you are an adult, you can do whatever you want. However, I noted the Millefeuille being immersion has things planned all day long including dinner not until 8 pm. Which means you won't have any free time (of course you can skip the dinner sometimes, I'm sure, they can't force you but that could create a bad vibe and you are paying for it). They also have some "multimedia individual" instruction daily around 5:30 pm to 6:15 pm, which sounds like you sitting in front of a computer with some software program. Then some cultural activities from 6:30 to 7:30 pm daily, like reading poems or something.
They are very different programs, so you would mainly have to go with what you want and what kind of person you are. I'd feel captive with the Millefeuille and would never do such a thing myself. I need more down time and given I don't have unlimited time and money, I would want to have more free time for my own sightseeing when in Europe, even if attending classes all morning. Also, I'm not into some of the things they are doing and would not want my time taken up from 8 am to 10 pm nonstop.
Personally, I would not want classes that small, but that is also a personal preference. Even the CLE classes are smaller than I care for (they say an avg of 7 people), although that might be okay for certain kinds of courses (like conversation or a literature class with lots of discussion). I like meeting more people and having more people in my classes. When I've been in such a small class by accident (which hasn't been a lot), say until they close the class due to nonenrollment or a lot of students are out that day, it can be boring and if there are only 1 or 2 people you dislike for various reasons ( they try to monopolize the class, or slow it down as they can't speak well, whatever), it ruins the whole class.
I think some people on Fodors went to that Millefeuille place, but I might be remembering wrong, maybe do a search.
Oct 21st, 2016, 08:43 AM
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here are some useful threads for you.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ice-needed.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...es-3-ponts.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-this-week.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ice-needed.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...es-3-ponts.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-this-week.cfm
Oct 21st, 2016, 09:30 AM
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I spent two weeks at CLE several years ago and found it to be a wonderful learning experience. There was a definite seriousness-of-purpose vibe at the place. I'm not sure why Christina says it is not an immersion program; I spoke French 24/7 while I was there. There were students from all over the world, and French was our common language whether in class, at lunch, on excursions, or informal get-togethers. I very much liked that the class size was limited to 7 or 8 students; it insured that everyone had a chance to talk, and au contraire, there was no "hiding" either! And there was a mid-morning break each day during which one could become acquainted with students from other classes. Informal groups formed along French-speaking abilities rather than age or nationality.
My only comparison is a week I spent in Sancerre at Coeur de France a few years ago. Everyone during my stay was an anglophone, and whereas it was a pleasant week in a charming little town, it was not an immersion experience.
My only comparison is a week I spent in Sancerre at Coeur de France a few years ago. Everyone during my stay was an anglophone, and whereas it was a pleasant week in a charming little town, it was not an immersion experience.
Oct 21st, 2016, 09:38 AM
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I've not been to any French courses but i've done several in Italy, and my experiences have been pretty similar to grandmere's.
IME these courses very much return what you put into them - the more effort you put into speaking italian [or in your case, french] all the time, and into stretching yourself, the more benefit you get.
You don't say how long you are planning to spend at the school - again IME the benefit you get from 2 weeks together is more than you could get from 2 separate weeks, if that makes sense.
IME these courses very much return what you put into them - the more effort you put into speaking italian [or in your case, french] all the time, and into stretching yourself, the more benefit you get.
You don't say how long you are planning to spend at the school - again IME the benefit you get from 2 weeks together is more than you could get from 2 separate weeks, if that makes sense.
Oct 21st, 2016, 10:13 AM
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Adding to what Annhig says, I definitely agree with 2 weeks back to back rather than 2 separate weeks. And I would say that a 3 week minimum would be optimal; felt like it took a few days to get into the rhythm, and then it was time to leave. But I was still working when I went to CLE and using precious vacation time, and my little week at Coeur de France was a retirement gift to myself.
I failed to mention that I did a homestay while at CLE, and I would heartily recommend that. Unless you talk to yourself (or call home a lot--impossible for me at the time b/c it was before cell phones), every word you utter will be in French!
I failed to mention that I did a homestay while at CLE, and I would heartily recommend that. Unless you talk to yourself (or call home a lot--impossible for me at the time b/c it was before cell phones), every word you utter will be in French!
Oct 21st, 2016, 10:59 AM
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Tours has a much better French accent than Provence.
Apart from that I can't help, I speak french more often than english. If you put the links I can check the usual tests that they propose to check if they can speak French at all...
Apart from that I can't help, I speak french more often than english. If you put the links I can check the usual tests that they propose to check if they can speak French at all...
Oct 21st, 2016, 11:54 AM
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I failed to mention that I did a homestay while at CLE, and I would heartily recommend that. Unless you talk to yourself (or call home a lot--impossible for me at the time b/c it was before cell phones), every word you utter will be in French!>>
d'accord, grandmere.
d'accord, grandmere.
Oct 22nd, 2016, 03:04 AM
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I have been three times to Crea Langue near Moustiers Ste Marie in Provence. It is all inclusive and totally an immersion. People come from all around the world but French is the common language. Classes usually of about 5-6, lessons in the morning and optional activities in the afternoon and evening. Again all inclusive. The food and ambience is amazing, it is set in an old monastery. Have a look....
Oct 22nd, 2016, 06:28 AM
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My daughter is going to Cannes, France next June for a 3-week language course w/ APPLE LANGUAGES. Here's a link for them:
http://www.applelanguages.com/
She can't comment on it yet since she hasn't done it. But she is doing a homestay. There are choices about how many classes per day/week you want to take. She chose to have classes every morning & then free afternoons to explore. So you can make it as intense or relaxed as you like, I presume.
This Apple Languages course was recommended by Damon & Jo. (See them on youtube. Fun language-lovers & travel gurus now.) That's how my daughter first heard about the program. They've been around a long time & are all over the world.
Sorry I can't give you a definite thumbs up or down though.
http://www.applelanguages.com/
She can't comment on it yet since she hasn't done it. But she is doing a homestay. There are choices about how many classes per day/week you want to take. She chose to have classes every morning & then free afternoons to explore. So you can make it as intense or relaxed as you like, I presume.
This Apple Languages course was recommended by Damon & Jo. (See them on youtube. Fun language-lovers & travel gurus now.) That's how my daughter first heard about the program. They've been around a long time & are all over the world.
Sorry I can't give you a definite thumbs up or down though.
Oct 22nd, 2016, 10:11 AM
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I'm not sure why Christina says it is not an immersion program; I spoke French 24/7 while I was there. >>
I just said that from looking at the curricula. PErhaps I missed it, but what I saw was just morning classes and that was it. Also, you were not all housed together in a particular place. If one chooses to house with a French family, that is one's own decision. I know people who have done that and barely interacted with the family, anyway, they were just a boarder who came and went.
The course itself does not refer to itself as an immersion course, either, whereas Millefeuille does, so because it doesn't call itself immersion, I said it wasn't an immersion program. It labels its program as "intensive", at least one version of it, which is what I've seen other schools use for the more extensive set of classes that take up more time.
My idea of immersion programs are almost being cloistered, so to speak--like the Millefeuille, where you have little free time, and are there all day long with planned programs all day, and even reside there. I've actually seen some immersion programs in French that are not even in France, for example.
I suppose anyone could call any stay immersion if it were just a matter of you speaking French most of the time. I went to the Sorbonne one summer in Paris and it was just university classes and I could have said the same thing (as students I hung out with in the residence hall were from all over the world, we only had French in common), but never would have thought of calling that an immersion course as I could do whatever I wanted in my free time, my time was not regulated 10-12 hours a day. The Japanese students could have called it that, I'm sure, as they would have run into very few people who spoke Japanese around them, if any.
As others have noted, you get out what you put in to these programs. If you affiliate only with Anglophone speakers at school and in the city you stay, if you find them, and speak English a lot, etc., you aren't going to get as much out of a course as if you mainly speak French, but that is true of any school regardless of whether it is immersion or not.
I attended summer courses at the Sorbonne and l'Institute Catholique de Paris, both just universities, and I was not surrounded by all Anglophones. In fact, the nuns whom I lived with in Paris (in a foyer) didn't really speak English at all. In both, students came from all over the world because of the university's reputation (and because you tend to get more accreditable courses in universities, if that is an issue). I have deliberately never chosen schools that were mainly Anglophones or targeted to Americans. I went to some private classes in Paris once more similar to those being discussed here just for brushup during one visit, and those students were from all over also, none were Anglophone as far as I can recall. But it wasn't an immersion program, just classes (they were mainly expats living in Paris who needed language for their jobs, or wives of expats, none American). That school doesn't exist any more.
I just said that from looking at the curricula. PErhaps I missed it, but what I saw was just morning classes and that was it. Also, you were not all housed together in a particular place. If one chooses to house with a French family, that is one's own decision. I know people who have done that and barely interacted with the family, anyway, they were just a boarder who came and went.
The course itself does not refer to itself as an immersion course, either, whereas Millefeuille does, so because it doesn't call itself immersion, I said it wasn't an immersion program. It labels its program as "intensive", at least one version of it, which is what I've seen other schools use for the more extensive set of classes that take up more time.
My idea of immersion programs are almost being cloistered, so to speak--like the Millefeuille, where you have little free time, and are there all day long with planned programs all day, and even reside there. I've actually seen some immersion programs in French that are not even in France, for example.
I suppose anyone could call any stay immersion if it were just a matter of you speaking French most of the time. I went to the Sorbonne one summer in Paris and it was just university classes and I could have said the same thing (as students I hung out with in the residence hall were from all over the world, we only had French in common), but never would have thought of calling that an immersion course as I could do whatever I wanted in my free time, my time was not regulated 10-12 hours a day. The Japanese students could have called it that, I'm sure, as they would have run into very few people who spoke Japanese around them, if any.
As others have noted, you get out what you put in to these programs. If you affiliate only with Anglophone speakers at school and in the city you stay, if you find them, and speak English a lot, etc., you aren't going to get as much out of a course as if you mainly speak French, but that is true of any school regardless of whether it is immersion or not.
I attended summer courses at the Sorbonne and l'Institute Catholique de Paris, both just universities, and I was not surrounded by all Anglophones. In fact, the nuns whom I lived with in Paris (in a foyer) didn't really speak English at all. In both, students came from all over the world because of the university's reputation (and because you tend to get more accreditable courses in universities, if that is an issue). I have deliberately never chosen schools that were mainly Anglophones or targeted to Americans. I went to some private classes in Paris once more similar to those being discussed here just for brushup during one visit, and those students were from all over also, none were Anglophone as far as I can recall. But it wasn't an immersion program, just classes (they were mainly expats living in Paris who needed language for their jobs, or wives of expats, none American). That school doesn't exist any more.
Oct 24th, 2016, 06:23 AM
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Thank you to everyone for their replies. It is indeed very tricky to know which is the best school to choose. I agree with you Christina. Millefeuille could very well be quite clostraphobic and very intense. I like the idea of it being total immersion as it gives you every possibility to improve your level of french, but maybe it could be too much and would not give you much in the way of down time.
Annhig, I think your comments are very true about the amount of effort that you put in is what you will get out of the program.
Grandmere. That is very useful information that you have given seeing as you have been to CLE yourself. I was planning on going for 2 weeks, as I have been to France on holiday many times, but always find that it takes me 3 or 4 days to get into the swing as far as the language is concerned, therefore 2 weeks back to back would be much more beneficial. Were the other students friendly and were they a mix of ages and nationalities?
schnauzer. When you were ar Crea what was the mix of students? Young, mature, Americans, European? I like the look of Crea, but it looks like they only do courses throughout the summer months.
To summarise, at the moment I think I would probably choose CLE as I have heard that the french they speak in Tours is very pure in comparison to other dialects. I like that they have small classes, giving you plenty of opportunity to improve and also like the idea that you can live with a local family. Also mustn't forget that it is in Tours so makes it very easy to get about and maybe I wouldn't even need a car there.
Thank you
Deborah
Annhig, I think your comments are very true about the amount of effort that you put in is what you will get out of the program.
Grandmere. That is very useful information that you have given seeing as you have been to CLE yourself. I was planning on going for 2 weeks, as I have been to France on holiday many times, but always find that it takes me 3 or 4 days to get into the swing as far as the language is concerned, therefore 2 weeks back to back would be much more beneficial. Were the other students friendly and were they a mix of ages and nationalities?
schnauzer. When you were ar Crea what was the mix of students? Young, mature, Americans, European? I like the look of Crea, but it looks like they only do courses throughout the summer months.
To summarise, at the moment I think I would probably choose CLE as I have heard that the french they speak in Tours is very pure in comparison to other dialects. I like that they have small classes, giving you plenty of opportunity to improve and also like the idea that you can live with a local family. Also mustn't forget that it is in Tours so makes it very easy to get about and maybe I wouldn't even need a car there.
Thank you
Deborah
Oct 24th, 2016, 01:04 PM
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I went to the Institut de Français in Villefranche-sur-Mer in April 2014 and the Institut Européen de Français in Montpellier in May 2015, both for a month. Both were excellent. The Villefranche course is more intense; it also requires a one-month stay (with limited exceptions). As such, it is more expensive.
Jan 12th, 2017, 04:54 AM
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Please have a look on our reviews on Trip Advisor http://urlz.fr/4fGq
Our school offers French immersion courses and is based next to Lyon. A bientôt!
Our school offers French immersion courses and is based next to Lyon. A bientôt!
Jan 12th, 2017, 05:44 AM
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Faites attention aux règles du forum : pas de pub.
La discussion datant d'octobre on ne peut pas arguer de ce que vous contribuiez au choix cornélien de Déborah.
Quant aux avis de TA... Il y a à boire et à manger.
La discussion datant d'octobre on ne peut pas arguer de ce que vous contribuiez au choix cornélien de Déborah.
Quant aux avis de TA... Il y a à boire et à manger.
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