mshea

Hello,

I'm looking to spend about 3 month somewhere in France this fall, and I'd like to take a language course to improve my French. I don't have many plans so far, so it can be fairly intensive (20 hours/week-ish). I'd love recommendations for schools, where to spend a few months in France, how to go about looking for programs, etc. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

annhig

Hi mshea,

I googled "french language schools in france for adults" and got a whole load of choices. also you might try searching this forum as i think that there are one or two on point.

from my own perspective of doing italian courses in Tuscany and Rome, i'd say that the idea of doing a 3 month course is wonderful; i would look out for the size of classes and the ability to move up to another class as you [hopefully] improve, activities in the afternoons [most classes are for 3-4 hours in the mornings] and help with finding accommodation.

on that subject, IMO you want to be nice and close to the class to cut down on travel time and costs, and living with a family is ideal, so long as it's understood that they just speak french to you.

Bonne chance!

Christina

It would really be useful if you decided where you wanted to stay first, then you could narrow down schools to that area. It wouldn't make sense to me to just go anywhere based on a school if it wasn't a place you also really wanted to be for so long, as that will be expensive. A lot of the French language courses for foreigners that are intensive are in the summer, of course, as that's when a lot of people have time off, and it can fit into a college student's schedule. Most of the ones offered at French universities that I know about are in the summer. Otherwise, there are plenty of private language schools where you can go as long as you want, as well as various Alliance Francaise programs. They have a big school in Paris, of course, and I assume are in some other cities, but haven't looked.

Here is the official guide to French language courses throughout the country, at least that are certified at a certain level or something. You can search on there by area for starters. Of course there are the most in Paris.
http://www.fle.fr/

IN any case, I can highly recommend l'Institut Catholique de Paris, I went there one summer and it does appear they have French language classes for foreigners by semester during the regular year, also. http://www.icp.fr/en/Faculties-Schoo...ise-ILCF-Paris

pirouette

L'institut de Francais in Villefranche sur Mer offers an excellent program for those serious about improving their French. It may be more intensive than you are looking for as daily classes are from 8:45 to 4 pm with a break for lunch. Many diplomats and other professionals attend this school. Hugh Jackman was there a couple of years ago as was Princess Charlene of Monaco. It is relatively expensive but the setting is beautiful and the quality of instruction is very good. The program alo includes breakfast and lunch on weekdays. DH spent a month here. I joined him for the last two weeks. I am already bilingual so for me this was just an opportunity to live in French for a couple of weeks in a lovely area. DH made considerable progress however.

Christina

oh, another general database to look for language programs is this one, Shaw Guides
http://language.shawguides.com/

mshea

Thanks so much for all these responses!! These are fantastic leads.

I've googled a fair amount and found a LOT of difference options, so all these suggestions are great. I guess I'd most like to be in Provence--I know the Alliance Francais has a program in Marseille (I don't know how up to date their info is though) and the new AMU in Provence has a program, though I can't find much info about it. I also know the Sorbonne (http://www.ccfs-sorbonne.fr/) has a program that looks AWESOME, though I'm not too sure about living in Paris for 3 months. I feel like a smaller city would be more conducive to improving my French.

If anyone else has any ideas, I'd love to hear them!

FemmeFrancophile

I have done 6 French linguistic stays in France, 3 at the Alliance Française de Rouen. I can highly recommend there programmes. Rouen is 1h10 min by train from Paris. I find it the perfect size town wurh plenty of opportunities to practise my French and people not impatient with my attempts.

Avalon2

Why don't you start while you are still at home In the US I'm assuming. Alliance fRANCAISE offers intensive French here . They are eveywhere. Our classes in Orlando are wonderful , and the various events scheduled every month give you the opportunity to use it as here the members are largely French expats

Christina

I attended the Sorbonne one summer, also, it's a good school. I liked ICP better in some ways, though, it's a smaller university and I liked their dorms better, and their classes weren't spread out all over Paris like the Sorbonne's are. When I attended the Sorbonne I had classes in 3-4 different buildings in 3 different arrondisements. I did attend the Cours de Civilisation Francaise at the Sorbonne, but the summer program. I wasn't actually aware they had it during the school year, but guess so. It's just that their dorms are usually full with their own students during the regular year, so I wonder if you'd have trouble finding a slot, if that's what you want (that's the kind of accommodation I wanted, I had no interest in living with a French family, I'm used to being on my own).

I love Paris and wanted to live there because of the cultural and other possibilities. I don't know why you think a smaller place would be better for learning French, but if you prefer a smaller place, that would be best for you. I don't understand how Marseille fits that description, though.