djsnyc

Hi, I'd like to spend 2-3 months in France studying the language in an immersion-type program. (I've already got the basics down through some courses I took here in NY through Alliance Francaise.) Am overwhelmed by the number of schools offering programs. <BR><BR>Does anyone have advice on how to choose or evaluate a school? I'm many moons past college age, so my alma mater isn't a great source of info or programs. <BR><BR>It's a pretty serious commitment of time and money, and I would like to know that I'm at least registering at a reputable school!! Thanks for any advice you could send my way!

Hiroshi

I have studied in France but I'm sorry I don't remember how I found the school.<BR><BR>I have also seen ads for English language schools in London. One studies for about 3-4 hours per day. I heard that some women attend those schools in the morning and do prostitution in the afternoon and evening but that is only rumor.

Christina

I've studied there twice at regular universities. Actually, I'm going again this summer and going to a private school because I need more flexibility and shorter sessions. Most universities have decent staff and programs, I just chose by reputation, price, location, and having the classes I wanted. For the private one I'm attending, I read several good reviews in the travel section of the NYTimes several years ago and know a friend of a friend who went there. <BR><BR>Anyway, I have a web page with information on studying in Paris you might find of some use, it gives a lot of URLs on schools, reviews, and information on programs (such as the Petit Guide FLE which is a French guide on schools and I take their advice more seriously than all of the private ones that have popped up). I also got some recommendations from college French professors I know.<BR><BR>My info is on www.virtualtourist.com/ChristinaW in the Paris section. They've redesigned that a little but it is there, if you click on the Paris link to the right side of my home page above, under the world map -- you get an introductory paragraph. Then click on &quot;General Tips&quot; or something like that to get the specific info on articles and web sites about study info. I see I got a 5* rating on that page LOL, I don't know how that happened or who determines those ratings. I've have to edit it, I see, as I think counciltravel may be out of business but the rest should be good.<BR>

grandmere

I studied at the Centre Linguistique pour Etrangers in Tours and heartily recommend it. People from all over the world, total immersion (of course), 7-8 maximum number of students in class. Great location, less than 2 hrs. from Paris bh TGV, and of course right in the heart of the chateaux country. Last time I checked it out on Google, looks as though it was taken over by a larger company (was privately owned by young-ish couple when I was there in '94)but you can still get info using the CLE name.

Julie

I studied at E.L.F.E. (Ecole de Langue Francaise pour Etrangers)in Paris. When I was trying to choose a school, the main things that I considered were location (I knew that I wanted to be in Paris), flexibility (needed a program that I could start any week and stay for any number of weeks that I chose), curriculum, class size, and price. <BR><BR>For my needs, I found that a small, private school would be best. Class sizes were a maximum of 6 students, and lasted 4 hours, so there was time to do other things in the afternoon. If you desired, you could optionally choose other classes for the afternoon, such as individual instruction with a teacher, which I did one afternoon per week. The student body was also varied. In my class, we had 2 Italians, 2 Swiss, 1 Spaniard, and myself (American). I really enjoyed the interaction with the other students. The downside is that this type of school is generally more expensive than university programs, but it turned out to be the best fit for my requirements.

RDN

I have studied in Nice, Pau, Tours, Strasbourg and Brest - all very different areas and experiences. I found most of them through a booklet(s) the French Government published, available through their embassies. I do not know if they still have them or not, but it would be worth checking to see, as they were very comprehensive and gave all info. one would want (schools, locations, costs, types of classes, accommodation, etc.). One of your local university language departments may also have information, as they often receive brochures and sometimes arrange exchanges. Like &quot;grandmere,&quot; I spent a month in Tours, and it was an excellent school. The one problem was that after class, most people seemed to speak English, not good if you are serious about learning French. Perhaps studying there during the school year would be a bit different. My most successful stay was 3 months in Pau, off the beaten tourist track in southwest France, and beautifully located at the foot of the Pyrenees. There were people from all over Europe and North America in classes - a diverse and interesting mix. And, there was still time to travel in the area, and become part of the daily culture. Like you, I was many moons past college age, but thoroughly enjoyed my studies and the other students. Good luck with your search - the stay is well worth it, regardless of where you end up!

grandmere

Unlike RDN's experience, we did not speak English after class. I lived with a French family; a young Belgian woman and Hungarian man also stayed there. I &quot;hung out&quot; for lunch, on weekends, etc. mostly with the people in my class, therefore at my level of French proficiency, regardless of age. I traveled to Tours with a good friend of my age from home, but we lived across town from each other in Tours, were in different classes, and rarely saw each other at school, except to say, &quot;Bonjour!&quot; I was at CLE for the emjoyment of learning French, but would guess the majority were studying for work-required reasons.

djsnyc

Thanks for all your feedback, and, Christina, I can't believe how much great info you provide on your virtual tourist pages--I never knew such a thing existed!!<BR><BR>Grandmere, could you tell me a little bit about the homestay aspect--I'm a little nervous about not being happy in such a situation --I'm not a princess, but I do like to be comfortable when travelling and generally, location means alot to me. <BR><BR>I'm definitely looking at private schools, as I want to get going ASAP and they provide the most flexibility. <BR><BR>Has anyone heard of Institut de Francais in villefranche. They claim a method similar to pimsleur--don't know if that makes sense or not.<BR><BR>Again, many thanks for your help.

daph

I didn't know about Virtual Tourist either. Christina, your pages on studying French in France and on the composers of French piano music were very interesting to us as I have long taken the language and my husband has played some of their pieces. For any of you who are unfamiliar with Christina's posts IMO they are always well thought out and right on the money.

Christina

Glad you guys found my Virtualtourist pages to be of some help, because it took me a lot of time to make them up, but I kept getting asked some questions about the study aspect so figured that was a good way to keep the info handy. The other ones on day trips (such as to Debussy's and Ravel's home) are not so easily find-able anymore, I think you have to know to click on the &quot;off the beaten track&quot; thing or you don't even see them, so I'm glad you did. They are nice day trips.<BR><BR>Anyway, I will mention the private school I'm going to this June/July as I think it does have a good reputation (why I chose it) and flexibility compared to universities in that you can sign up for a week at a time. Also, you can choose intensive classes (about 4-5 hours per day), or more casual conversation classes of a couple hours or day, or special programs related to business, cooking, fashion, etc. Fees are very reasonable and they also have some housing arrangement options.<BR><BR>That is L'Institut Parisien on bd Grenelle in Paris, 15th arr. Here's the URL, you can check them out:<BR>www.institut-parisien.com<BR><BR>I suspect one of the links on my VT web page for the Petit Guide FLE may be the guide give out by the tourism office or dept. someone mentioned above. It is online at:<BR>http://www.fle.fr/<BR><BR>

grandmere

CLE arranged for my homestay; they can also arrange apartment or hotel stays, which, of course, cost more. I stayed in a household where the host and hostess were about my age, with a late adolescent son still at home; the husband worked in Paris during the week, and hosting students was &quot;her thing&quot;. They had renovated a separate building on their property, and that's where they had two guest rooms each with private bath-I referred to it as my grenier! It was modern inside, with sky lights, etc. (The third student,who attended the univ., not CLE, stayed in the main house; not sure what his accommodation was like)<BR><BR>We had breakfast and dinner with the host family, and they were available in the evenings for chatting or whatever, or nothing; I could be as involved or uninvolved as I wished. They were very kind and hospitable, and I enjoyed their company.<BR><BR>This host home, on property enclosed within a locked gate and full of antiques, was about a 25 min. walk from CLE; they drew us a map, but the first day the 18 yr old Belgian woman and I got lost and were a bit late for the placement tests! My friend stayed in a home where she had to take a bus to class. Everyone I talked to was having a good experience with his/her host family. I think my situation of being in a separate building was especially nice in terms of privacy, etc.<BR><BR>I believe that CLE guaranteed that students would have private rooms and baths for their stays. <BR><BR>Hope this is helpful! I only stayed a short time, but your plan to stay 2-3 mos. certainly does require lots of &quot;homework&quot; before you go. Good luck!<BR>

grandmere

topping

Langcraft

Hello.. I didn't study in France, I studied French in school in college for 3 yrs..then lived in Toulouse some yrs later for 2 yrs. I think, that as you use your novice French and both listen AND respond to people in French, you may pick it up far faster than sitting in a classroom.. Learn the French language..not in a static classroom (which I admit, is helpful) but out in the real world...good luck!

cmt

RDN: If you're still around to read this, would you tell me whether you got around to nearby towns for day trips by public transportation when you were staying in Pau? I had been considering taking this type of class in September, but gave up becasue I had so much trouble deciding on a school. I might reconsider it for another year (or possibly if I could gather info really fast re the school in Pau, and re how easily I could take day trips from there without a car, maybe even this Sept. after all). Were you a beginner, or had you studied French long ago and forgotten much of it (like me)? I've never been to the Pyrenees area, but I am very drawn to it. I know that the program in Tours is good, but I have the impression that though Tours is a hub, it is not in an area where it is easy to take short day trips by public transportation. True? Anyway, I'd prefer to be further south.

Has anyone gone to a short-term intensive French program in Montpellier? If so, where? I KNOW that I could easily get around by public transportation from Montpellier, and it sounds like an interesting city to stay for two weeks even without getting away.

Christina

Langcraft, I think you are right to some degree -- my brother learned Spanish fluently by being in the Peace Corps and living there, although he had intensive Spanish lessons first for maybe 6 weeks (all day). However, some people I know who learned a language only by speaking it and never studying it in class don't actually speak it at5 an advanced level, and don't understand tenses very well and can't read and write it. So, they couldn't write a letter very well or read Le Monde, for example. Also, few people can pick up and move to France for a couple years to learn French, unfortunately.

Ideally, I think the best method is both, of course, but it depends on your goals, also. I write in French some and like to read French newspapers, literature, music and sometimes I read international public health articles and reports in French for my job. For me, even though I might not speak as fluently as I would like, I get more enjoyment from being able to read and write it than if I did not formally study it. It depends on your goals.

I am going to study French in a few weeks at the place I named above, so I will be able to evaluate it for others maybe if they ask. It is different than my prior experience because you can enroll week to week.

cmt

P.S. If RDN is no longer around on Fodors, I'd appreciate a response from anyone else re Pau.

cmt

RDN: I thought I had saved a website about the school in Pau a month ago when I was searching for short-term French immersion programs, but it looks like I didn't. Would you tell me the name of the school you attended in Pau and/or give me a link to some description or contact page? Thanks.

LarryJG62

Since you're in New York, you might want to look into the Language Immersion Institute at SUNY College at New Paltz (in the Hudson Valley).

http://www.newpaltz.edu/lii/index.html

They have several types of programs, on campus and abroad.

Kavey

I'll be attending a language school in Bordeaux shortly and will be happy to report back on my return.
My husband will be in the complete beginners class - I will be in a more advanced one but I don't know quite which level yet.
The staff have been particularly good at answering my many emails and providing information.
They have also arranged a host family for us.
This school has lessons in mornings and leaves afternoons free (or you can join their leisure programme).
I looked at location, sightseeing opportunities, class sizes, levels and prices amongst other things.
Hopefully it will be very enjoyable.
I also attended an intensive school at Nancy University II back in 1992 - that was great - and there were some older participants too - though many at university. What I liked there was the way additional activities also helped teach french - we laid on plays in French, we visited champagne and had tours in French etc.