Bob

Does anyone have experience with French Immersion Courses. I would like to take a course in French at the intermediate level in either Paris or Nice...other cities would be considered as well.

Sue

I spent 2 weeks at Centre Linguistic pour Etrangers in Tours; I had read about it in the NYT travel section a few years ago. It seemed like just what I wanted, and I highly recommend it. It is privately owned by a youngish French couple, and there were students from all over the world, from college age to 60+. 7 is the maximum number of students in a class, and CLE helps to place you with a French family, where you have a private room and bath. It was a wonderful experience! I went with a good friend, but we were housed with different families and in a different level class; it was interesting in that I became closer to "my class", regardless of age and nationality, and rarely spent time with my friend while I was there. The family I lived with had restored a granary on their property, and that's where they housed their language school guests, au grenier! Tours, although an interesting place, isn't as exciting as Paris or Nice, but that was probably better because there was homework to be done each night. However, there was time on weekends to see the area, inc. the chateaux, of course. Two weeks wasn't long enough; I would recommend at least 3 or longer, if you're doing it to brush up on skills, etc. Some folks, who needed to be proficient and fluent in French for careers, etc., had been there for months. I went to raise my level of speaking French a notch or two, and there's nothing like total immersion for doing that! There were "beginner" classes, but most everybody had studied French, even if briefly. Placement tests are given at the beginning to determine the class level. For their website go to www.cle.fr Just writing about it makes me want to go back and do it again!

topping

ttt

Christina

I've studied French in Paris at two universities, summer programs. They weren't called "immersion programs" but I suppose any time you are living there and going to school full time is basically immersion, so to speak. I did not stay in a French home as a boarder because I didn't want to do that. I don't think that matters so much as I met more people of various nationalities and had a better time staying in a student residence. I think it would have been rather isolating staying in someone's home. Also, in Paris at least, people who do that are usually in the suburbs (take in students from language programs). I spoke French plenty staying in a student residence because that could be the only language we had in common, and once I stayed in a residence run by nuns and they didn't speak English at all. This is just personal preference, obviously. I know someone who just did a Spanish immersion in Guatemala and he stayed in a private home and liked that okay, I guess, as there was one guy there about his own age he could go out and do things with.<BR><BR>I have a lot of information on studying French in France on my personal Paris pages at wwww.virtualtourist.com/ChristinaW if you want to look.

Sue

In Tours the family I lived with was within walking distance of the school, and there were 2 other students staying with the same family. Meal times were great with the family, and I would spend time with them in the evening if I didn't have too much homework. We played Trivial Pursuit (in French, bien sur!) one nite! On the middle Saturday nite I was there, I, middle-aged, went to the movies with a college age Belge, 2 twenty-something Suisses, and an older Anglais. Age and nationality did not seem to matter, we gravitated toward those who were at our level of speaking French. For those who don't want to live with a French family, CLE recommends hotels, apartments, etc. My friend stayed with a woman who lived farther away from the school, and she became great friends with her, and has visited her since a few times. I can't imagine anyone feeling isolated at CLE; there were lots of extra-curricular optional activities planned.

Xaxu

I strongly recommend SOFI 64 in Anglet/Biarritz.
Teachers are experienced and really dedicated to students.
School offer great programs such as "French & Surf" or "French & Cuisine" with a French chef.

You can find them here: http://www.sofi64.com

vjpblovesitaly

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