A unique French immersion course
in a breathtaking setting on the French Riviera.

For anyone who wants to learn quickly how to speak French or significantly improve his/her spoken French, there's really only one solution : an all-day immersion course in France.

An outstanding example of such a course, which has won worldwide recognition, is offered on the French Riviera by the Institut de Français.

Set in the picturesque fishing village of Villefranche-sur-mer, next to Nice and Monaco, this school is considered one of the world's most intensive and effective learning centers in spoken French.

...

People with an amazing variety of backgrounds have been coming from all over the world to the Institut since it was established 37 years ago ; some come for just the pleasure of learning a new language, others who need to speak French for their work are sent by their firms or are diplomats or members of international organizations (UN, UNICEF, World Bank, etc.). Among them, one can mention a few luminaries such as the Queen of Norway (who came twice), a former prime minister of Australia, the Duchess of Gloucester, a present Canadian minister, a present South African minister, the Finish ambassador to Beijing, the Israeli ambassador to the European Union, etc.

...

The course runs for 8 ½ hours a day, 5 days a week, for a period of 2 to 4 weeks.

The day starts at 8.30 AM with the students gathered in the Provençal dining room having a French breakfast including of course the traditional French baguette, croissants, home made marmalade, etc. From that point on and until 5 PM, only French is permitted. There is a 1 Euro fine for anyone speaking (or even listening to) another language. The system is quite effective : within days, even beginners are speaking in French.

After breakfast, the students are taken through a well-planned program of activities ranging from audio-visual classes, language lab, discussion-lunch with a teacher to practice sessions, linguistic games, songs, role playing in both everyday and professional situations, etc.

The full-day program is complemented by : evening cinema showings of French films at the Institut with discussions conducted by a teacher, evening outings with teachers to the theater, the opera or a restaurant, an all-day excursion to such renowned villages as Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Grasse, the perfume and flower center of France, the Maeght Foundation, the Picasso Museum in Antibes, the Chagall Museum in Nice, the Villefranche Chapel decorated by Jean Cocteau, etc..

It is through this "Total Approach"® to French that students are able to absorb the language from all aspects. At the end of their stay, most can converse quite well in French, sometimes with a high degree of fluency. Total beginners after 4 weeks are able to say much of what they want to say, simply and correctly.

The key to this fluency is talk and more talk – ONLY IN FRENCH – in a variety of situations with a variety of techniques, using and re-using the fundamental vocabulary one needs for everyday conversation.

There's plenty of hard work but it's all done in a particularly cordial and relaxed atmosphere bringing many moments of fun and laughter.

The program has 8 possible levels : from total beginners to advanced II, enabling anyone to be placed in the most appropriate group. There are 6 to 10 students per group (10 is the maximum for best results).

To add to their enjoyment and comfort, students are housed in very pleasant apartments rented and managed by the Institut and located within walking distance of the school, shops, restaurants, banks, etc.

The Institut itself is housed in a luxurious Provençal villa set in terraced gardens with a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean and the Villefranche-Cap Ferrat beautiful bay.

All these ingredients undoubtedly make this course a rich and unforgettable experience.

For further information, please consult the website: www.institutdefrancais.com
or
contact the Institut de Français at : info@institutdefrancais.com

Institut de Français
23 avenue Général Leclerc
06230 Villefranche-sur-mer
tel : +33 (0)4 93 01 88 44
fax : +33 (0)4 93 7 92 17

French Lessons
By Dana Kennedy, nov 2008

Below is an article recently published in TIME Magazine, regarding the intensive French immersion program of the Institut de Français, a world-renowned French language school in the South of France that has been featured several times on this web site over the last 3 years... For anyone interested in a unique learning experience!

VILLEFRANCHE-SUR-MER, France — More than half a century ago, Grace Kelly began the arduous process of learning French after she married Prince Rainier and settled into life in the palace in Monaco at age 26. Today, the woman reportedly set to become the next Princess of Monaco, the South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock, 30, is taking the opposite tack.

Wittstock is already ensconced in an apartment at the Palace in Monaco near Prince Albert, 50, and has been studying at the most exclusive — and intensive — French language school in the world, the Institut de Francais in Villefranche-sur-Mer — eight miles west of Monte Carlo on the French Riviera. Wittstock is the latest in a steady stream of diplomats, world financial powerbrokers, actresses (Kathy Bates, Kate Capshaw and Britain's Honor Blackman), athletes and royalty (Queen Sonja of Norway was a recent student) to attend the Institut hoping its unusual methods will help them perfect French.

Housed in a hillside villa overlooking the Mediterranean, the school was founded in 1969 by Jean Colbert, a former French aerospace scientist and Columbia professor and his wife Madeleine. The Colberts based their teaching principles on a scientific survey of the 1500 words used most often by French people in cafes, buses and subways. "We're interested in getting students to open their mouths and speak French," says Frédéric Latty, one of the school's administrators. "We don't spend a lot of time on vocabulary that you'll never use."

Most students, who range in age from 21 to 75, live in school-run apartments scattered on the hillside and walk to the Institute every morning. After being tested on the first day, they are assigned to beginner, intermediate, or advanced classes. Between 75 and 80 students enroll in each month-long session. The course costs 2500 Euros ($3165) during the off-peak season and 3100 Euros ($3920) during high season. Although students come from all over the world, including America, England, Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Scandinavia, they all have one thing in common: They're Francophiles.

Rick Posner, 56, a court reporter from San Francisco who attended the Institute recently, said he fell in love with the French language when he was a 16-year-old high school student. "I even thought I'd eventually become a French teacher," he said. "But then life took over and my French went on the back burner. I lost a lot of it. I always regretted it." When he came to the Institute recently, Posner said he was realizing a lifelong dream. "I felt I was finally living out my high school fantasy," he said. "And when I left the school, I was really speaking French." No one is exempt from classes that begin every day at 9 a.m. and do not end until 4:45 p.m., five days a week for a month. Students are fined one euro if the teachers them speaking any language other than French. Even beginners have to deliver an oral report in French.

"We get many people who are used to being leaders in their field," says Jean Segarra, the school's principal teacher who has been there for more than 25 years. "Then suddenly they are in a situation where they are not in control and are in the same boat as everyone else. It can be a humbling experience."

Students spend 45 minutes a day in a language laboratory or "chambre de torture." But the tougher sessions are made more palatable by afternoon "séance pratiques" during which, for example, students learn the history of various French cheeses and wine or how to make chocolate crepes — and partake of what they've just learned at the end. For many, the school is so addictive (and the perfection of French so tantalizingly out of reach) — that they return over and over again. The record is held by a San Antonio couple, Margie and Charles Kilpatrick, who have taken the Institute's course 11 times. A number of wealthier American alumni have even bought homes in Villefranche. As for Wittstock, whose engagement to Prince Albert is said to be imminent, she is making rapid progress.
"She has the ear," Latty said simply. "It's just a matter of time." Nadia Lacoste, who served as the spokeswoman for Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier for almost 50 years, said the princess, in contrast, struggled with her second language.

"She was not truly comfortable speaking French for many years," said Lacoste, who now lives in Paris. "When they started getting older, Albert and Caroline would correct her all the time. She never lost her American accent but many people found it charming."

Parlez-Vous Français?
How to Work the Web for Learning French in Paris.
By A. B. Leeds

When I first moved to Paris, my greatest anxiety was about learning French. Three years of high school French with an American teacher of Italian descent and a heavy New Orleans accent (known as "yat" because the salutation for any respectable New Orleanian is "whaaa ya' aaat, daahlin") only prepared me for ordering in restaurants and asking someone on the street "quelle heure est-il?" (until I discovered that mostly the French say "avez-vous l'heure?" – and boy was I surprised!).

The truth is you can EXIST in Paris without a whole lot of French, now that so many of the French speak English. With cable TV, you can watch CNN or BBC for the news and Canal Jimmy for American sit-coms. You can read the Herald Tribune and visit the English-language bookstores for premium priced magazines and books.

You can have French friends, but only if they speak English. And that's about it. The moment you have to interact with the Parisians in non-tourist situations (like a conference with your kid's teacher or seeking an obscure little piece of hardware in the "sous-sol" [basement] of the "BHV") you're in big trouble without the language.

So, if you want to do more than just EXIST in Paris, I suggest you think through the best, fastest and easiest ways to learn the language.

There is a maze of information out there about learning French in France. Available free in Paris, the France-USA Contacts and the Paris Free Voice magazines, run ads from all the language schools in town, classified listings from private teachers (both accredited and non-accredited) and offer a list of conversation exchanges. Of course, if you don't have access to this information, then the Web is there (and with even more information!).

How to you come up with a coherent plan? Good question. Ask yourself a few questions before you begin the decision making process:

What is my current level of French? Débutant? Faux Débutant? Pré-Intermédiaire? Post-Intermédiaire, Avancé? Every school will have a different system of determining your level, usually by testing you with written and/or oral exams.

Am I learning French for business or pleasure? If you need to use French in business, then an immersion course will get you speaking and understanding most quickly. Of course, that means devoting most of your time to language learning.

If learning French is more of a pleasure for you, then you might consider taking more casual courses, so that you'll have time for all the other things Paris (and France) have to offer.

Am I more motivated in a classroom setting or self-motivated to work with a private teacher? I find that some people need the pressure from a teacher or peers to complete homework and assigned tasks yet others perform better when in a one-to-one situation. Between the two types of learning environments, there are also learning groups of six or less with one teacher to consider.

One thing for sure, according to Marie-Elisabeth Crochard, language school director of 27 years and co-coordinator of Parler Parlor French/English Conversation Group, "the larger the class, the slower the learning for all." She added, "Listening will not teach you how to speak. You must make time to practice speaking."

With answers to these questions, you can begin your research on the Web. Start with the largest Web site of English and French Language Resources in Paris and le Marais ( district 3 and 4 )

Volterre-Fr English & French Language Resources
http://www.wfi.fr/volterre/
This is an award-winning site written and developed by Linda Thalman, language teacher and webmaster of WebFrance International. You will find over 110 html files especially for teachers, learners, trainers, administrators, language companies and services involved in English or French as a foreign language. For learning French, jump right to http://www.wfi.fr/volterre/francophone.html

Here are some language schools in Paris you can contact directly by email:

Accord Language School
http://www.accord-langues.com/
Email them at: accordel@easynet.fr
Located in the district of the "Grands Boulevards," Accord was founded in 1988 and offers high-quality French, English and other language courses. Classrooms in a typical Parisian building are bright, spacious and are all equipped with audio-visual materials and other language courses.

Cetradel Language Center
http://www.cetradel-france-langue.com/
Email them at: cetradel@wanadoo.fr
The Parler Parlor French/English Conversation Group is held at Cetradel on the Champs Elysées four times a week, a perfect compliment to your language course. It has centers all over France including Paris, Bordeaux, Massy, Châtenay, Angers, Tours, Nantes, Lyon and Toulouse. If you are a manager, an employee, a student, a senior citizen or if you are looking for language training for your company, school, children or for yourself, Cetradel will get you speaking in French, Spanish, Italian, German, English, or any other foreign language. You may also contact Elisabeth Crochard directly for information on courses of French at her email address: mecrochard@compuserve.com.

Schools that belong to a professional organization of language schools and universities in France for teaching English as a foreign language:

SOUFFLE – Learn French in France: Schools and Universities
http://www.souffle.asso.fr/home-english.html
There are 19 SOUFFLE schools and universities throughout France offering French language programs that comply to the SOUFFLE quality control standards. You will find intensive and semi-intensive courses, training for teachers of French, summer camps, one-to-one training, business French, preparation for exams and more.

Bookstore for language learning and teaching in all of Europe:

Attica Bookstore
http://www.attica-langues.com
Attica is the largest language learning bookseller in Paris and is Europe's leader in language learning materials with over 200,000 titles and 320 languages: books, videos, CD-roms, audio casettes. Once you get to Paris, be sure to visit its store, but on-line you can order your books and have them sent to you in advance to get a jump start.

Summer study programs if what you want is a "séjour linguistique":

Paris Club
http://www.paris-club.com
This is a high-quality summer French language program located in the heart of Paris organized by Accord – Language School and the Centre International d’Antibes. Paris-Club is open to adults over 18 years old.

Paris Junior
http://www.paris-junior.com
This is a summer French language program located in France for students aged 12 to 16 at "Le Rocheton" French summer camp, summer soccer camp and French language program.

Conversation Groups:

Parler Parlor French/English Conversation Group
http://www.parlerparlor.com
Known as the most popular conversation group in Paris, Parler Parlor is hosted by A. B. Leeds Elisabeth Crochard. This is a perfect compliment to any language course – practice speaking, make friends, discuss interesting topics, learn about other cultures, progress in understanding and speaking, naturally and easily, in groups of six to eight, each in its own acoustically sound private room.

Now, get started on the road to learning French, watching the news, weather and programs on French TV, reading Le Monde, Libération,Le Parisien or Nouvel Observateur and having French friends who don't speak English. Have that conference with your kid's teacher or go on a search for some obscure little piece of hardware.

Feel satisfied that you took the right route to becoming a francophone and comfortable with French as your new second language.
You'll never regret it.

A Global Microcosm in Paris.
By A. B. Leeds

There is a global microcosm in Paris called ParlerParlor. That might not seem like such a strange idea since "Paris en Chiffres," a booklet published by the Mairie de Paris, reports that 15.8% of Paris's population are immigrants from other countries. However, it certainly wasn't the expectation for a conversation group originally designed for the French to practice English and the English-speaking community to practice French.

"I was amazed to learn that our membership represented more than 45 different countries!" exclaimed A. B. Leeds, co-coordinator of Paris' most popular French/English conversation group, Parler Parlor. The brainchild of Leeds, (author of the Leeds Good Value Guide to Paris Restaurants), and Marie-Elisabeth Crochard (previously director of Berlitz France Champs Elysées language school) and the partnership of Valerie Grauer (Coprom Langues), ParlerParlor is a perfect example of a global microcosm, so unlike most other Paris organizations which tend to offer a homogenous membership. "With so many members from so many different cultures speaking so many other languages, everyone has a chance to hear both French and English spoken with a variety of different accents and learn more about other cultures and other languages," Leeds added.

ParlerParlor was launched in March 1998 and memberships have been strong since the beginning, a sign that it has what the Paris-of-today is looking for. Advertised as a method to practice French and English in a comfortable environment, members also find it's a great way to meet people and make friends. As a prime example of the growing camaraderie of the group, the members took it upon themselves to organize a costume party in celebration of the American holiday, Halloween. Other events and parties for it's members have included Thanksgiving Day dinners, 4th of July Barbecues and anniversary parties.

In addition to the conversation group sessions, ParlerParlor sponsors events and parties for it's members.

When asked about the future of ParlerParlor, Leeds remarked, "Parler Parlor is just the beginning of an organization open to all nationalities, providing a variety of courses and services, as a way to integrate people from many different cultures within their contemporary lifestyles and their love of Paris - the one thing we all have in common."

51 Nationalities Represented at Parler Parlor : Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, China, Columbia, Congo Brazzaville, England, Finland, France, French Guyana, Germany, Guadeloupe, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Mauritania, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Spain, St. Lucia, West Indies, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan/Republic of China, Ukraine, United States, Uruguay, Vietnam.