Learn French in Nice - French Language Course France

Commitment to high standards of education:

• a qualified dedicated team of 40 teachers
• member of numerous quality control organisations such as Fle.fr (French as a Foreign language) and of IALC (International Assocation of Language Centers). We undergo regular quality control inspections.
• official exam preparation

Flexibility:

• possibility to combine courses at our two locations, Paris and Nice
• to start by the week courses any Monday of the year from one week to one year at a more or less intensive pace of study and to enrol in long-term courses all year round

Variety:

• with specialized programs: Business French, Hotel and Tourism Industry French, French Art History, French and French cuisine, Teacher Training, 50+, A la carte group programs and Internships in French companies.

Service:

• an accommodation service that has a range of options
• with numerous student activities all year long
• a student service staff to make your stay the best possible
  

The teaching of French as a Foreign Language is focused on the learner and his/her linguistic “needs”. Our professors use for their courses modern and dynamic manuals of French as a Foreign Language. Pedagogy is suited to each student: some students can be in two different groups according to their skills in grammar and communication. Therefore, the organizer-teacher remains tuned and makes the progression flexible in the learning.

The teaching links closely several pedagogical notions and principles:

• focus on the learner,
• development of learning autonomy (learning to learn),
• a constant and rigorous progression,
• notion of pleasure and long term learning motivation.

Examples of various activities offered to reach this communicative goal:

• Analysis of video documents and oral and written production,
• Listening of audio tapes on various topics (testimonies, interviews, dialogues...)
• Comparative studies of news on the radio/TV/newspapers, magazines
• Reading of an article or book extracts and summary with personal vocabulary,
• Creative and entertaining exercises starting form literary texts,
• Simulations and role plays,
• Intercommunicative entertaining activities.

The class is based on four skills:

• Oral comprehension / Oral expression
• Written comprehension / Written expression

certified by the Ministry of National Education:

• D.E.L.F. Diploma of studies in the French Language organized into 4 diplomas: DELF A1, DELF A2, DELF B1, DELF B2. Each diploma evaluates the 4 skills: written and oral comprehension, written and oral expression. All courses prepare for this exam.
  

Note that testing and orientation session take place on Monday morning. Lessons will start on Tuesday only. During the first week, the 20 lessons will take place between Tuesday and Friday.  

The class is divided in two parts:

On the first period, the lesson is focused on an oral or written document from which the teacher points out a grammatical structure that will be systematized by oral or written exercises either in a small group or in a large group or by the analysis of a video document enabling to practise and integrate the structure or vocabulary. The use of a grammar book will sometimes be helpful to offer theoretical explanations and practise exercises.

The second period is a creative or communicative session with simulation, role plays, writing of scenarios, investigations, search for arguments to debate, etc.

Time Schedule:

• 20 Lessons: from Monday to Friday from 8:45 - 12:45 PM or 13:45 – 17:00 or 16:00 – 19:15
• 30 Lessons: from Monday to Friday from 8:45 - 12:45 and Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 13:45 - 15:45 & Friday from 13:45 – 15:15 or 15:30 to 17:00 or 2 afternoons from 13:45 – 17:00 and 1 afternoon from 13:45 – 15:45 / 15:30 – 17:00

• Available all year
• Students can study for 1, 2, 3 or 4 terms.
• Minimum age: 17
• 12 students per group (This figure may be exceeded by one or two due to placement level)

Course

• Courses are in the morning from Tuesday to Friday (8:30-12:45) in groups of about 8 people (12 max)
  Minimum no. of students: 4*
• 1 lesson = 45 minutes
• 5 levels available: elementary, intermediate 1, intermediate 2, advanced, proficiency (no beginners)

*If there are less than 4 students enrolled, the 50+ program does not take place but students can join the general French classes + the activity program offered by the school. 

Activities
All activities are held in the afternoon. The programme includes guided excursions to interesting towns and a discovery of South of France cuisine.

Excursions escorted by a teacher

• Nice and its Old Town
• Monaco (ville, Monte Carlo…)
• The medieval village of Eze, spectacularly perched on the edge of the Mediterranean & its perfume factory
• Lovely, relaxing Menton, most easterly resort on the French Riviera
• Glamorous Cannes & Old Antibes

The program includes the following:

• Possibility to take intensive courses to brush up your French
• The school helps you to write your résumé and cover letter
• Direct supervision by an on-site company manager
• Coordination – company, intern, university – by the school
• Written evaluation of your internship by the company
• Student activities/Accommodation service

Example of internships:

• Architecture/Real Estate
• Banking/Financial Services
• Tourism
• Law
• Press
• Theatres and museums
• Human ressources
• Medical and Pharmaceutical industries

Example of cultural activities organized during the low season in Nice:

• Dec. 2nd: “Aperitif” in the old town and discussion
• Dec. 4th: Guided tour of Eze Village
• Dec. 9th: Jazz concert at a bar + discussion
• Dec. 11th: Guided tour of Eze
• Dec. 15th: Christmas party at the school
• Jan 6th: Guided tour of Nice
• Jan 12th: Epiphany feast at the school: tasting of “galettes de rois & couronnes des rois”
• Jan 19th: Tasting of culinary specialities from Nice in a restaurant of the old town
• Jan 27th: Wine and cheese party at the school
• Feb 2nd: Dinner at a restaurant of “crêpes”
• Feb 12th: Guided tour of Eze Village
• Feb 17th: Jazz concert at a bar + discussion
• Mar 6th: Napoleon in Golfe Juan
• Mar 10th: Bowling
• Mar 16th: Guided tour of Palais Lascaris in Nice
• Mar 28th: Visit of a botanic Park with Easter festivities
• Mar 31st: Potery painting
• Apr 3rd: Guided tour of Cimiez and Matisse Museum
• Apr 6th: Guided tour of St Paul de Vence and Fondation Maeght
• Apr 11th: Guided tour of Nice and the old town
• Apr 14th: Guided tour of Eze and Fragonnard Perfumery
• Apr 20th: “Aperitif” in the old town and discussion
• Apr 23rd: Guided tour of Villefranche
  

Transportation
Nice is easily accessible by all means of transport: planes, coaches, trains and Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is the second busiest airport in France after Paris. It is linked to the main cities in Europe and North America. The airport is 8 kms away from the centre of town. A regular bus service takes passengers to the centre of town and train station (every 30 min).

The school can also organize transfers for students any time of the day or night for 28 € (one way).

City buses
Most places are easily accessible from the school on foot. The city is very well served by public transport.

• A one way ticket costs 1,00 €. (Tickets are sold in buses)
  
• Ticket Multi+: 10,00 € (10 trips, the ticket can be used by several persons)
• Pass 1 day: 4,00 € (unlimited number of trips during one day)
• Pass 7 days: 15,00 € (unlimited number of trips during 7 days)

Taxis
CENTRAL TAXI RIVIERA
Phone: 33 (0)4 93 13 78 78
Standard 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Trains and buses
All towns of the Riviera and of the hinterland are easily reached either by train or bus. (For instance there are trains every half hour to Cannes, Monaco….)

Sports and leisure
You will find it very easy to practise your favourite sport in Nice. You can register in different clubs for a week, a month or more. Nice is also the place to practise scuba diving and snorkelling, sailing, windsurfing, sailboard…all kinds of water sport. The Alps are only one hour from Nice thus you can ski whenever you would like. If you like hiking, you will be happy to see all the paths of the littoral and of the hinterland.

Food
The cuisine from the South East of France is very rich and tasty, made of olive oil, odorous herbs, garlic and aromatic flavours. You will discover aioli (dish made of fish, potatoes, vegetables and garlic mayonnaise), anchoïade (mashed anchovies with olive oil and capers), boeuf en daube (beef cooked in a very savoury sauce with red wine, onions, herbs…), farcis niçois (stuffed vegetables), gnocchi, olives, pissaladière (kind of pizza covered with onions, anchovies, olives), socca (kind of pancake made with chick peas flour), ratatouille niçoise (a dish of vegetables cooked in water and olive oil), lemons from Menton, oranges, candied fruits…

Shops
The majority of shops are open all day from 9am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday. Sundays and public holidays are the usual closing days, although there are some exceptions...

Museums and Monuments
Museums open at 9 or 10am and close between 5 and 6pm. Usual closing days are Monday or Tuesday. On public holidays – in particular, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December – many museums and monuments are closed.

Post offices, banks, offices and public services
Most post offices are open from 8am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, and from 8am to midday on Saturday. They are closed on public holidays. Banks are generally open from 9am to 5pm, from Monday to Friday or from Tuesday to Saturday. Some branches may close over lunchtime, usually between 12.30pm and 2pm. For cash withdrawals, automatic cashpoints (ATMs) operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Banks are closed on public holidays. As a rule, offices are open between 9am and 6pm. Public services generally close at 4.30pm or 5pm (or earlier on Friday afternoons). They are closed at lunchtime and on public holidays.

Electricity
In France the norm is 220 volts, with a frequency of 50 Hz, while in the United States or Canada, for example, it is 110 volts for 60 Hz. Voltage and sockets vary from country to country and so an adapter and also a transformer will be necessary… Make sure you bring these with you. If you’ve forgotten to bring these important accessories, you’ll be able to find them in electrical goods and DIY stores or hypermarkets. For information, French plugs are equipped with two round pins