Learn French in Paris

by Liz Dodder

Ever wanted to stroll through Paris and order a fresh baguette from a Parisian boulangerie while speaking in French? How about chatting with the locals while sipping espresso at a café near the Eiffel Tower? If you picture yourself fitting into the Parisian lifestyle while visiting the beautiful French city, the best way is to learn to speak some French. And what better way to pick up a new language than while on vacation in the City of Lights and Love.

There are language schools all over France geared to the foreign visitor of all ages and all skills, whether you are visiting for a week or 3 months. They can accommodate groups or single students of all levels, and always include some fun and cultural activities along with the study of the language. It is a chance to learn much more about the area of France you are visiting, meet new friends from around the world and add a little “je ne sais quoi” to your newly refined repertoire of languages, Français.

Once you have decided which part of France to visit, and this is probably the most difficult part, you only have to sign up online with your preferred language school. Most schools offer classes year-round, except during French holidays, with their busiest time being summer. You can take classes in the mornings and have the rest of the day off to go sight-seeing or you can take extra workshops to study French all day. You can also elect cultural tours and fun classes in French, like cooking or visiting the only working winery in Paris on some of your afternoons off. You can work as hard or as little as you want in class, and you will end up with an ability to speak or chat, at the very least discuss the dinner menu, with a real live Parisian.

Most schools hold classes continuously throughout the year, adding newcomers as they arrive via quick placement tests or interviews. The students in the classes are used to greeting new members of the class often, as people are continuously arriving, moving to new levels or finishing their vacations and going back home. Classes are held every morning, and include written and oral work, as well as studying current French film, written works or songs. You can also enroll in other options if you want to study more than 20 hours per week. Options usually include workshops on grammar or conversation, cultural lectures, private lessons and various fun excursions. Some schools even offer cooking classes, where you can learn the secrets of a French pastry chef.

The schools also offer living accommodations with a host family, a student apartment, or reduced rates at hotels and furnished studios. The most affordable option, as well as the most cultural, is living with a host family. These can range from a large family home where you are invited everywhere with the family to a small single’s apartment where you have complete freedom for yourself. Host families can also accommodate families or groups, and provide a very interesting experience while visiting France.

Almost all schools have a web site where you can enroll online. The schools ask for your application at least 4 weeks prior to the start of class, although many times they can enroll you right up to the last minute, including reserving your spot with a host family. You will then receive enrollment confirmation and information about your host family or apartment. When you arrive in France, you simply go to the address for your accommodations the night before school starts to get settled. You may want to look at a map or buy your transportation passes, as Monday mornings in Paris or other cities can be quite hectic.

On the first day of class, you will attend orientation to know more about the school, its procedures and surroundings, all in French. The instructors speak with visual aids so that you will understand, and help you to get to know each other. Finally, you will be interviewed and placed into a class, probably one that is already in session. The instructor will help you introduce yourself to the other students, voila, you are already speaking French.

How better to plan your rendezvous at the Musée du Louvre or the Tour d'Eiffel than in French? Oooh la la…

French Schools in Paris

Accord Language School
www.accord-langues.com

Lutece Language School
www.lutece-langue.com

Institut Parisien
www.institut-parisen.com

French Schools in France

Ecole France Langue
www.france-langue.fr

BLS Language School
http://www.bls-frenchcourses.com

Ecole des Trois Ponts - also cooking
http://3ponts.edu/

Millefeuille Provence Language School
http://www.millefeuille-provence.com

WorldLink Education
http://www.wle-france.com/