Article N° 1 – published in Paris Marais
THE FABULOUS MONTH OF MAY ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA
hosting the Automobile Grand Prix of Monaco, the Cannes Film Festival
AND … a unique French immersion program
The month of May on the French Riviera is particularly exciting with glamorous events drawing ever greater international crowds to its shores. Now why not combine this Riviera excitement with the equally exciting experience of a unique French language course at the Institut de Français set in the charming village
Villefranche-sur-mer, between Nice and Monaco?
This French intensive course runs 8 ½ hours a day, 5 days a week, for 2 to 4 weeks, the objective being to learn to speak French as well as possible in the shortest time possible.
The only way to do this effectively is through French immersion where no one is allowed to speak anything but French throughout the day and through a diversified French language program that combines the essential systematic work (in audio-visual classes and in the language laboratory) with varied practice activities where one can apply more naturally and freely the everyday French vocabulary that one needs in various real-life situations.
When people think of French classes in France, they certainly can’t imagine such a varied and complete program that stresses the spoken language in all its aspects during 8 ½ hours a day.
The results are impressive, so much so that persons are known to have come back 3, 4 or 5 times (the record is 11) in order to go through all the 8 levels and enjoy the warm relationships developed with fascinating people from all over the world.
As an example of the variety of students, you could find yourself chatting « in French » with a Mexican fashion designer, a Norwegian flight attendant, an Irish newspaper publisher, a British financial consultant, a South African writer, a New Zealander Red Cross official and, at lunch, passing a plate of « coq au vin » to….Lord Eden !
Add to that, evening outings with teachers to a theater, an opera or a restaurant enjoyed in stimulating company
and you will have lived for a month a truly enriching experience.
Now, to make your stay even more culturally complete, nearly every month on the French Riviera (July and August being hotter and with a lot of tourists) offers unusual events and entertainment. Some notable examples are :
- the Automobile Grand Prix of Monaco – May 23 – 24 (Saturday and Sunday)
- the Cannes Film Festival – May 13 – 24 (in the evenings or on weekends).
- the famous Nice Carnival, February – March
- the Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival, first days of February
- the Perfumery Museum of Grasse, December – March, and the Molinard perfurme maker’s guided visits
- Ski resorts (90 minutes from Nice) of Auron, Isola 2000, Saint Dalmas.
