I was a student at L'Institut de français at Villefranche-sur-mère, France

General Information

L’Institut de français (Villefranche-sur-mère, France) deservedly has an excellent reputation for teaching French using immersion techniques. Teaching its students (élèves) to speak French fluidly and quickly is the school’s primary objective. I chose to attend this French program because of its emphasis on spoken French.

I studied at the Institut  for a total of 12 weeks (4 weeks at a time in 3 separate months) within a year (November 2014, February 2015 and October 2015). A number of people have asked me about what the Institut is like and whether it would be a good place for them to learn French. 

In this series of 5 blog pages, I try to describe objectively what the school offers and some things that perhaps only previous students can share with prospective students. 

I’m neither endorsing nor discouraging anyone from attending the Institut. This is not a site for the school. If interested, please search for their current website address on the Internet. (It’s easy to find). 

Introduction

Briefly, the school teaches Standard French in a French language immersion environment. It’s a solid, professional organization that requires speaking French a minimum of eight hours a day for five days a week and encourages élèves to continue to speak French outside of school time, nights and weekends. 

What’s so different about L’Institut as compared to other French language schools?

Much has changed in the French language since World War II. The French, as other languages, modernize their language over time.

• For example, there are three different ways of forming a question in French—do you know what is considered the most common by today’s French standards?
• “On a” (meaning "we have") now frequently means the same thing as “nous avons” in everyday communication. French people tend to avoid “difficult” conjugations. There is speculation by certain authors that the French, who do not like making language mistakes, are simplifying to avoid making errors.
• Do you know how to express yourself in the “French” manner about daily preferences and activities? This school teaches students to speak in a French manner.
• Are your assumptions about French culture up to date? Older textbooks as well as non-native-speaking French teachers can be problematic. 

During my time at the school, the program addressed these types of issues through

• classes,
• cultural instruction,
• mid-day meals together with teachers at each table,
• social events outside of class,
• once a week, French language movies are shown and moderated by a French instructor who discusses context and language,
• and, watching selected daily news clips in French followed by discussion.

Who attends L’Institut de français?

• Adults (my classes have included those from their twenties to their eighties)
• People sent by their governments or NGOs to learn the French language for work and career
• People like me who are learning French later in life out of personal interest
• People who need to learn French to find work in a French speaking country
• People learning French as a condition of current employment
• The list of the national origins of the participating élèves is extensive. I remember classmates from Japan, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Australia, America, Canada, Italy, Great Britain, Switzerland, Venezuela, South Africa, and non-native speakers living in Monaco and France.
• There are married couples who attend. My husband took classes with me twice and I was there as a single once. Also, quite a few people bring spouses or significant others with them that do not attend the French classes.

Go to next page.