The School

The school in Montreux was opened in 2003. It welcomes 1000 students each year.

Location: The school is located on the city's main street in one of Switzerland's most famous tourist spots, on the banks of Lake Geneva near the beautiful lakeside promenade.

Facilities: The school offers bright and comfortable classrooms, some of them with a stunning view of the lake and the Alps, a shady terrace, a cafeteria as well as modern equipment and materials.

Students: The school welcomes students of all ages from 16 years old to students in their 80ies. The average age is 22. The majority of the students come from Switzerland (German and Italian speakers), the remaining from Germany, Britain, US, Russia, Spain, Brazil and Canada.

Bank Holidays: There are no lessons on French national holidays. Missed lessons are neither rescheduled nor refunded (except private lessons).

The school has the following affiliations or memberships:

Souffle, FIYTO, ALTO, CSN, Bildungsurlaub, AVDEP, FSEP, Swiss Tourism Quality Mark

Lessons

The French lessons take place in the morning from Monday to Friday. They are organised by levels (elementary to advanced) and comprise a maximum of eight students. Lessons are based mainly on oral expression.

First day: Students need to be at the school at 8am on the first morning. You will have a short introduction to the school as well as a tour of the school. You may then be asked to take a short oral examination (the written test has to be completed prior to arrival). Lessons begin in the morning.

Activities

The activity programme includes activities such as: a welcome drink, a historical tour of Montreux, thermal baths at Lavey, a guided tour of the famous Chillon castle, a tour of the Gianadda Foundation in Martigny, a wine tasting and "raclette au feu de bois" evening, a hike on the "Mont Pelerin" panoramic elevator, a gourmet tour of the most beautiful vineyards in the Vevey-Montreux region, a tour of the Jenisch Museum in Vevey, a guided tour of the Lausanne cathedral and shopping, an introduction to Nordic walking in Leysin with a guide, a cruise to Evian les Bains, a fondue dinner, a tour and cooking workshop at the Alimentarium food museum in Vevey.

Accommodation

The course includes half board accommodation in a host family. The school has selected families that are compatible with the interests and wishes of the over 50s population. These families offer suitable accommodation facilities (single rooms), so that your stay is on the one hand comfortable, and on the other hand beneficial for learning the French language. It is also an opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture of French speaking Switzerland.

Practical Information

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