The School

The school in Aix was opened in 1974. It welcomes 1000 students each year.

Location: The school is located in a charming turn-of-the-century building in the heart of Aix, about five minutes walk from the shops and restaurants.

Facilities: The school offers fifteen classrooms all named after famous writers or famous places in Provence, a multimedia resource centre with an adjoining sunny terrace and a room for the internet.

Students: The school welcomes students of all ages from 18 years old to students in their 80ies. The average age is 38. The majority of the students come from Europe (Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Britain, Italy, Denmark, and more), the remaining from America, Australia, Brazil and Japan.

Bank Holidays: There are no lessons on French national holidays. Missed lessons are rescheduled to another day in the week.

The school has the following affiliations or memberships:

FLE, SOUFFLE, EAQUALS, IALC, Bildungsurlaub, CCIP, CIEP.

Lessons

The French lessons take place from 9am to 12.30 Monday to Friday. They are organised by levels (specific dates for beginners) and comprise a maximum of ten students. The lessons integrate the four main language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. Two teachers alternate, co-animate and coordinate their training in each group.

First day: Students are expected to arrive between 8.30 and 9am. In the morning, students take a written and oral test which is followed by an introduction to the school and a guided tour of Aix. Lessons begin at 2pm (exceptional schedule due to first day of class).

Activities

Several activities are organised by the school every week for the students: cooking classes, wine tasting workshops, bowls contest, slideshow on the region, barbecue, weekend excursions, perfume workshops etc. All students are invited to register and pay on site. If you want to do an activity which is not on the programme, don't hesitate to ask the school to help you organise it!

Other activities in Aix en Provence include painting classes, beauty care at the Themes baths, visit of wine-producing chateau, olive oil producers and local crafts, golf, water sports and many more.

Accommodation

The course can be booked with or without accommodation. Accommodation is usually booked from Sunday to Saturday. The following types of accommodation are available:

Host Family: You can choose a single room with breakfast only or with half board (breakfast and dinner). Note that with the breakfast only option contact with the host family is rather limited. The host families are rigorously selected within 20 mins on foot or by bus from the school. Arrivals are after 6pm on Sunday and departures are on Saturday mornings. Sheets are provided but towels are not.

ApartHotel & Hotel: Studios and apartments in residences are also available. Please contact us for prices and availability.

Practical Information

Want to know more? Request More Information about this and other courses.