Institut de Français — École à Villefranche-sur-Mer

TOUS les avis sur Institut de Français

• Randy H.

  Ajouté 01-10-2018

  I attended the Institute in September, 2018. My teacher was Frederic and I was placed in an upper intermediate class. I had a great experience there and would recommend it for those serious about improving their French, and wanting to stay in a beautiful city. The Institute is housed in a lovely converted mansion with sweeping views to the bay of Villefranche, with beautiful extensive gardens, perfect for stretching your legs between classes - necessary with each day at school being 8 hours.The teachers are serious about teaching you French and although you have fun in class, it's not the kind of language school you just do to fill the day while on vacation. Everyone is serious about learning and the "only French spoken" when on school property is strictly enforced, and actually enjoyed by the students. The communal lunches served each day, prepared by Nathalie and her staff, were always very good.I chose to have the Institute set up an apartment for me for my month there. I was glad I upgraded to a "deluxe studio" which was very spacious and had a fantastic view of the bay. It came fully equipped, even with a washer, iron, ironing board, all cooking utensils, et cetera, and even a maid service each Friday. All my fellow students seemed to like their apartments and also had an equally nice view. Only one did not have an ocean view, perhaps because she chose the "standard studio." To me, the extra few hundred euros was worth it, and comparing the prices for a month on the French Rivera close to the prime season, was very fair. Actually, the prices I found on vacation rental websites were more costly.The Institute is somewhat expensive but the staff is very serious and everyone puts in a long day everyday. My teacher, Frederick, was quite dedicated and had a nice dry wit. The other students were a fun bunch and it's easy to fall into a group to go on excursions with, although most of us were tired after a full day of intense studying, so we only did major outings on weekends: Nice, Antibes, Cannes, Monaco.If I could have the Institute change anything, it would be to have slightly smaller classes. Mine had 11 students for 2 weeks, then as one student signed up for only 2 weeks, we had 10 students in class for the final 2 weeks. Although Frederic did a good job of keeping everyone involved, there is only so much speaking you can do when you are one of 10 students. I know all language schools have similar sizes, and I understand the realities of running a business, meaning the more students per class the greater the income, but I would have liked to see classes limited to 8 students. But the Institute seems to have a thriving business doing it just as they are, so I guess there is no reason to change.Although there were some young students in their 20s, the vast majority of students were in the 50-70 range (like me), mostly well-to-do professional people, or their spouses. Out of the 80 or so students there for the month of September, the range of French-speaking abilities ranged from none at all to very advanced, and I thought the Institute did a nice job of putting people in the right class for people of their same level. Although I didn't improve my French as much as I'd initially hoped, I think that was due to my having unreasonable expectations for myself. I definitely did improve, however, and maybe even more importantly, had a good time in the process. In summary, I'd highly recommend the Institut de France of Villefranche-sur-Mer, and I plan to go back in the near future.
• Sara Princ

  Ajouté 22-06-2017

  BEST DECISION EVER!It was intense, demanding, sometimes difficult but also fun and so productive.After studying for several years a language that I love and still not been able to havea basic conversation, it was pretty frustrating.Four weeks at the Institut de Francais in Villefranche, that's what I needed.I never thought that in only four weeks I could get so much confidence in speaking and understanding when listening to the news.The location of the school, the facilities, the daily program of classes, the beauty of Villefranche are in itself an inspiration and a motivation.To Stephen, my patient, persistent and so knowledgeable teacher, Julian, Bruno, Frderick, whose sense of humor made every Science Class and easy invitation to learn, Natalie, our Cheff and her incredible staff that spoiled us with those delicious breakfast, lunch and tea delights, to Anne and all the staff at the Institut, you will always have my gratitude for all you do to make our experience, an unforgettable one.Sara E Princ
• Bill Hardee

  Ajouté 27-01-2017

  I spent a month at the Institut de Francais in 2012. The Institut is incredibly beautiful. The teachers are caring and encouraging. The experiences there I will carry through my life. Everyone will get out of it what they put into it. At that moment, I needed to work on my pronunciation since I was learning through videos, books, and CD's. I hope to return in 2018. An immersion experience is not for everyone. It demanded some of the most intense concentration in my life. The professors test your level and place you in groups of similar capability. My understanding of communicating in French took a great leap forward in the month I was there. The professors treat students as adults. They are there to teach, not cultivate friendships. They have new classes arriving every four weeks. Yet, the teachers demonstrate warmth, insight into best helping students learn, and clear objectives for each event, each day. The people in your group develop the feel of family because you are all in the same place and struggling to master the same content. I would recommend this school without reservations. It was what I needed and was looking for to make greater strides in my learning of French. I also happen to be an older learner. I was 59 the first time. I will be 65 the next.
• Merita Raicic

  Ajouté 15-07-2016

  I was there 20 plus years ago. Wonderful experience.
• Bob Bob

  Ajouté 31-07-2015

  First of all, if you go in the summer, be prepared for extreme heat. The heat stopped me sleeping more than three or four hours a night, even with some AC on. You should 100% go for a studio apartment at the least, I visited some other pupils' smaller living quarters and they were very poor. I was mostly content with my studio apartment, it was very large and had some AC, although the washing machine broke and took a week to replace, and there were pubic hairs ALL over the floor absolutely everywhere. Lord knows how that happened, I tried to convince myself it might be dog hair.The teachers will treat you like small schoolchildren. If you are a CEO or something usually you may get seriously uncomfortable with the way you are spoken to. You are expected to memorise things very quickly, and are given homework every day. The hours are quite long, 9 am to 4:45 pm. In my opinion nobody learns anything past 2 pm but perhaps that's just me. Don't imagine it's mostly a holiday with some french lessons thrown in..the institute always tries to take over your time. If you are over the age of 60 I would not recommend this course. The pupils I spoke to around the age of 60 to 70 + seemed to be mostly grumpy and uncomfortable most of the time, which I imagine is down to the workload and the presence of some younger students in their 20's.You are with one teacher 80% of the time, whom you are allocated to near the beginning. Personally I felt the teacher I happened to get was one of the least personable at the Institute. You get the opportunity to speak with other teachers at lunchtime and in the odd other lessons after lunch. I know for a fact some of the teachers are kind and encouraging and funny, but unfortunately our one was very highly strung and ordered the head of the institute to come and chastise us one time two people were 10 minutes late one time each one week. She would also get angry if you tried to improvise or be creative, so yes, your mileage may vary when it comes to teachers.The speaking french 24/7 is a serious chore if you are not already quite advanced. I mean imagine spending all day mostly with the ten people in your class only being able to say basic things, even at breaktimes. It gets tiring. Getting from my apartment to the school and back wasnt a problem after the first day, but I'm decently fit.The food at lunch was usually good. The were two or three vegetarian days where I could hardly eat anything, but they were the exception. The chef Nathalie is very very ill-mannered, although maybe has a little kindness underneath if you are brave enough to engage her directly. You are given about 7 minutes to eat pudding before you are kicked out of the canteen, which is frustrating too, and I usually had to leave my dessert half-eaten.It's quite easy to take the bus to Nice. It's about 15-20 mins, usually very busy. Nice is a bit of a nightmare in my opinion, it's huge, it smells and there are pickpockets everywhere.Also you have to pay extra for excursions. First I paid 37 euros for a coach trip to saint paul de vence, then about 4 times during the day the person in charge of the excursion asked for about 15 euros each time there was a museum or something we were passing through., which was a little annoying.Everyone does the language lab at some point in the day. It may be a little disturbing for some people. When you put the headphones on its like you are in an isolation tank, and your inner thoughts suddenly become very loud and its easy to become lost in thought when you are supposed to be doing french.