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Brief description of the School in Paris

Our school is located in the heart of Paris, near the Louvre, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Georges Pompidou Center, the Opera and offers courses for 6 levels of language knowledge throughout the year, and more in the summer, because in July and August we organize French Summer School. It takes place in our summer residence which is located in the south part of Paris, near the water leisure centre with swimming pool “Aquaboulevard” and Porte de Versailles Exhibition Park.

Our school was accredited in convention with the Universities of INALCO, Paris V, Paris VII, Paris VIII and Poitiers and granted the by the French government with the Official Quality Label FLE. Our school is a member of CAMPUS FRANCE of the professional organization SOUFFLE. - We use different teaching methods that integrate modern culture of lively Parisian surroundings.

There are 20 bright and large classrooms, study room, visual and audio materials, daily French magazines and papers, cafeteria with free Internet access and computers in our school. In our summer residence you can find 30 spacious classrooms, a TV-area, a self-service restaurant, a cafeteria, a rest-room with large terraces and a fitness centre within the residence.

We provide different types of courses and tailor-made programs for six language levels from total beginner to advanced. Our courses start every Monday (and every second week for beginners). Standard amount of students per group – 11. You can also register and pass official examinations of French language TCF and TEF There is easy access for people with disabilities. For the comfort for our students we organize accommodation that suits any budget: host-families, student residences, serviced apartments, hotels.

At our School you will gain the optimal conditions for studying French and discovering French culture.

Teachers

At our School, all our teachers as minimum one University degree: PHD, DEA or MA. In addition to the teaching French they are involved in developing our learning materials and teaching methods and other research projects.

Our administrative staff is employed on a full-time base to organize properly your bookings, lessons, accommodation, cultural and other activities.

Methodology

At our School the process of teaching and learning French as a foreign language is organized due to requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference. We consider the language needs of each student to create the proper learning strategy. We help our students achieve such level of fluency when they will be able to speak French efficiently and successfully. To do this we reconstruct real-life circumstances where our students use their French practically.

In teaching of main four language skills we use the following methods and materials:

Learn to listen and understand: watching and listening different authentic audio and visual materials (movies, songs, radio and TV programs).

Learn to speak and express yourself naturally and correctly: role-play exercises, debates, excursions, drama.

Learn to read with correct pronunciation and intonation: analyzing authentic texts in newspapers and magazines, professional documents, classical and modern literature, brochures.

Learn to write: performing a variety of writing exercises aimed at improving the communicative skills and the knowledge of the language. Grammar is taught in the course of language games, simulations, interactive activities, and a range of other exercises.

Strong command of the language and deep understanding of French culture are the foundation for developing the learning strategy and improving the communication skills of a student. For this purpose our School uses drama as part of our language course. Such method enables students to overcome their fear of speaking French and helps to work on the different elements of oral and non-verbal communication such as pronunciation, intonation, rhythm, speed.

We also organize a lot of trips and conferences that concern of different subjects relating to French culture such as history of Montmartre, contemporary literature, French cuisine, institutions of the Fifth Republic and media.

Walks down typical areas of Paris with our teacher are an essential part of our teaching method. Students also can attend the afternoon workshops that allow discovering some of the most reputed cultural, historical, literary, and architectural parts of Paris.

Teaching materials

On the first day upon arrival our students are given a folder with all necessary which than can be used to file the documents given by our teachers and the notes that students take during the course.

Certification

After course end, our students are given a course certificate that specifies the number of attendance hours, initial level and the level that a student has reached.
Upon request, a student may also get an evaluation certificate, which includes a detailed analysis of a student’s competence in the French language, or a certificate of a student’s level in the form of a detailed estimation of linguistic competence.

The main teacher of a course completes the end of course teaching estimation which is confirmed by the teaching department. It includes: start level, the level achieved in the four abilities: oral and written knowledge, oral and written expression based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR); a detailed description of a student’s abilities and progress in the different fields: written, oral and socio-cultural; general comments. This estimation can be used to earn credits at university, or as justification of training course at work.