It all starts at home

by Dominique Brémond

You want to study French! How about a six-month leisure trip to France? A couple of months in Paris to enjoy the markets, loll in cafés and take French classes, perhaps make a few out-of-town excursions. Then a long stay in Provence to relax, practice the language, take some more classes. Sounds appealing, no doubt, but you may have only a week or two. How can you make the best use of a quick trip to study French in France?

It begins at home.

Your own personal approach to learning the language can make all the difference. As we say in French, il faut savoir joindre l’utile à l’agréable—mixing business with pleasure is a skill. I recommend mixing your French studies with your own personal interests. Rather than simply following a traditional academic lesson plan, make learning French part of your daily life. For example, if your favorite pastime is golf, subscribe to a French golfing magazine, look for French websites about the sport, learn the terms in French: le parcours, le trou, le drapeau, la fosse de sable (course, hole, flag, sand trap)…. The same advice applies to an interest in gardening, cooking, movies, pets (you can’t go to France without knowing how to say “le chien”!). Your research will be an excellent opportunity to become familiar with various aspects of French culture connected to your own experience.

You can also link your choice of locale to a favorite activity. If you like skiing or hiking, look for a school near the Alps or the Pyrénées, where these activities are available year-round. If surfing’s your passion, opt for Biarritz, one of France’s epicenters for the sport. Wine lovers should find a school in Bourgogne, Bordeaux or another wine city. History buffs can study French in the Loire Valley, immersing themselves in the terrain and architecture where French monarchs once walked. And if food is your main interest, close your eyes and point randomly at a map of France. Wherever your finger falls will be as good a choice as any.

If you’re a city person you won’t want a school in the Aveyron (a rural département in France’s rugged south central countryside). Paris may beckon, but remember that your chances to speak French are slimmer there. Not only does everyone speak English, but they all want to practice it on you. The alternative is to find a school in another large city. Lyon and Marseille have many of the benefits of Paris—great shopping, cultural events, fine restaurants—but fewer people who speak English.

In smaller cities such as Bordeaux or Lille, the pace is slightly slower and people tend to give foreigners more attention, since tourism is lighter. Next in scale and intensity are towns with more of a student atmosphere, perhaps Toulouse or Montpellier, with their large campuses. For peace and quiet, try cute cities like Annecy, Périgueux, Saint-Malo or Honfleur and enjoy small-town life in the French provinces.

To connect with a more international crowd, choose Grenoble, Aix-en-Provence, Nice, Sophia-Antipolis or Antibes, where students and professionals from all over the world gather in business and technical schools.

Whatever you decide on for your travel study experience, make it fun—and make it yours!