I count myself as extremely lucky to have had a marvellous experience learning French at the Institut de Français, in Villefranche-sur-Mer. It is definitely one of the highlights from my travelling experiences to date. As an avid language learner and with several years of French study under my belt, I went to the Institut de Français with the aim of improving my spoken language. Learning a foreign language in an English-speaking country like Australia provides many barriers and it’s easy to become stuck and lack confidence with your abilities. There is truly nothing like learning a language on its home soil. There are so many things to be gained, particularly since there are countless opportunities to practice speaking the language every moment of the day (e.g. ordering a coffee, buying a bus ticket, asking for a certain size shoe).
The Institut de Français is situated in the stunning French Riviera village of Villefranche-sur-Mer, only 3 kms from Nice. The Institut has been operating for 55 years and offers 2 or 4 week intensive French language courses for Beginners to Advanced students. I opted for the 2 week course due to time constraints, but I would have very happily stayed another fortnight.
The method taken by the Institut is an “Immediate Immersion” method, with an emphasis on spoken French (no other languages are to be spoken on campus). Indeed, my tutor Sylvie would be quite cross if she’d heard a few words of English amongst us! Days are fairly jam-packed, with classes lasting 8.5 hours a day, 5 days a week. Daily homework was given to us to help consolidate the day’s learnings. Classes are graded according to your knowledge of the language, which occurs on the first day. After a series of tests, I was surprised to learn that I would be in one the Advanced classes but it was definitely the right level of challenge for me.
The Institut really encourages socialising with other students, who at the time I studied, were from all backgrounds, ages and nationalities. This really added to the experience. Because we were all there to do the same thing, i.e. learn French no matter what our level, we quickly bonded and became fast friends. The Institut also hosts several social events whilst you’re staying there, including group dinners, a wine tasting night, a cheese appreciation afternoon, a movie night, and day trips to neighbouring villages. Chances are you will find at least one person here that you will “click with”.
Breakfast and lunch were provided (all absolutely delicious). And more often than not, we would meet up with fellow students for dinner at a nearby restaurant, or on occasion we would have a quiet night in by ourselves (watching the local TV stations of course). The Institut can organise your accommodation for you, and I stayed in a very comfortable apartment just a stone’s throw away.
The weekends were free to do whatever you wished, which in this part of the world offers so many amazing places to see and visit nearby. A highlight for me was the village of Eze, is a medieval hilltop town dating back to the medieval ages. It is dotted with beautiful art galleries, jewellery shops, and perfume stores. Nice is also very close by and easily accessible by bus or taxi. I loved wandering through Vieux Nice (the Old Town neighbourhood of Nice) as it has a really rich history.
My tips: Whilst in Eze, treat yourself to a drink on the terrace of Chateau Eza. You will find some spectacular scenery here so soak it up. Last time I visited was at sunset and it was a really memorable experience. In Vieux Nice, don’t miss the markets in Cours Saleya – they are spectacular (the most delicious raspberries I’ve eaten were from here and I still think about them)…
I was sad to leave the Institut de Français after 2 amazing weeks of meeting some very interesting people, feeling more confident in my French abilities, as well as stay and live in this beautiful part of the world as much as a local as I have in any of my travel experiences so far. I recommend this experience to absolutely anyone who considers themselves a bit of a Francophile. I hope I can return one day not too far away.