Do you wish you spoke better French? Would you love to be able to order fluently in a restaurant? Do you want to chat with French friends, or do you work with French-speakers and need to communicate more confidently? Whatever your motivation, living in France for a week or more, where you’ll learn French as it’s spoken in France, with a French-speaking teache, enjoying lessons tailored to your language level and specific needs, is the perfect way to improve your language level fast.
French as French people speak it
However diligently you study a language, you’ll always find that the way it’s spoken in an informal setting – such as a restaurant, office or at a family lunch – is very different indeed from schoolroom French. With SL Immersion you’ll not only learn the foundation of grammar and vocabulary necessary to structure a conversation well, you’ll also get to put your lessons into practice in conversation with your host, who is a qualified teacher of French as a Foreign Language, and with their family, friends and neighbours.
Cultural Experience
In addition to improving your French, living with your teacher will give you an invaluable insight into French culture. From local traditions and gastronomy, to an exploration of neighbouring towns, countryside, markets and cultural attractions, your host will ensure you get a real flavour of France. Whether you take the course alone, with your family or as a group (of up to four people per teacher) a homestay in France will boost your confidence and improve your communication skills while giving you a real understanding and appreciation of French culture.
Home from home
By staying in a French home, you’ll be completely immersed in the language, with assistance as you need it to help you understand what’s going on. You’ll learn the vocabulary and phrases that French people use every day, in a comfortable, informal setting. You’ll have a French friend and ally by your side, who knows the ropes, understands the area, and not only wants to help you communicate, but knows exactly how to help you do so effectively.
The whole of the Hexagon
Immersion stays run in Paris, Brittany, the Alps, Normandy, Bordeaux and across the south of France, so you can choose which area you want to explore in depth while learning. With your teacher as an expert local guide by your side, you’ll not only get more chances to practice speaking French outside the home and classroom setting, but you’ll also get the inside story on the local area. Your host can explain its heritage and community, taking you to the best-known tourist destinations, as well as to places a little more off the beaten track. They will also help you to navigate conversations with the people you meet along the way.
Learn your lessons
With every SL Immersion stay, it’s up to you to choose how much study time you factor in to support your informal learning. Whether you want to learn for an hour a day or up to three, the structured classes, tailored to your particular level of French, will consolidate grammar and vocabulary which you can then practice in a less formal setting. Your host will also plan guided conversations at mealtimes to reinforce learning and aid with speaking and comprehension.
Down to business
If you’re a professional looking to improve your French in order to communicate with colleagues or clients, an SL Immersion course can be tailored to your specific needs. It’s the perfect way to polish your grammar and improve your accent if you already have a good level of French, or to teach you the basics of communication if you’re about to move to a job in France or to set up a business there for instance. Lessons can focus on business vocabulary to ensure that you are as well-equipped as possible for the workplace.
Online learning
For all SL Immersion courses, it’s possible to combine your stay in France with online lessons before or after your visit to boost your learning. In some cases, students, who range from eight to 84 years of age, decide only to learn online. If this is your preference, or perhaps your starting point before booking a homestay, each package of 12 lessons can be tailored to your needs and your schedule. Lessons have also been adapted for blind and visually impaired students.
Teaching beyond the classroom walls
Founder of SL Immersion, Celtina Masardo is a qualified teacher of French as a Foreign Language, who became frustrated to see that her students often lost the progress they made in lessons by reverting to their mother tongue as soon as they left the classroom. Immersion in a fully French environment has offered the perfect solution and the business she originally set up in Provence, now has qualified teachers all across France offering immersive language stays. All SL Immersion courses are fully certified by Atout France – the French government tourism agency – ensuring the quality and security of your stay.
Find out more
For more information and to book your French immersion stay, visit: slimmersion-france.com The website offers a number of free resources and quizzes, including a test to assess your current level of French.
