Study abroad in French: offers, information, experience reports, FAQ

Ein Mann in einem Französisch Sprachaufenthalt steht vor dem Eiffelturm und lächelt in die Kamera.
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Are you looking for a French language study trip? Here you will find suitable schools as well as further information, tips and resources for further education.

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French language study trip - Combine traveling and learning

As a world language, French is understood and spoken in many countries. If you want to learn this wonderful language for school, work or leisure, or if you want to expand your existing knowledge, a French language study trip is the perfect choice. Because only through daily contact with the language, through continuous listening and speaking, can you really learn a foreign language perfectly and make significant linguistic progress within a very short time.

Would you like to improve your French? Nowhere else can you learn a foreign language better and more efficiently than in the country in which it is used. For this reason, we recommend that you consider a French language study trip and enquire about suitable offers. A language study trip is not only attractive because of the efficient learning. A language study trip also gives you the opportunity to get to know another country, its people and culture and to broaden your horizons. Travel to France or another French-speaking country and learn the melodious and popular French language. During your free time, you can go on short trips or excursions and explore the country's nature, landscapes or cities. You will always have the opportunity to practise and consolidate the French you have learned.

Qualify for exciting and varied jobs thanks to the language skills you acquire during your stay in French. What's more, you'll have no trouble communicating in French during your future stays and vacations in French-speaking countries. You can find offers for French language courses on the Swiss education portal.

There are usually many different course models that you can choose from at a language school. It therefore always makes sense to first decide on a course that interests you and then choose the schools that offer these courses. After all, you want to learn a language during your stay and not just go on vacation. Please always keep this in mind, because only in this way will you be satisfied with the school, the facilities and the course.

Possible courses could be

  • Standard course
  • Intensive course
  • Super intensive course
  • Preparation course
  • Individual lessons
  • Combination courses
  • Special courses

All language schools offer standard and intensive courses. These comprise around 20 or 25 weekly lessons, although this number depends on the individual language school and can therefore vary. Super-intensive courses often extend to 30 lessons per week. With combination courses, you usually take part in the normal standard course and then have a few more lessons a week of individual tuition, which you can of course also book exclusively. The DELF preparation course is suitable for all those who would like to be officially tested in French during their language stay in order to obtain a language diploma.

Questions and answers

According to our inquiries, the target group is interested in a French language course for adults for the following reasons:

  • 34% want to find out which French study trip suits their learning goals exactly
  • 33 % are interested on the basis of a recommendation
  • 33% are interested because such a course is required in a job description.
A French language study trip can be booked for as little as one week. However, you should bear in mind that such a short stay will not give you a great deal of language knowledge. Even with an intensive course of around 30 lessons, this means that you will only complete these 30 hours before you return home. You can always book a language course on a weekly basis, usually with Sunday as the day of arrival and Saturday as the day of departure. However, this also means that if you book a week-long course, you will actually only spend five full days at the French school, leaving you little time for excursions and leisure activities.

According to our survey, language-learning adults ask schools about a French language study trip because 34% already knew the school. 33% asked schools for a recommendation. The remaining 33% had read an online review of French language courses there before enquiring about a school.

The language courses on offer vary depending on the provider. Language travel providers for youth language trips often only offer a fixed number of language lessons per week, so that all participants, although in different ability groups, complete the same number of lessons per day and week. This is also due to the fact that the supporting programme is usually much more tightly organized than for language trips for young adults or other target groups who also want to explore the surrounding area independently.

For language travel for young adults, adults, seniors or professionals, you will usually find several types of language course at different levels during a French language stay. There are usually standard courses with around 20 lessons per week, intensive courses with up to 30 lessons, special diploma courses for French language diplomas, semi-intensive courses with around 25 lessons per week or combination courses consisting of group courses and individual lessons. The exact number of lessons per week varies depending on the school, as does the choice of courses. Some language schools also allow you to combine a French course with a specific leisure activity, such as cooking, golf or culture.

It depends entirely on the individual language school which costs are included in the price quoted. As a rule, the price includes the cost of the French course, the course materials and the accommodation you have chosen, possibly with half board if booked. In addition to these costs for your French language study trip, you will usually have to add the leisure program, registration fees or agency fees, as well as travel costs and possibly airport transfers. There may also be a surcharge during the high season at some schools, especially for residences, as well as during the Christmas and New Year period with host families. If you have chosen a diploma course, you should note that the costs for the DELF or DALF exams are usually not included in the price, which usually amount to a further 150 francs. If you have opted for accommodation in a hall of residence, you should bear in mind that this usually does not include meals, which you will have to take care of yourself (not for youth trips). Extracurricular activities, additional bookable activities, travel on public transport and entrance fees are also charged separately, as are deposits that are often required for apartments. As there can be quite a lot of additional costs, you should ask for quotes from a number of schools and compare them in detail and check what is included so that you can be sure to find not only the best French course, but also the right school at the best possible price for your French language study trip.

Here you will find extensive information and tipsand a direct link to providers of language courses in France.

If you would like to register your children for a French language study trip at a good language school, there are a number of interesting offers available. Depending on the age of your child, language camps held here in Switzerland may be more suitable than language trips to France, which are more suitable for young people aged 13 and over. Such language trips can take place in different parts of France, in larger cities or smaller provinces, depending on what you have in mind for your son or daughter. Some offers also combine language courses with special leisure courses, such as tennis or sailing, while others offer varied leisure programs with excursions and sports afternoons. With all offers, you should always make sure that good supervision is also provided outside of the courses and that your children have someone to talk to at all times.
Regardless of whether you are sending your child to France or another French-speaking region for a French language study trip, there are a few things you need to consider before booking in order to find the right language school for your son or daughter. First of all, it is important that you decide on the right location. For children under the age of 13, it may be sunnier to enrol them in a language camp that takes place in many places in Switzerland and is not too far from home. When choosing a school, you should always make sure that it has been in existence for several years and has good references.

Also clarify what qualifications the teachers have and what course models are available. Intensive courses are not recommended for children and younger teenagers and can quickly lead to refusal. It's better to start small and look for a French course that doesn't involve more than three or four lessons a day. Think about whether you want your child to live with a host family or on the school campus during the French language course. Both options offer advantages and disadvantages and should be arranged within the family. A child with homesickness is probably better off in a host family, one with a great thirst for adventure in a hall of residence.

Clarify what the childcare situation is like. How many teachers and supervisors are there for how many children? Are the children supervised around the clock? Is the site secure? Can no unauthorized persons get in? Organized leisure activities should also be available, be it painting classes or volleyball games. You can find more information on choosing the right school in our free guide "How to choose the right education provider" (see navigation point "Education help" above).

Redaktionelle Leitung:

Stefan Schmidlin, Bildungsberatung, Content-Team Modula AG

Quellen

Website des Schweizerischen Sekretariats für Bildung, Forschung und Innovation SBFI , Website www.berufsberatung.ch (offizielles schweizerisches Informationsportal der Studien-, Berufs- und Laufbahnberatung) sowie Websites und anderweitige Informationen der Berufsverbände und Bildungsanbieter.

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Linguista language courses
(5.6) Excellent 27 27 Ratings (100% )
Are you ready for the best time of your life?
For over 35 years, Linguista Sprachaufenthalte has been your reliable partner when it comes to organizing language study trips worldwide with enthusiasm and passion for languages and travel. We maintain a trusting and long-standing working relationship with our international partner schools, guaranteeing you a high standard of quality and great flexibility. Our team consists of proven language travel specialists, all of whom are experienced travelers and have of course been on several language study trips themselves. We provide you with free, comprehensive and competent advice. We know how to respond to the individual wishes of our customers and plan each language study trip individually and tailored to their learning goals, previous knowledge and personal needs.
Strengths: Linguista offers free advice on language study trips for all ages and language goals. Our staff have been on site and know the partner schools personally. Benefit from our know-how.
Region: Aargau, Basel, Bern, Ostschweiz, Zentralschweiz, Zürich
Sites: Aarau, Basel, Bern, Luzern, Winterthur, Zürich
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EF language courses and cultural exchange worldwide
Experience, competence and service are top priorities at EF! Since 1965, more than 3 million language students have chosen to learn a language abroad with EF. Today, we are one of the world's largest private organizers of language stays and language travel. We think that's not without reason! At our own language schools in 50 fascinating destinations, we offer a varied program for all language levels and all age groups. Since 2008, we have also been working successfully with the University of Cambridge ESOL - with further benefits for our customers.
Strengths: Own EF language schools and EF learning method / 60 years of experience / Organization from A-Z / Guaranteed learning success / Own app during your stay
Region: Aargau, Basel, Bern, Liechtenstein, Ostschweiz, Tessin, Westschweiz, Zentralschweiz, Zürich
Sites: Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Genf, Lausanne, Lugano, Luzern, St. Gallen, Zürich
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ESL - Language courses
(5.2) Very good 70 70 Ratings (97% )
Language stays, internships abroad & gap year programs worldwide.
Languages are like a key to a new world. They help us to understand other cultures and broaden our own horizons. Languages are also an absolute plus point for any CV. For over 20 years, ESL - Language Study Abroad has been offering life-changing educational opportunities abroad for young and old. In addition to tailor-made language courses abroad and courses to obtain official language certificates, we also offer gap year programs including internships, traineeships or studies abroad. In addition to the standard languages English, French and Italian, we also offer more exotic languages such as Korean, Japanese and Arabic.
Strengths: Personal support before, during and after your language study trip / More than 20 languages and 250 destinations worldwide / Over 20 years of experience in the language travel sector.
Region: Aargau, Basel, Bern, Ostschweiz, Tessin, Westschweiz, Zentralschweiz, Zürich
Sites: Aarau, Basel, Bellinzona, Bern, Freiburg, Genf, Lausanne, Locarno, Lugano, Luzern, Montreux, Neuenburg, Serfontana - Chiasso, Sitten, St. Gallen, Zürich
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BIKU Languages AG
BIKU Languages offers you the perfect opportunity to improve your language skills through a language study trip at home or abroad. With almost 40 years of experience in organizing language travel, we are your partner for a successful language study trip. We open the door to the world for you thanks to education & culture. The advisory team knows our partner schools personally from visits on site and can therefore give you the best advice to help you find the right language school to suit your needs.
Region: Aargau, Basel, Bern, Liechtenstein, Ostschweiz, Virtuelles Klassenzimmer, Zentralschweiz, Zürich
Sites: Aarau
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Agency Switzerland Westbourne Academy GmbH
The Westbourne Academy is located in the south of England and is recognized by the British Council. Thanks to a high level of word-of-mouth advertising, very low prices can be offered. At the same time, above-average examination results have been achieved for years.

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Pro Linguis - StudyLingua Group
Pro Linguis has been arranging language courses since 1955, making it the oldest and most experienced Swiss agency for language courses. The renowned company offers classic language courses in 11 languages in almost 40 different countries. Let the Pro Linguis team advise you - we will find the perfect offer for young people, adults or families. Be it a language stay, an exchange year, a Work & Study Experience or a bridging offer for studying abroad. We will make your stay abroad an unforgettable experience! Pro Linguis is part of the StudyLingua Group.

The in-house language school "StudyLingua Sprachschule" offers group courses and private lessons in over 40 different languages in the heart of Zurich. All our teachers are native speakers and are passionate about teaching their respective languages! Thanks to our needs analysis and small class sizes of a maximum of four participants, each course is tailored to the wishes of our participants.
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