Coming to Montpellier to learn French is an incredibly exciting experience and there is so much to see and do here. Sometimes it seems like there is a little too much! How do you decide where to go or what’s happening? It’s good to reward yourself for working hard on your French Intensive course for adults and get refreshed for the week ahead so where do you go to see what’s on or just find out more about Montpellier in general? Le Gazette Magazine is the answer. This is a great weekly magazine where you can find loads of information on all sorts of stuff going on alongside articles on subjects important to this part of the world.
L’Essentiel Way to Learn About Montpellier Whilst Improving Your French
So, first things this magazine is entirely in French so be prepared for that. It’s still super easy to figure out the listings of events and things like that but obviously the articles might not be so easy depending on your French level. There is a slick website to accompany the magazine which has the main agenda listed so you can see the summary there. I however love getting a hard copy and sitting with my coffee, planning out all the fun things I can do for that week. If you are still not ready to trawl through an entire paper in French (like me) there is a great summary section called ‘L’essentiel’ and this contains a balanced mix of the most important events, news/comment and of course the weather. The articles in this section aren’t too long so they are perfect for people doing French language stays in Montpellier and the events listings are understandable to anyone as they are just in calendar form.
For the sport lovers among you the Gazette will keep you abreast of everything happening in Montpellier and France in general. They have a strong sporting culture here especially surrounding the rugby. You can find the latest standings and league tables as well as upcoming fixtures you can go and see. It’s the six nations tournament here at the moment and most bars that are showing the matches are packed-out for them. It’s not just rugby though they have basketball, volley-ball and football too and the women’s sporting scene is represented more in Gazette than many other papers as well. If you’re looking for a bit more of an insight though there are plenty of in-depth articles on the people behind the teams and the drama of the sporting world. There is also plenty of information for you on sports you can get involved in from the mainstream to the quirky so have a look and see if anything interests you.
If you want to go for something more artsy there is a comprehensive section on the upcoming expositions around the city. There are a lot of events showcased at the Gazette Café itself but the magazine includes interesting collections being showcased all over.
Keep Yourself Interested in Montpellier – Not Panama Again!
A section almost every student doing a French immersion course will benefit from reading is ‘l’agenda’. It’s great! It’s varied and broad and covers music of all types which will probably be the first port of call for most of you; I strongly recommend paying attention to this as it’s a great way to avoid going to the same places every night through lack of a better idea of what else to do. On top of the music you can see what theatrical stuff is on, conferences, markets, comedy etc. It is a great spot to see what Montpellier really has to offer.
Along-side letting you know what’s happening entertainment-wise Gazette houses many interesting articles and really gives you an insight in to the city and region in general, you can learn about people or topics that will be the subject of many conversations you might be privy to and so you can contribute or just follow more easily.
So, there is no need to feel overwhelmed at the choice of things to do or where to start learning about this city; it is all very nicely compacted and summarised here for you in ‘Le Gazette Magazine’. It really has been a useful tool for me whilst learning French in Montpellier, it’s keep me on top of the variety of events happening which have been a wonderful reward for working hard on my immersion course and keep me motivated. It’s also been great for teaching me more about my home town during my French language stay in Montpellier, and immerse in the French culture.