One day the Director of my University called me to inform me that I did not pass my exam. This was terrible news for me. I studied a lot and I was sure I would pass the exam. I was told that I had only 19 points and 20 points were necessary to pass. Too bad, I missed it slightly!
He informed me that the exam in general was not too bad, but that my French skills were not good enough to pass. I did not hesitate; I decided to take French immersion education in France in order to learn French. I decided for a language stay in France, to concentrate fully on studying French.
How can I decide for a city form my French immersion, a city I would enjoy and which would stimulate me to learn French?
Two years ago a friend of mine was for 6 months in France in order to set up a coffee shop. He was in Montpellier, in the South of France. He stills know many people there. He helped me to find a nice local host family. I was very happy staying with them. The family helped me to learn French; this kind of accommodation is best to integrate quickly into daily life and also to improve the language.
Montpellier is a great destination for French immersion education. The city has an ideal size. It is a very lively student city, very dynamic and trendy. Montpellier is located right on the Mediterranean coast which excellent beaches nearby. Montpellier is a charming city; the historic center is just beautiful.
There are small, picturesque streets and lovely private mansion houses. The main square Place de la Comédie is the heart of Montpellier. Many restaurants and cafés are here; there is always a lot of animation. I really recommend this square. Next to the historic center is the Jardin des Plantes and just behind the Place Royale du Peyrou, two really nice places to visit.
I selected the French immersion school Institut Linguistique Adenet (ILA) to study French. The location is excellent, a beautiful private mansion house dating back to the 18th century; just one minute walk from the Place de la Comédie. ILA was recommended by several language travel agencies. ILA is the only school in Montpellier accredited by the well–known international bodies IALC and EAQUALS.
I took a 2 months French course at ILA. All my teachers were fabulous: Julio Caroline, Mélanie… they were all very well organized and talented to teach. I could really learn a lot of French. All staff at ILA was very helpful for any question I had.
ILA offers a wide range of spare time activities: excursions, visits, tastings, fun activities, evenings out with your teacher. It is just great; you learn French and you have a lot of fun!
I really recommend ILA for French language immersion. My language stay in Montpellier was fantastic.
Fabienne, Switzerland (ILA student)