Program Details
Eligibility
Visa and TravelProgram Details
What better way to learn French than by attending a language school in the south of France with other international students? Your month includes French lessons in classes based on your skill level (beginners welcome), trips to nearby towns, room and board in a residence hall, study materials (except a dictionary), and various school activities. AFS Volunteer Chaperones will be present for the entire program.
Program duration is 4 weeks.
Language School and Residence Hall
The program will be held at the Centre Méditerranéen d’Etudes Françaises in the city of Cap D’Ail, located on the Côte d’Azur (a.k.a. the French Riviera, on the Mediterranean coast of France) and neighboring the Principality of Monaco.
Unlike most AFS programs, you will not be placed with a host family. You will be staying in the school’s residence hall along with other students on the program and international students from around the world. You will be staying in suites with 2-4 roommates of the same gender. Laundry facilities are available.
A program leader, assigned by AFS USA, will be present throughout your stay for guidance and support. Residence hall monitors and staff will also be on-site 24 hours per day. All monitors are licensed and experienced working with youth.
French Language Lessons
Approx. 60 hours of French language lessons (3 hours per day, 5 days per week) will be offered by the language school. Beginner French speakers welcome. Your French-speaking ability will be evaluated at the beginning of the program and you will be assigned to the appropriate class level. A Certificate of Completion will be issued to each participant at the end of the course.
All language study materials (textbooks, handouts, etc) will be provided though we recommend that you bring your own English-French dictionary.
Afternoon and Evening Activities
Choose from a variety of afternoon activities. Play sports (soccer, tennis, volleyball, etc.), hang out on the beach, take trips to nearby cities on the Riviera including Monaco, Nice, Menton, Villefranche, Eze, and Roquebrune, or use that time to get additional help from the language tutors.
Evening entertainment is organized as a large group activity or a small workshop. Many activities will be offered (sporting tournaments, concerts, cooking, arts and crafts, bilingual clubs, etc…) and you can take part in the activities you choose.
Weekend day-trips will also be arranged and may include visits to Cannes, Saint-Tropez, or Grasse.
Meals
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served in the school’s dining hall.
Watch a video showing a typical first day.
Program details are subject to change. Additional information, including a suggested packing list, will be provided to participants prior to departure.
Eligibility
To be eligible you must:
- Be between the ages of 15 years, 0 months, and 18 years, 0 months, at the time of departure
- Be mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy in accordance with the AFS Medical Evaluation Policy
- Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to new a culture and environment
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Visa and Travel
All international travel requires that you have a passport that is valid for six months longer than your intended stay. Please submit your passport number and expiration date along with your AFS Full Application.
Visa
A student visa is not required in order to participate in this program. Instead, you’ll enter France on a tourist visa that is granted upon your arrival abroad. The tourist visa will be valid for the duration of your stay.
Travel
You and your fellow AFSers will fly together between New York and Nice. After you collect your luggage and pass through customs you will be met by AFS staff and volunteers who will escort you on your trip south to the language school.
