Phoebe: 12 week French Gap Year Course

Well the important thing is my French.  I have every confidence it has flourished under the instruction of my prof. Katia, who was amazing and extremely patient. The teachers at the college are brilliant, and with lessons taught solely in French, it is a steep learning curve. Every lesson is structured well and it is balanced with a mix of grammar, listening, reading and writing and every month you progress to the next level so the work never becomes boring or too easy. It is always challenging, but I made so much progress every month that you just await the next lesson with impatience as you know you’re going to meet something new. The aspect of learning I loved the most was about French culture, which is intrinsically built into the framework of the lesson, after all every teacher is French – which makes a lot of difference.

The atmosphere in the French language college in Cannes is unbelievable. Everyone becomes so close; living, eating and learning together; but that’s not to say there are times when you can get away from people. The beach is so close and it is beautiful and there are so many things to see and to do. There are people from America, China, England, Spain, Italy, Germany etc, and the mix of different culture and language is unmatchable. I now feel very well travelled, from meeting people from all over the globe.

On the socialising note, there is so much to do at the college and of course outside. Whether it is riding, scuba diving or an excursion to a museum, the office was always packed with great ideas and helpful advice. The bar organised some great nights – with kareoke, crepe soirees, cheese and wine nights, ice-cream soirees etc – and they were always brilliant and the best way to meet new people. All in all it is impossible to be bored, and it was always more of a challenge to find free time as opposed to finding something to do.  Anyway, I think that the best testimonial of my time at the college is in the fact that I’m actually extending my stay for a further 6 months and cannot wait to see what adventures the future has to hold.

If you’re thinking about it – just pick up the phone and call CESA…

Regards – Phoebe