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Learn French at Institut de Français, Villefranche-sur-Mer

The Alliance Française de Seattle is proud to partner with the Institut de Français to offer our community the opportunity to learn and practice French in the French Riviera.

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Discover the Institut de Français

Located in the heart of the French Riviera, the Institut de Français is recognized as one of the best french language schools in France and offers one of the most unique intensive French courses, designed for international students, both motivated adults and professionals (minimum age 21), who wish to learn French quickly and efficiently. What makes their courses different from other programs is that they specialize in developing spoken French and have 8 levels from Beginners to Advanced, ensuring that every student receives the highest quality of teaching.

Founded in 1969, it employs the “Total Approach” for rapid fluency, combining audio-visual methods and an immersive French-only environment. The course stimulates learning through diverse activities, fostering natural speaking ability in real-life situations. The small group interaction enhances the objective of learning French quickly, making it a rich and memorable experience. 

The method used by the Institut de Français is called Immediate Immersion.

Location

The school is housed in a luxurious Provençal villa with manicured terraced gardens, set on the hillside of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer. The town features a lovely port and faces the famous, exclusive peninsula of Saint Jean Cap-Ferrat. Not only in the summer, but all year round, students can take advantage of the region’s cultural richness by visiting museums, enjoying local cuisine, and exploring historic sites. 

Focus on Speaking

The course is designed to enhance your speaking ability, making sure you can communicate confidently in real-world situations.
The Institut de Français offers students a plentiful approach to spoken French from all angles and in all types of situations, ranging from audio-visual class, language lab, games, films, songs, group activities role-playing in everyday or professional situations, lunch with a teacher and cultural outings.

Year-round classes

The Institut de Français offers a 4 week full French immersion course throughout the year and is also an opportunity for those looking to learn French during an extended vacation. Students attend classes 5 days a week, for 8-12 hours per day, with 2 on-site meals with teachers at our private luxurious villa. No special preparation or particular knowledge of French is required.

Cultural Immersion

The Institut de Français believes that the best way to learn French is by living it. There is an introductory social evening at the school on the first Friday of the session. Discussion-excursions with a teacher are organized, depending on the season, to renowned villages such as Saint-Paul-de-Vence, the Maeght Foundation and Grasse: the perfume and flower center of France, the Picasso Musuem in Antibes, the Chagall Museum in the city of Nice, the Villefranche Chapel decorated by Jean Cocteau, and more.