I came to CILFA to do my French Course without any prior knowledge of it. I started as a very fresh beginner. But by the end of the course after 11 weeks class, I wrote DELF A1 and received high marks. It with the help of CILFA, I got greater motivation to learn further the French language. Thanks to the teachers in CILFA who are very patient and concerned with the students and for their dedication. God bless CILFA and its staff.
I loved my experience at CILFA – I studied in the B2 class for two months. The class had such a welcoming atmosphere, it was an amazing learning environment and I recommended it – and continue to recommend it – to anyone who asks about learning French. Annecy itself is beautiful and an incredible place to live. I miss it regularly and it is the perfect place to learn – local enough to get lots of practice in, but international enough to meet lots of new people.
J’ai adoré mon expérience au CILFA – j’ai étudié dans la classe B2 pendant deux mois. La classe avait une atmosphère accueillante, c’est un environnement qui était parfait pour l’apprentissage et je l’ai recommandé – et le recommande – à tous ceux qui me demandent des recommandations concernant les cours de français. Annecy est belle et c’est un lieu incroyable à habiter. Ça me manque régulièrement et c’est un endroit parfait pour apprendre – assez petit pour avoir de nombreuses occasions de pratiquer, mais assez international pour rencontrer de nouvelles personnes.
I came to live in France hardly knowing any French at all. I tried a few different ways to learn – including another language school, online apps, online tutors, and individual tutoring. This got me a small way into my language learning journey, but the thing that made the most difference was doing a semester at CILFA. My teacher was fantastic – I think all of them are – and the atmosphere in the classroom was great. Initially, I didn’t like the idea of coming to class 5 days a week, but this is really what makes a difference. I successfully passed the B1 exam, and would like to come back for another semester sometime soon.
I work part time in England, allowing me the occasional week in France to progress my French language skills. I discovered CILFA via a recommendation from a friend and they were very accommodating, allowing me to join a class that matches my current level, for a week at a time. The students are very diverse, coming from most countries of the world, and spanning all ages from senior secondary school students to older retired students. This diversity is a great strength of the school and makes it an interesting and enjoyable place to be. The teachers are all great at motivating the students and classes are run in a formal but intelligently relaxed atmosphere. Several weeks of language study every autumn works best for my busy schedule and I am just about to start again for my third year in a row. I really look forward to going back year on year.
I had an amazing experience at CILFA! I had already study French previously back in the states, but when I came to CILFA, I was able to properly construct sentences and improve my vocabulary and grammar as well. I’m currently living in Paris and taking French courses, but nothing compares to CILFA and their amazing team of teachers and amazing program!
I’m currently a French teacher in the United States at an International Baccalaureate charter school. I participated in the stage de formation de formateurs FLE (French teacher training/workshop) in July 2016. It was a wonderful workshop led by experienced teachers on a variety of topics: techniques for teaching Francophone literature, music, and creativity in the classroom. It was great being able to collaborate with teachers from all over the world on teaching the French language. I walked away from this experience more confident not only in my French language skills, but also in my teaching skills.
I was also able to participate in the culture activities that CILFA offers in addition to the course. It was great being able to put my language skills to use in a context outside of the classroom and also discover the beautiful things that Annecy and the surrounding area has to offer. The teachers and support staff are excellent. They are experienced, patient, creative and welcoming. I will definitely return to CILFA in the future!
CILFA was an amazing immersion experience. I only attended for a short session, but after my experience I would like to return to attend the entire session. My professor and fellow students were incredibly welcoming and my language skills greatly improved. The classes were highly entertaining and I learned just as much about French culture as I did the language itself. I highly recommend this program!
CILFA came highly recommended by two friends when I was looking for a French immersion program for myself, age 58, and my daughter, age 23. She had one year of college French and I had done a year study abroad program in France a LONG time ago …..BUT we only had a 2 week vacation time! CILFA was perfect for us because they allowed us to drop in for just 2 weeks and they had 5 different levels of instruction. Both of us were in a class with just the right amount of challenge. I noticed a big digging out of my old French language skills in just two weeks. I can’t imagine how great it would be to attend an entire 11 week session! The entire organization was very professional, kind and accommodating. I highly recommend CILFA and hope to go back myself some day!
Note: If you attend for less than the entire session, make sure to brush up on what French you already know so you can hit the ground running.
Ce printemps, j’ai passé 3 mois au CILFA et je n’ai que de bons souvenirs.
Premièrement, les professeurs de l’école sont extrêmement compétents et bien que nous avancions à grande vitesse, aucun de nous ne s’est jamais senti perdu ou confus. En dehors des cours réguliers, ils nous ont offert une variété de leçons supplémentaires (comme les tutorats individuels, les classes de conversation ou les explications supplémentaires) que j’ai trouvé vraiment utiles. À la fin de la session, j’ai réussi l’examen du DELF, qui, j’en suis sûre, aurait été beaucoup plus difficile si je n’avais pas assisté aux cours de préparation au CILFA.
Un autre avantage d’étudier à Annecy est son ambiance chaleureuse. Comme les groupes au CILFA consistent d’environ 10 élèves et étant donné qu’ Annecy est une très belle petite ville aux pieds des Alpes, l’environnement est idéal pour les étudiants pour créer des liens étroits. Les nombreuses activités proposées par les professeurs chaque semaine – voyage à Lyon, pique-niques, visites de différents sites à et autour d’Annecy, etc. – ont largement contribué à ce que nous devenions pas seulement des camarades de classe mais aussi des amis. Même aujourd’hui, des mois après avoir déménagé en Hongrie, j’échange régulièrement des emails avec mes anciens camarades et aussi mes professeurs – pour moi ce n’est qu’une autre preuve de l’atmosphère amicale de l’école.
Je recommanderais le CILFA à tous ceux qui souhaitent améliorer leur français mais aussi à ceux qui veulent se sentir comme s’ils sont en vacances dans une petite ville pittoresque.
This spring I have spent 3 months at CILFA and have nothing but great memories.
First of all, the teachers at the school are extremely competent and although we were advancing at great speed, none of us ever felt lost or confused. Outside of the regular classes, we were also offered a huge variety of additional lessons (such as individual tutoring, pronunciation classes or additional grammar explanations) which I also found very helpful. At the end of the session, I have successfully passed the DELF exam, which, I am sure, would have been more difficult have I not attended the preparation classes at CILFA.
Another advantage of studying in Annecy is its warm ambience. CILFA keeping class sizes at around 10 people and Annecy being a beautiful little town by the Alps provide an ideal learning environment in which students can form close bonds. The numerous activities proposed by the teachers on a weekly basis – trip to Lyon, picnics, visits to various sights in and around Annecy, etc. – have largely contributed to us becoming not only classmates but friends. Even today, months after having moved back to Hungary, I still regularly exchange emails with my former classmates and teachers, which, to me, is just another proof of the school’s friendly atmosphere.
I would recommend CILFA to anyone wishing to improve their French but also wanting to feel like they are having a vacation in a picturesque little town.