NOW BOOKING : Sept 13th - 17th 2010 Oct 18th - 22nd 2010
To arrange courses outside of these dates, please contact us
Our French courses are intended for keen students who are looking to make a significant jump in confidence and ability.
Classes are small (no more than six adults), and are taught in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere by local professional French language teachers.
Giles Murray graduated with a BA Joint Honours degree in Modern Languages (French and Spanish) from Durham University, UK.
After periods working in Paris and South America, Giles settled in London to work for a publisher of travel books. Always a keen francophile, he returned to live permanently in France, settling in Gourdon in 2004.
Giles is an active member of the local community. As well as founding a karate club, he has been involved in setting up Gourdon's new Office Municipal du Sport. Giles teaches French as a foreign language to the British expatriate community in the Lot and Dordogne and works as a translator. He is married with two daughters at school in Gourdon.
After fifteen years of teaching French in secondary schools in France, Anne-Marie has recently opted for early retirement. The holder of an FLE qualification, she now concentrates on teaching French as a foreign language, largely to local students of English and Dutch origin.
Anne-Marie is married with four children and lives in a small village near Gourdon. Her other passion is ecology: Anne-Marie is the driving force behind an association for raising public awareness of green issues, such as protecting the environment through the use of eco-friendly alternatives.
| Full French Course - 645 euros |
Full French Conversation - 645 euros |
Beginners French Course - 475 euros |
Free Time French Course - 300 euros |
| Full timetable including meals and outings (excluding accommodation and travel to and from Gourdon) |
Full timetable including meals and outings (excluding accommodation and travel to and from Gourdon) |
Half the morning classroom time with beginners level tuition. All meals and outings as per the timetable (excluding accommodation and travel to and from Gourdon) |
5 morning sessions only, meals can be added at 15 euros for a lunch or 25 euros for an evening meal (excluding accommodation and travel to and from Gourdon) |
| Suitable for intermediate students looking to make maximum progress over the week |
Suitable for intermediate to advanced students wishing to focus on listening and speaking skills |
Suitable for beginners or very rusty learners who want a gentler pace, but who want a good initiation into the language and culture |
Suitable for expat learners wishing to consolidate existing knowledge, or those on holiday with friends or family, or house hunters who need the afternoons for viewings! It is possible to specify French conversation sessions only |
Outings and activities
are part of the programme, and in your free time you can explore the
area, shop, dine and otherwise immerse yourself in French life - great
opportunities to put into practice your newly-acquired language skills!
When you book the course, we will assess your level with a short
test, to help us better structure the course. It is possible for couples or groups attending the French course together to select different course options.
Students may arrive at any point over the weekend before the French course.
We can be on hand to meet you at the train station if you need, and to
help you settle into your accommodation.
On Sunday evening we all get together informally,
which is a good time to meet the group and break the ice before lessons
start on Monday morning.
Classroom time centres on the four main skills of language - reading, writing, listening and speaking - with particular emphasis on communication. For the French Conversation course the empasis will be on listening and speaking only.
For half of the session, working as much as possible in French, we cover specific topics, dealing with grammar points where needed and ensuring that you are building a good foundation in the French language. For the Beginners French course this will be tailored for those learning from scratch. For example, a typical session might take a more in-depth look at conversation openings, question formation and how to find out information. This will transfer directly to practical use later in the day and help you to develop the tools you will need to initiate conversation in the future.
Half way through the morning there will be a short coffee break.
The other half of the morning's session is exclusively in French: a workshop specifically focused on listening and speaking, with conversation and role-play situations. Working as a group, in pairs and one-on-one with the tutor, there will also be emphasis on pronunciation to build your confidence and accuracy in real life conversation.
Lunchtime is a perfect opportunity to sample the region's gastronomic delights and you will be accompanied by least one tutor. The local custom is that everything stops for two hours at lunch, so there's nothing else for it but to relax and use this time to find out more about life in France, to decipher the menu or to practise your French conversation skills. Either way, the emphasis will be on enjoying a convivial atmosphere in one of Gourdon's friendly restaurants.
The afternoons are taken up with activities and outings which we believe will be the real key to developing your confidence in speaking French. We will put together an itinterary that will take in the rich variation of the region's sites, geared to giving you opportunities to hear the French language spoken in real situations, with plenty of chance for French conversations with real French people!
Wednesday afternoon is free time, though students can follow one of a number of suggested itineraries and/or worksheets. It is possible to arrange additional tuition during this time if you have specific needs.
Evenings are also free time, and a great opportunity to converse with your hosts, or to explore the town's bars and restaurants, or even catch a film - Gourdon is fortunate enough to have a two-screen cinema with very comfy seats! There is a varied and excellent programme consisting largely of French films with a few Hollywood blockbusters (dubbed into French), but there are sometimes films in English or other foreign languages with French subtitles.
There is a farewell dinner on Friday night, with an informal review of the week's work.
If you are leaving Gourdon on the Saturday after the course, we are available to help you get to the train station.
A second or third week's tuition can be arranged in advance with the emphasis being on individual tuition, tailored to each student's requirements. The content of this can be agreed in the light of the previous week's progress and can fit around your holiday itinerary if you wish to explore the region a little more.