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A2 → B1 immersion trip: Institut de Français, CLÉ, REMPART, or ?

I'm 57, currently A2 in French, and heading to France for a few weeks to help prep for my DELF B1. Looking for real immersion — not just classroom time — and ideally a program with a more mature crowd, since I'm there to have actual conversations.
I've been looking at a few options and would love to hear from anyone with firsthand experience:

  • Institut de Français (Villefranche-sur-Mer) — Do the mealtime conversations with teachers actually add value? And does the French-only rule hold outside of class?
  • CLÉ Tours — Do the afternoon excursions stay in French, or does everyone drift into English once they're out of the classroom?
  • Union REMPART workcamps — Does A2/low B1 get you far enough to function on-site and socially? My engineering background makes this one appealing.

Open to other suggestions too — boutique schools, host families, volunteer placements — whatever helped you break through the A2 ceiling.

Thanks

Posted by
11843 posts

Good question OP. Unfortunately, since this is a forum for travelers rather than serious language learners, few people here know any of these. We do have one US-born French teacher who posts here, Alexander, so hopefully he'll see your question. I know he did some of his studies in the Loire Valley.

I looked at your three and I do have a tiny bit of info. Some people have posted here about the one in Villefranche. Those were not people trying for a DELF score, but people who chose this to relax: food, wine, culture and language. I think they remain in French during excursions and meals, but I'm not an expert. What level of conversations can they have at the dinner table with one teacher and several learners? Another drawback is the area is filled with foreigners, many, many second homes and the lingua-franca is English.

The one is Tours is where Alexander went, and he raves about it. Several American universities have their junior year programs in Tours. This appears to be a serious program, but we need Alexander to write something. The Tours accent is considered the most standard in France, the one TV and radio personalities are taught. Good if you have an oral DELF component.

The REMPART program is a work program, a good way to immerse. It's mostly young volunteers, some from other European countries, which means that the lingua-franca could be English, again. But you could insist on lodging with a local French family and be included in their activities, be on a site (chantier) with many participants. Today accents all over France are more standardized, but regional accents do exist, and they will retard your progress as you have to re-filter the new sounds of old words and piece it back together. Drawback: no language program, only work and you could be building a stone wall all alone for a few weeks. We see these programs on TV sometimes.

Posted by
1598 posts

Hey, as Elizabeth has said, I have had great experiences at the Institute de Touraine

My recommendation would be to stay with a host family (yes, they even offer them for adults). That is the best way for you to keep in French all day. The dangerous thing for many foreign students is that they go to their dorm or apartment and just go back to their native language. Explain to the services at the Institut that the socialisation aspect is big for you.

I don't recommend the "boutique" places because they will place people of multiple levels in one group which would no doubt be a giant waste of time.

Let me know if I can help with any other questions.

Posted by
31 posts

I studied at CLE in Tours last summer and am going again this summer. The afternoon excursions, mixed levels, were in French. (These excursions were just little trips around town). Even during lunch breaks, we talked in French. My husband and I like the school because the teachers were good and there were only about 5-6 people in every class, a mix of young and old (we’re in our 60’s). We are B2/C1 level, and we had a new young friend (about age 26) who was A2 level. We spoke French with her all the time. She was really motivated to communicate in French even though it was hard for her. During breaks at the school, we spoke in French. I would recommend this school.

They also have homestays through CLE. I know they set them up for students last year, but I’m not sure if they do that anymore. Older students in my class really liked the homestay experience. We didn’t do a homestay, though.

I tried to get in contact with Institute de Touraine before the trip, but they never responded. It could be a good school, too, but I think they have 12 or more students in their classes. Some of our CLE teachers also taught there.