Learn French in Switzerland - French Courses in Switzerland

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Learn French in Lausanne, Switzerland

In a country of spectacular natural beauty, Lausanne is the most beautiful of cities, Switzerland's San Francisco, a city of incredibly steep hills that has developed tiered above the lake on a succession of compact, south-facing terraces. Large areas of blue water, glittering sunlight and the white capped Savoy Alps that overlook the buildings create a scenic atmosphere. Much of the city is still wooded, there are plenty of parks, and the tree-lined lakefront promenades spill over with beds of vibrantly colorful flowers. Attractive, interesting, worldly, and well aware of how to have a good time, this could be Switzerland's sexiest city.

From medieval times, Lausanne has stood at the Swiss cultural avant-garde. Back then, the cathedral crowned the city the most influential of the region; it still sits resplendent on an Old Town hill, the country's most impressive Gothic monument. After the Reformation, students flocked to Lausanne's pioneering university, and in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, restless Romantics sought and found inspiration in the setting and the life of Lausanne . It remains very grand and with its own glamorous lakeside resort of Ouchy; but, despite the looks, there are few cities in Europe that so actively value and support the pleasure principle.

For decades, the art and culture of all shades has flourished resulting in a range of festivals, live music, clubs, theatre, opera and dance to rival a more sluggish metropolis ten times bigger than 300,000-strong Lausanne . It would be an exaggeration to say you could find anything you wanted in Lausanne, but the happy combination of a long tradition of cultural experimentation, open and willing audiences and chunky public subsidies gives the city's arts and entertainment a refreshing breadth.

The city attracts a large student population to the prestigious University of Lausanne, Switzerland's biggest, and the French-language arm of the Federal Institute of Technology. The youthful spirit, and the city's hilly aspect, has also given Lausanne a new role as a European skateboarding capital.

Learn French in Lausanne, Switzerland - Fees

Our French School in Lausanne, Switzerland

When it opened in 1962, our French school in Lausanne, Switzerland immediately benefited from the founder's forty years of experience in the educational field. Since then, our French school in Lausanne, Switzerland has always been influenced by inspirational results of new research which have significantly reformed the teaching of modern languages. It continues to grow and develop in this beautiful setting.

Optional excursions to other towns, to archaeological or artistic sites or monuments, and skiing days in the Alps are proposed during the terms. Students are strongly advised to benefit from the cultural activities available in or around Lausanne (concerts, plays, ballet, visits to museums, lectures and festivals). The fine art exhibitions at the “Fondation de d'Hermitage" are internationally known for their quality. Furthermore, Lausanne, as the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee, is equally ideal for sports activities. The nearby lake, mountains and forests offer excellent opportunities for rowing, swimming, tennis, golf, horseback riding, ice skating, cross-country, and skiing, etc. A large number of cycling or hiking trails are also available.

Our French Courses in Lausanne, Switzerland

Applicants go through a placement test and an interview at registration time in order to determine the most suitable course advisable.

Twenty hours per week, in the morning

(Monday through Friday from 8.30 to 12.00)

This intensive course suits those students who wish to dedicate most of their time to the study of French.

Four hours per week, in the afternoon

(two afternoons from 2.15 to 3.55)

Convenient to „au-pair" girls or people working in the morning. Students with some knowledge of French can take two different courses and attend four afternoon courses, which makes eight hours a week.

* The afternoon classes are not held in summer; students may take these same courses attending the evening classes.

Four hours per week, in the evening

(two evenings from 6.30 to 8.10)

Set up mainly for people who are not free during the day.

As for the afternoon classes, students with some knowledge of French can take two different evening courses, which make eight hours a week.

• You may attend classes for 24 or even 28 hours a week by combining the intensive morning course with the afternoon or evening courses.
• The language laboratory remains open according to a schedule for those students who wish to practice personally in addition to their classroom work.

Special classes

On request, the School will open special classes with small groups for specific purposes. These classes may fulfill the individual needs of the group or prepare for such examinations as those of the Diplôme supérieur de l'Alliance Française or others.

Certifications

The following degrees can be taken:

Certificat d'études - of the elementary, intermediate and upper intermediate levels

Certificat d'étude de français pratique de l'Alliance Française

Diplôme de langue de l'Alliance Française is certified by the French National Ministry of Education

Diplôme de langue française

This diploma is recognized by the FEDE (The European Federation of Schools) and bears its seal

Diplôme supérieur d'études françaises modernes de l'Alliance Française DELF or DALF

• They take place in Lausanne in March, June, September and December.
• All examinations are optional.
• Classes meeting four hours a week lead to the same diplomas as the 20-hour courses with the exception of the Diplôme supérieur de l'Alliance Française and DALF.
• At the end of each term, an Attestation (Class Attendance Certificate) is issued, on request, to those students who have attended classes regularly.

Students may register any time, and for any level, but they should preferably do so at least one month before the beginning of a term in order to ensure their place.

No diplomas or degrees are required to attend the School.

All students over 16 years old are admitted.

Students who need a “Certificate of Acceptance" to obtain an entry visa or a student permit for Switzerland should request it well in advance. A student permit may be obtained only if one is enrolled for a course of 20 hours a week.

Financial conditions and application forms may be obtained from the Secretary's Office.

Learn French in Switzerland - Accommodation

We are a day-school. We can, however, help you to find a private room in town, a place with a family or in a boarding-house. It can supply a list of addresses or make arrangements with landladies on students' behalf. Another possibility is to combine studies and holidays by using the camping-site at Vidy. This site is at the heart of a magnificent recreational area on the shores of Geneva Lake, at a very short distance from downtown Lausanne . Please contact us for details.

Please note: All prices are quoted in Swiss Franks. For the equivalent in your currency, please visit www.xe.com/ucc.