Language Immersion Programs for Adults
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Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Intensive Language Programs for Adults
2001
I'd like to become fluent in Spanish and French. Can anyone recommend a program that will help me accomplish this (something more accelerated and effective than your typical junior college classroom course)?
To the person who is looking for foreign language programs that are, more accelerated and effective than your typical junior college classroom course?, on the contrary, I wholeheartedly suggest that you try taking a course at a local junior college. From personal experience (in French and Spanish) I can tell you that these classes can be very effective, fun, and, inexpensive, when compared to private programs. Most community college instructors teach only in the target language, thus coming as close to the immersion method as one can other then going to the country where the language is spoken. Fall 2001 semester begins in August--Good luck
A while back, a friend of mine took a summer Latin Intensive program through the UC extension. I think they also have a French Intensive, and possibly other languages. It was 10 weeks, many hours a day, and quite rigorous. (The Latin one was so difficult that they recommend that people not hold down jobs at the same time.) If you have the time for it, this might be a good choice.
UC Berkeley has summer intensive language courses in French, Spanish, German (and probably others as well). You'll learn 2 years of college language in 6 weeks. Of course, it's not really immersion, and what you get out of it is mostly the bare bones of the language, much more grammar than vocabulary. I did the intensive Spanish about 10 years ago, then went to Guatemala for a few weeks (living in Antigua, where there are a thousand language schools). The combination was excellent, and I quickly turned my school Spanish into spoken Spanish. Judith
Immersion Language instruction is actually trademarked by Berlitz. My brother has run Berlitz schools both in Pennsylvania and New York and in the Far East. He contends that language instruction is fairly straightforward, and that given six or so weeks of direct instruction and the willingness to do it nearly anyone can become capable in a language not their own. He thinks the Berlitz method works, but that many others do, too. What you need to do is work at it three hours a day, practice the language with a native speaker and listen to the language as much as possible. Myriam
Her first stop should be at the main visa website for France: france-visas. gouv.fr
For a student visa she will likely need to find a program through Campus France which is the official agency that deals with foreign students: https://www.campusfrance. org
If she doesn’t want to go through an ‘official’ language program there are plenty of language schools in France that are more cost effective. With those programs she could apply for a simple visitor visa. The downside is that a visitor visa doesn’t allow work while a student visa allows part-time work (max 964 hours/year).
I don’t know much about an au pair but I think she needs to have a family lined up first. There might be organizations that can help connect families. Maybe do a web search to check?
I took a month-long course at the Institut de Francais in Villefranche several years ago. An outstanding teacher there has since left and tutors virtually, employing the same methods (with an emphasis on speaking) that they used at the school. He’s excellent and speaks English, too having spent some time teaching French in SF many years ago before moving back to France. His name is Bruno and his email is brunopreau [at] yahoo.com. Best of luck to your daughter!
Applications are closed for 2023-2024 but if she’s planning ahead she could look into the TAPIF program, where native English speakers help out in schools (and get a stipend). You don’t have much control over where you get placed, so it likely wouldn’t be directly in Paris. It’s A LOT easier than being an au pair. Whatever path she takes, she will want to be disciplined about truly immersing herself, eg take intensive classes, don’t hang out only with English speakers, and if she goes the au pair route find a family who is not looking specifically for someone to speak English with their kids.
If she's open to other cities in France besides Paris I highly recommend Cavilam in Vichy. They are a year-round French-immersion program for people 16 years and up. You can go for a week, several weeks, or several months, and can start on any Monday. They will arrange any housing you wish -- home stay, apartment, hotel, etc. - and have cultural programs and excursions as well as the language classes. My son went during a gap year before college but many of his classmates were in their early 20s, with some older adults as well. He was one of just a few Americans and he now has friends all over the world as a result.