French and Sports for Juniors, Vichy
(12-16)Vichy provides a beautiful setting for our French course for teenagers aged 12-16 years. The spa town is the ideal size for young students as it’s very easy to explore on foot or by bike. That being said, the combination of language lessons and daily sports and cultural activities keep all participants on the go, meaning unsupervised free time is limited.
This programme is perfect for sports enthusiasts, with French lessons taking place in the morning and a varied schedule of exciting activities taking place each afternoon under the direction of a local sports operator in Vichy. You could try your hand at paddleboarding, rafting or on a treetop adventure course, as well as taking part in more traditional sports activities like football, basketball and hockey. There will also be excursions out of Vichy twice a week, and a full-day hike on Sundays to enable you to see some of the most ‘Instagrammable’ scenery of the Auvergne region.
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Details
20 French lessons per week + sports activities and excursions + full-board accommodation on a single room basis with a friendly and welcoming host family. Most host families live outside of Vichy so students are taken to and collected from school each day, usually by car. Your host family, who will have been carefully selected by the accommodation officer at the school, will be a very important part of your stay in Vichy. Not only will they provide your breakfast and dinner each day (lunch is taken at the school’s cafeteria), they will help you travel to and from classes and will be responsible for your supervision and safety in the evening. Our host families come in all shapes and sizes - among them will be households with children living at home, some where the children have grown up and left home, and others where the host is a single person who lives alone. Regardless of the make-up of the home, all hosts and host families undergo the same thorough selection process and you will be greeted warmly and taken good care of! On Saturday you will spend the full day with your hosts, time which provides an excellent insight into life in a typical Auvergnat household. Laundry service and the provision of towels and bed linen is also included. If you are travelling with a friend or family member there are some host families who offer twin rooms, or who can accommodate more than one student in separate rooms. Just let us know your requirements at the time of booking.
As standard, accommodation is included from the Sunday before the course begins to the Saturday after the course finishes.
This French course abroad includes 20 French lessons per week, which are usually scheduled 09:00-12:00 Monday to Friday. All lessons are designed with teenagers in mind to ensure the topics discussed are of interest, relevant, and encourage as much engagement as possible. The teachers are qualified and experienced native French speakers who well know how to get the best from each student. All aspects of language learning will be covered, although there is a slight emphasis on speaking and listening. That’s not to say that grammar and reading and writing are not given due attention, it’s just that the total immersion teaching style lends itself to quick progress in conversation skills. The programme is suitable for students with at least a basic knowledge of the language (A1), and the highest level available is high intermediate (B2). The level test that all students take before starting the course will ensure they are placed in the correct group for their ability.
Lovers of sport will adore this programme, which includes activities every afternoon. After your French lessons you will have lunch together in the school cafeteria. You will then be collected by one of the trained professionals from the sports activity provider and taken to participate in whichever energetic pursuits have been arranged for that day! During this time you will be able to mix with French teenagers who will also be attending the sports programme - the perfect setting for extra conversation practise with French peers! Twice a week the group will leave Vichy to do something like mountain biking, explore a local site of interest, or visit a theme park! Friday is party day, when you will enjoy an end of week BBQ or regional meal with your fellow classmates and French comrades, and on Sunday your host family will provide you with packed lunch and you will set off on a hike to discover the geographical gems of the area.
The programme regularly includes:
- Sports such as golf, tennis, ping-pong, swimming, basketball, volleyball, hockey, badminton, mini-golf, and indoor football
- Paddle boarding
- High ropes adventure course
- 'Bubble Foot’
- Rafting
- Mountain biking
- Excursions to Clermot-Ferrand, Randan Castle, Busset Castle and theme/leisure parks such as Vulcania and Le Pal
-Party evening (BBQ/regional meal)
-Full day hikes to natural sites such as Puy-de-Dôme, Gour de Tazenat and Puy Mary
Activities are run by accredited instructors and all equipment and transport is included in the price.
This programme doesn’t include any unsupervised free time so it might not be the best fit for mature teenagers who are used to doing their own thing. However, as the activity programme is so full there is little time for boredom! Evenings are spent with the host families, joining in with typical day to day pastimes (watching television, playing games, reading etc), or just relaxing after a busy day in your room.
Did you know? It’s possible to book this course without accommodation, in which case you will take part in lessons and activities Monday to Friday. You should be collected from the centre at around 18:15 each day (exact details will be confirmed on arrival). Lunch is included and will be served at the cafeteria.
Suitability
Our summer French course is suitable for young students aged between 12 and 17 years who have at least a basic knowledge of French (A1). If you love the idea of trying new sports and keeping active while improving your French language skills, this is the course for you!
School
The French classes for teenagers take place on the grounds of a university campus located near the centre of town, and just a few minutes’ walk away from the banks of the Allier River. This Label Qualité FLE certified school has seven classrooms and shares facilities such as language laboratories, computer rooms and library with the university. There is also a school restaurant, and a resource centre with over 20,000 documents, including books, DVDs and news articles, available!
Vichy
Vichy is synonymous with healthy living, with the town and its surrounding area boasting no fewer than 289 springs! It was the healing powers of the local water that attracted the then Emperor of France, Napolean III, to visit many times in the 1860s, prompting significant development in the area. You can still see the chalets that were built for the Emperor and his inner circle on Boulevard des États-Unis.
Vichy lies on the banks of the River Allier and much has been made of this waterway. In the 1960s the town created Lake Allier, a 1 km² lake that is now lined with parks, man-made beaches, cafes and walkways. Lac d’Allier is also home to a number of major watersports competitions each year and visitors can try their hand at some of the more typical options offered by one of the many suppliers in the area.
The town is a manageable size and boasts some fine, architecturally interesting buildings, with many styles, including Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Belle Époque, being represented. This, and the stunning surrounding countryside, make Vichy the ideal destination for a French summer course abroad!
How to get there
The nearest airport to our school in Vichy is Clermont-Ferrand. Paris Charles de Gaulle and Lyon-Saint-Exupery are also well-connected to Vichy by public transport.
Location of our school in Vichy
Prices for Vichy
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