Experience Language

Online Language Intercambio

2010-06-29T06:51:24.630-07:00

(image) Learning a foreign language is not always easy, but it can certainly be a fun experience. Whether you are self-learning or learning in a classroom environment, you need to practice and ideally practice with a native speaker. Easier said that done, you may reply. Well, we have some good news for you....

You may have already heard of the Intercambio or language Tandem concept. This is when for example an English speaking student who is learning French meets with a French speaking student learning English. They get together and converse part of the time in English and part of the time in French. Great concept, but how do you set it up?

Voila! We have recently come across LingoMatch.com, an online platform to find your tandem partner. LingoMatch is designed specifically for language swaps. Users create Ads (free) and publish them on the site (eg. English speaker learning French and lives in East London). Other users can then browse the site and get in touch by email. The site recommends that people meet with a number of language learners and not just one.

Happy language swapping!

Travel Tips

2010-06-09T04:28:48.613-07:00

We invite you to visit our Travel Tips page on the Experience Language website. You will find practical information on:

• Travel by plane/train
• Unaccompanied Minors
• Travel Insurance
• European Health Insurance
• Visa Applications
• Placement Tests and Parental Forms
• What to Pack
• Mobiles Abroad

Get in touch if you need any further advice:)

Travel Tips

Free French Ebooks and Films

2010-06-09T04:20:21.096-07:00

The Institut Français in London has recently launched a French online library named 'Culturethèque'. 'Culturethèque' offers a large number of French ebooks, films, audios which you can access from home.

Whether you are interested in reading French classics or contemporary novels, travel guides or cookery books, you will find something on Culturethèque.

All you need to do is register on the site and browse the catalogues. Access to the entire site is free until September 2010. From September there will be charge of £20 a year.

Note that for legal reasons, international users may not be able to access the whole content of the site.

Culturethèque

Top Five French Summer Destinations

2010-06-09T04:13:29.046-07:00

Below are the five most popular 'Experience Language' French destinations so far for the summer 2010:1) Biarritz - Biarritz remains a very popular summer destinations for most age groups, particularly the 15 to 25. Courses in Biarritz include French and Surf, French and Golf and French Standard / Intensive Courses. 2) Gréoux les Bains in Provence - Our partner school in Greoux offers original junior immersion courses for 12 to 14 and 15 to 18. Courses include French and Sailing, French Adventure, French and Horse Riding. 3) Aix en Provence - The school in Aix en Provence is an adult only school. Courses in Aix include the French Standard/Intensive Courses, French and Cooking, French and Paint, French and Horse Riding, French and Provence.4) Moustiers - The school in Moustiers in Provence is also an adult only school, located in an old renovated Monastery. The school offers a Full Immersion Course, you speak french from the moment you wake up till you go to bed!5) Montpellier - The school in Montpellier offers junior and adult courses. The school offers a junior summer camp as well as Intensive Courses and a great French and Cooking Course.[...]

Brand New Online Booking System

2010-06-09T04:08:35.304-07:00

(image) We are pleased to introduce the Experience Language brand new booking system. ('Mieux vaut tard que jamais')! Alors, what's new?

1) You can now book your course(s) online
2) You can pay the deposit/balance using our secure system (payments are processed by Sage Pay).
3) You can check the status of your booking

For those who prefer the good old method, booking forms are still available for download on the site.

Download booking form

Summer Courses - Availability

2010-06-09T04:10:43.238-07:00

(image) Are you thinking of enrolling yourself or perhaps your child on a language course this summer? Vite, vite, vite! June, July and August are the busiest months of the year for language courses abroad.

We are regularly updating the website to show you which dates are available and which dates are fully booked. Yet bookings are coming in so fast, a course may show availabilities in the morning and be fully booked by lunchtime. Please do check with us first if you are interested in a specific date. Passez nous un petit coup de fil au +44(0)121 430 7660.

Survey: What do you love about France and the French?

2010-03-23T14:16:53.994-07:00

Experience Language Survey

What do you most enjoy in France?

* Les Français (French people)
* La bonne bouffe (French food)
* Le vin (wine)
* Le paysage (countryside)
* Les chateaux (castles)
* L'art de vie (lifestyle)
* Other:

What is your favorite destination in France?

If you have any anecdotes about a past visit to France, we would love to hear about them

Please take a couple of minutes to fill out our survey here:
What do you love about France and the French?

Language Courses in Nice - 15% Off Tuition Fee

2010-03-18T14:16:36.850-07:00

(image) The school in Nice is offering a 15% discount on tuition fees for all courses starting before the end of May 2010 (except the trimester course)

The Standard Course (20 lessons per week) reduced to 229.50 Euros for one week instead of 270 Euros.

The Intensive Course (26 lessons per week) reduced to 289 Euros for one week instead of 340 Euros.

The Combined Course (20 group lessons & 10 private lessons per week) reduced to 654.50 Euros for one week instead of 770 Euros.

Young Minds Love to Learn

2010-03-23T14:40:24.905-07:00

(image) Lucky Children!

Learning a new language as an adult can be quite a challenge. For young children, however, learning a new language is a bit like learning to walk. While adults have to go through grammar drills and memorize vocabulary, children just need to be exposed to the new language.

Experts talk of a 'window of opportunity' from birth to the age of 10. During this critical period, children's brain is said to be more receptive to learning multiple languages. Once the window begins to close, the effort to master a new language becomes greater. Hence the opportunity for children to learn a foreign language at primary school is important.

Benefits of learning a new language at a young age:

* Children learn more easily and more naturally.
* Children mimic what they hear so they have a better pronunciation/accent.
* Children learn to appreciate different cultures from a young age.

How can we expose young children to a new language?:

DVDs: Children love watching the same DVDs over and over again. Many of the Disney movies can be watched in a different language.

Nursery Rhymes: Music is a great way to help children learn words and phrases in the new language. You can purchase a CD with nursery rhymes in the foreign language or even with bilingual songs.

Language lessons: Some nurseries offer French or Spanish lessons.

Family programmes: Why not try our French family programme in Cannes for children from the age of 3.

French Froggies?

2010-03-18T14:49:01.845-07:00

(image) Many people assume that the English kindly nicknamed the French 'frogs' or 'froggies' because of the French's love for frog legs. Yet it seems that other theories exist as to why the French are called 'frogs'. (By the way, not every French person enjoys frog legs!)

Theory 1: Around the 18th Century, Paris was surrounded by swamps. The French nobility in Versailles apparently started to call Parisians frogs because of their swampy surroundings.

Theory 2: During the Second World War, the French became known as frogs because of their ability to hide so well when camouflaged.

Theory 3 (our favorite): French people often say 'quoi' instead of 'pardon' (ie. 'what' instead of 'pardon me'?). 'Quoi' sounds very much like 'Coa' the croaking of the frog. :)

Pour finir, a little French joke:

Pourquoi les anglais n'aiment-ils pas les grenouilles?
Car elles font le thé tard. (un tétard = a tadpole)

A little Pronunciation Exercise

2010-02-11T15:12:41.465-08:00

Au travail! Below are five French tongue twisters to practice your pronunciation with.

Remember 's' is usually pronounced like the English 's' in 'set'. However, when an 's' is in the middle of a word and between two vowels, it is pronounced 'z' like in 'désert', 'poison', 'maison', etc. Bonne chance!

1) Un chasseur sachant chasser sait chasser sans son chien de chasse.
A hunter knowing how to hunt can hunt without a hunting dog

2) Je suis ce que je suis et si je suis ce que je suis, qu'est-ce que je suis?
I am who I am and if I am who I am, who am I?

3) Les chaussettes de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches? Archi-sèches!
Are the socks of the archduchesse dry? Super dry!

4) Ces six saucissons-ci sont si secs qu'on ne sait si s'en sont.
These six sausages are so dry that we don't know if they are sausages

5) Poisson sans boisson, c'est poison!
Fish without drink, is poison

Mais Pourquoi On Dit Ça?

2010-02-11T15:13:05.410-08:00

Do you ever say something in your own language and wonder where it comes from? Here are a few French phrases that are frequently used but have no clear origins:

1) Un petit chouia - comes from the arab language 'chouya' and it means 'a little'.

eg: 'Tu veux du gateau?' 'Oui, mais juste un petit chouia, s'il te plait.'

2) A pétaouchnok - invented in the 1940ies to imitate the name of a russian town far far away. It simply means 'far away' or 'in the middle of nowhere'

eg: 'Il habite à Pétaouchnok.'

3) A la Saint Glinglin - Glinglin is a fictional French saint but the exact origin is unknown. It means 'some day in the indefinite future or never'

eg: 'Je ferai un marathon à la Saint Glinglin.' (hmm, jamais!)

New Look for Experience Language

2010-02-11T15:06:31.750-08:00

(image) We are happy to announce the new Experience Language website is now live! Un nouveau design et une navigation plus facile!

Alors quoi de neuf?

Sections:

Our language courses are now streamed into four sections: 'Social and Fun', 'Professional', 'Junior and Family' and 'Student and Gap Year'.

Search Box:

Thanks to our new 'Search Language Courses' box, you can now search for courses by coursetype (eg. French and Ski) or by location (eg. Amboise, France).

Breadcrumb Trail:

A great tool to navigate between pages. If you are not sure what it is, it looks like this:

Learn French >> Social and Fun >> French for 50+ >> Montreux

We hope these added features will help you browse through the site more easily. If you get a chance, we would value any feedback you may have regarding the new website and/or programmes.

Original Family Holiday Abroad

2010-02-11T15:10:01.695-08:00

(image) On parle tous français en vacances! Are you looking for an original family holiday abroad? How about learning French as a family.

Family programmes are becoming more and more popular. It is a great opportunity for the whole family to experience learning a language and being immersed in the culture together.

Lessons take place in the mornings. Mum and/or dad have their lessons with the other adults, and children have their lessons with other children. Afternoons are free time and depending on the location, students can take sailing or tennis lessons.

We offer family programmes in the following locations:

Cannes from 3 years old.
Paris from 6 years old.
Montpellier from 11 years old.
Antibes from 12 years old.
Biarritz from 14 years old.

Learn French in Nice during the Carnival

2010-01-20T06:22:11.044-08:00

The theme of the Carnival this year is "the Blue Planet".

Check out the programme for the Carnival on www.nicecarnaval.com

Learn French in Nice

Our partner school in Nice is located about 10 minutes walking distance from the Place Massena where most of the entertainment will take place.

The school in Nice offers the standard course, the intensive course and the combined course.

The school is offering a 15% discount on course fees on all courses taken before the end of May 2010.

Bon Carnaval and Happy Learning!

'Mon chou' et 'Ma puce'!

2010-01-07T02:03:15.214-08:00

What do a cabbage and a flea have in common? Well, believe it or not, both of these words are commonly used by the French as terms of affection for children: 'Viens ici, ma puce', 'C'est l'heure de manger, mon chou'!

Other terms of affection are (ne vous moquez pas, s'il vous plait!): ma choupinette, mon coeur, mon trésor, mon roudoudou, mon chaton, mon lapin and many more.

As for the children they like to call their parents 'maman et papa' as well as 'mamounette et papounet'.

The 'Galette des Rois'

2010-01-11T01:27:28.976-08:00

If you visit friends in France in January, it is very likely that they will bring out a 'galette des rois' (cake of the kings). The 'galette des rois', at its origin, was a cake eaten on the day of the Epiphany to commemorate Twelfth Night when the Three Kings visited baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Over the years, it has become so popular that it is now eaten on any days throughout January.

What makes this galette so popular? Eh bien, the 'galette des rois' contains a 'fève' (a lucky charm). The person who finds the 'fève' in their slice of galette becomes the King or Queen and gets to wear a crown. The Queen or King must then buy the next galette and the game continues.

You can buy 'galettes des rois' at the boulangerie or any supermarkets in France throughout January.

La "galette des rois".

La France - Top Country to Retire!

2010-01-11T01:19:08.954-08:00

L'herbe est-elle donc toujours plus verte ailleurs?

According to a US magazine, France is the country with the best quality of life in the world. The magazine, International Living, produces every year a quality of life index. This year they ranked 194 countries using the nine following categories: Cost of Living, Culture and Leisure, Economy, Environment, Freedom, Health, Infrastructure, Safety and Risk, and Climate. France scored high marks across the board.

Interesting are the comments made by French people on Le Monde's blog. Some totally disagree with the results and in fact say they are ridiculous. However quite a few who happened to have lived in other countries admit that France is not so bad after all. Is it a case that the grass always appear greener on the other side?

Le Monde's Blog - article and the comments.

Learn French in the Alps and Spend the Weekend Skiing!

2010-01-11T01:56:05.244-08:00

(image) This winter, why not enrol on a French and Skiing course in Chambery or Annecy? It is a great course combining French lessons during the week and two full day ski trips over the weekend.

You can enrol on the French and Skiing course on any Monday from early January to early April and for a duration of two weeks or longer.

French and Skiing courses.

Teenage Easter Camp in Gréoux - 100 EUROS OFF!

2010-01-11T01:55:49.229-08:00

(image) Easter Camp in Gréoux / French Immersion in Gréoux

Book before the end of Feb 2010 and get a 100 Euros discount on the Easter Camp in Gréoux for 15 to 18 and the Immersion Course for 12 to 14 years old. Two options: horse riding or skiing trip and sledge hike with sledge dogs!

The camps take place from 6th to 16th April 2010.

Easter courses in Greoux.

Great Offer for Early Bookers in Hyères and Antibes!

2009-11-24T02:43:25.617-08:00

The junior schools in Antibes and Hyères are offering a 50 Euros discount per week on the summer camp in Antibes and the French and Sailing camp in Hyères for bookings made by 2nd April 2010.

The summer camp in Antibes is for students aged 14 to 17, it takes place from 28th June to 4th September 2010.

The French and Sailing camp in Hyères is for students aged 9 to 17, it takes place from 28th June to 21st August 2010.

By booking early you will also benefit from cheaper air fares!

Sunny Language Courses for the Winter

2009-11-24T03:51:42.692-08:00

Courses we recommend over the winter months:

(image) Christmas Courses in Spain: A lovely course taking place during the Christmas week in Barcelona, Madrid, Marbella, Tenerife, Vejer and Salamanca. The course consists of Spanish lessons and activities around the Christmas theme. This is a one or two week course.



(image) French and Ski in Annecy and Chambery: A great course combining a French course taught Monday to Friday in the mornings and two full day sky trips over the weekend.




(image) A Level Revision Courses: A good way to revise for your exam and give you the confidence you need to perform to the best of your abilities. We offer this course during the February Half Term and at Easter.

"I had a great time in Bordeaux which is a lovely city. I felt I gained experience of the French way of life and increased my confidence in all aspects of the French language. I was made to feel very welcome by my host family." Fiona on the A Level Revision Course in Bordeaux.

Ca marche? Non, ça court!

2009-11-24T02:42:16.837-08:00

You probably know the verb marcher meaning to walk. Did you know that marcher can also be used colloquially to say that something work or doesn't work.

Comment ça marche? How does it work?
Pourquoi ça marche pas? Why doesn't it work?
Ah voila, ça remarche. Ah it is working again.

Fonctionner would be a better way of saying that something works.

If you hear someone use marcher instead of fonctionner, you can tease them and say: Ca court? (ie, is it running?)

Travel on a Budget

2009-11-16T07:01:43.188-08:00

Learning a language in the country where that language is spoken is the best way to learn. Unfortunately it is not cheap. But as everything in life, there are ways of doing it all on a tighter budget. Here are a few recommendations:

1) Time of travel: it is always cheaper to travel outside the peak seasons. Flights tend to be more expensive around school holidays. Some schools charge higher course fees in the summer months.

2) Your chosen destination: choose a destination which you can reach cheaply. Many low cost airlines provide cheap flights to major cities in Europe. It is usually best to book early to get the cheapest fair.

3) Some schools offer cheaper prices than others. It often depends on the location and the size of the school. Ask us for advice.

4) It is of course cheaper to enrol on a standard course than it is on a course combined with an activity or an immersion course.

5) Budget accommodation: some schools offer budget accommodation, many of them require you to share with another student.

Note that prices Experience Language charge are those advertised by the schools. Experience Language does not charge any fees.

Stay in Touch the Cheaper Way

2009-11-24T02:41:12.062-08:00

How would we cope without our mobiles phones? Whether for texting or calling they have become a very useful little gadget.

But when abroad ....

Mobile roaming fees are frightening. It is thus worth doing a bit of research before your trip or your child's trip to see what is the best way for you to stay in touch. Note that most language schools have internet access so it is easy to check emails. Most host families have a landline which you or your child can use for incoming calls (within reason).

For those of you who do not need to call or text much, then the best way is probably to use your mobile as a pager. As you can get free texts when abroad you can ask your friends and family to text you if they need to contact you urgently and you can then call them using voip or a "cheap" phone card.

For those of you who may need to call a lot or who travel abroad on many occasions, an international sim card may be more appropriate.

For more information and advice on mobile roaming, read this article from www.moneysavingexpert.com:

Cheap Roaming Calls

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