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ESL French Summer Camps for Juniors and Teens

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ESL is proud to present some of the most prestigious French language programmes in Europe, hosted in several summer camps around the continent. All programmes are specially designed for juniors and teens who want to hone their skills in the French language.

What’s a ‘Bisou’ in French?

Ecole Suisse des Langues (ESL) is a leading provider of language summer camps for juniors from 8 to 14 years old and for teens between 13 and 17 years old. The French language is taught at several ESL summer camps in France, Germany and Switzerland. Besides, all programmes are adapted to the skills and existing knowledge of juniors and teenagers. Therefore, young students can explore the French language and use it in practice in their everyday life in order to communicate with their peers. For example, they can learn how to pronounce the word ‘bisou’, which is the french word for a kiss and in plural is a nice way to say goodbye!

Perhaps the best place for a student to practice his/her French in the summer is the cosmopolitan Cote d’Azur. Apart from that, there is also a french language school near Paris, and another one in the French-speaking Swiss city of Montreux. However, learning French in one of ESL’s camps is by no means a boring experience. There are amazing sport activities as well, such as horse riding, mini golf, sailing and mountain bike, and students can even learn everything they want to know about the world-famous french cuisine or take dance classes. As for the courses, students can choose between standard and intensive ones, depending on their age, level of fluency and ambition for a summer simply magnifique! Programmes start as early as in mid-April and run up to the end of October in the case of the study programme for teens in Leysin. All other programmes are available from the end of June 2011 up to mid-September. They last from 1 up to 4 weeks, with an additional week as an option.

French Summer Camps for Students over 50

Apart from programmes for juniors and teens, ESL recently launched a number of summer programmes for students over 50. Mature students can opt for the summer camp based in the headquarters of ESL in Montreux. Alternatively, they can study french in france, in a study centre based in Lyon.

Via EPR Network
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Boarding Schools, Courses, Education, Education Services, Knowledge, Lessons, Schools, Student, Teaching

The Story Of French Of Interest To More Than Just Linguists

The influence of the French language is certainly enormous, and nearly half of the commonly used words in English, so write the authors of The Story of French citing the examples of chase, catch, surf, challenge and staunch, are of French origin. Yet anyone who has ever studied French will be aware that a gulf exists between spoken and written French. For those looking to find out more about the topic, The Story of French is an eye-opening introduction to the French attitude towards linguistic propriety.

The Story Of French Of Interest To More Than Just Linguists

The book picks up on many quirky details, like the fact that a definition of Anglais (English) has been missing from every edition of the Dictionnaire de l’Academie francaise, however its treatment of the French Academy certainly raises questions. Francophones throughout the world have long looked to the French Academy for the correct usage of words, however the French-Canadian authors Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow of The Story of French write that “in its four-hundred year history, the French Academy has had little impact on how French is actually used.”

Although respect for the French Academy is widespread, readers might be surprised to learn about its inefficiency. The authors write that the academic body was appointed by King Louis XIII (1601-1643) for the purpose of writing a dictionary. It was only after 55 years of work that the Dictionnaire de l’Academie francaise was published in 1694. Privately published competing editions were frowned upon by the French Academy because technical Latin words used in trades and sciences were included. Still today, it takes an average 37 years for the French Academy to write a dictionary.

The insistence on linguistic purity, which influences how French is today taught, spoken and written, prompted Nadeau and Barlow to travel the world to research what they call “the mental universe of French speakers” from its center in France to such places as Canada, Senegal and Israel. The pair decided to challenge the assumption that despite the natural development of French over time, “[in] the back of any francophone’s mind is the idea that an ideal, pure French exists somewhere.”

For students looking to learn French, travel is also an effective and enjoyable way to immerse oneself in the language, according to the Ecole Suisse de Langues (ESL), a French language school network that operates in France and Switzerland. ESL gives students an unbeatable chance to discover the significance and impact of the French language, as well as to acquaint themselves with the differences between spoken, written and taught French.

Via EPR Network
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