Are you a foreigner in Paris and you don't speak a word of French? Don't worry, Mister Bilingue is here with an overview of the best language schools for learning French in the capital!
Paris is an incredible city, especially when you're discovering it for the first time, and it becomes a truly magical place when you can actually call it home. As is the case for one in every seven inhabitants living in the French capital, you may be a foreigner, in which case, welcome!
Even if you live here already, you may still be having difficulty speaking and writing French, and this can be a problem when it comes to living your daily life in Paris (especially if you're looking for a job in France).
In this article, the Mister Bilingue team is here to help by listing the best language schools for learning French! This will help with your job search and make it a lot easier for you to enter the job market in France.
You can also start right away with our top 3 apps for learning French!
Are you ready for your initiation into the French language? Let's take a quick look at the top eight language schools that teach French in one of the most beautiful cities in the world!
Founded in 1933, the Ecole Suisse Internationale specializes in teaching the French language to anyone who is drawn to the famous language of Molière, whatever their nationality. Notably, the school is EduQua certified, a label that guarantees the quality of their programs.
Here you can learn French in a warm and family atmosphere, using interactive and innovative methods geared towards a practical application of the language.
At this school, the teachers welcome students into small groups of adults (15 to 50 students maximum), young and old, where they prioritize listening and speaking activities in order to maximize interactivity between students and help them progress towards using French autonomously in their daily life.
From a multicultural and transdisciplinary perspective, this school also places importance on artistic and creative experimentation, tailoring their programs in line with the needs of their students.
You can choose from a selection of course types depending on your level and your schedule:
Find out about the admission dates and course prices right away. Accommodation is also available through the school!
Ideally located in the heart of Paris (the 7th arrondissement to be precise), the Lutece Langue school has been offering French as a Foreign Language (FLE) training since 1997, with more than 40% of its students going on to continue second courses with the school.
With ten classes of five to seven students in each one, this school ensures small teaching groups in order to encourage the active participation of each student. This reduced format means that each student's progress can be monitored closely, and teachers are able to modify their courses as they go, according to the needs and progress of each student.
The courses here also have a strong focus on speaking skills in order to prioritize the development of oral communication.
Regarding course schedules and prices, the school offers several types of training programs ranging from one week to one year, for individuals as well as for professionals. If your goal is to work in a French company, opting for a professional course will allow you to follow a tailor-made program in line with your professional requirements, with an emphasis on communication and writing workshops.
Not a bad idea if you want to find a job quickly in France and integrate into French society!
Since 1973, the Eurocentres Paris school has sought to promote understanding between individuals as a way of overcoming national, cultural and social barriers.
As they say themselves at the school, their mission is to "prepare students to study, work and live in a foreign country and culture", with a special emphasis on France through their provision of French as a Foreign Language (FLE) teaching.
Welcoming 160 students each year from nearly 50 countries around the world, this language school offers courses for learning French all while discovering the French lifestyle. Yes, it's just as dreamy as you might imagine… Eurocentres Paris offers excursions to Normandy and Brittany, workshops on how to make crêpes and chocolate mousse, and even French lessons from inside cinemas. This method combines French lessons with cultural activities, allowing students to better immerse themselves into the French way of life!
You can choose your timetable, from 20 to 25 lessons per week, combining general French with courses that focus on specific interests, such as business French, preparation for the DELF and DALF exams, and cultural activities (including cooking lessons, cultural visits and film screenings).
The school offers different rates, with the possibility to pay per lesson, per week or for an entire year. The school also offers accommodation options.
At the end of the course, the Eurocentres Paris school provides students with an official certificate that is recognized by employers and educational establishments using the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). A good way of opening doors to French companies, as well as showing off your bilingual prowess!
French As You Like It is a French language school that welcomes in a warm family environnement foreigners who want to feel comfortable speaking French in France, in practical or professional situations. We craft personal learning programs around our learners' life goals : hold a conversation in a social surroundings, relocation in Paris, job search, French citizenship obtention, etc
It’s why you can either learn here at the school, online, or have a tutor come to you. At work, at home, at a hotel, in a café, wherever suits. We offer lessons 7 days a week from 7 am to 9 pm, including weekends and bank holidays. In short, when you’re free to do them. Our course is tailored to the level you need, and when you need to get there. Our tutors are native French, with Master’s degrees and years of experience working with students from toddlers to top executives. Every course comes with regular, scheduled online follow-up from your tutor, and feedback from students at the school. You’ll have access to course admin, lesson schedules, French level tests, class notes and lesson reminders, online, just when you need them. We can even help you find accommodation here in Paris, and print any official documents.
Student success is at the center of what they do at Campus Langues. Located across several sites in Paris, this school was founded in 1994 and welcomes more than 4,000 students each year... from 150 different countries!
In addition to theoretical and practical courses preparing students for French universities as well as the official FLE exams, teachers here also offer workshops, conferences and visits to the French capital and other regions of France, such as Brittany, Normandy and the Loire.
The workshops on offer bring together phonetics, theater, and a focus on Parisian life. But if you really want to have fun, the school also sets up competitions such as table tennis contests. Not a bad way to let off steam between lessons on Marivaux!
With several types of courses ranging from the student program to the au pair program (including an intensive summer program), Campus Langues offers options adapted to the personal situation of each student, including evening courses for those who already work during the day.
The prices are also adapted to each course and – excluding the intensive summer program, which takes place during a four-week period – all the courses last about 12 weeks. Over the course of three months of lessons, we're certain that your level in French will have increased tenfold and that you may even be able to recite a few poems by Rimbaud on the Parisian quays!
Located in the 11th arrondissement amidst a charming and buzzy neighborhood, Langue Appart is a new language school focusing on delivering courses in small groups of up to ten people, where camaraderie and daily discussions are the guiding principles of each lesson. The courses offered here can be carried out either in a group or individually (with the possibility of taking lessons at home), over a period ranging from one to four weeks, and the prices are flexible according to your chosen options.
The big plus of the Langue Appart school is its offer of multiple workshops designed to completely immerse you in the daily life in Paris and the active social life that comes with it!
Included in the free workshops, for example:
The paid workshops include:
So, ready to learn French while discovering the best that French culture has to offer?
With the EF language school, you'll be able to fully immerse yourself in the French capital, and for good reason: as part of the course, this school includes accommodation either with a local or in the EF residence!
All their prices include lessons, accommodation and meals, which simplifies life if you're planning on moving to Paris at the same time as beginning your French lessons.
For example, you can choose between an EF Intensive Course with 32 lessons lasting 40 minutes per week, an EF General Course with 26 lessons per week, or an EF Basic Course with 20 lessons per week.
Free quotes are available on the EF Paris school website, with detailed information on all the benefits that go with each offer, including the number of lessons, hours, types of room and qualifications, etc.
The classes welcome a maximum of 16 students in order to maintain a friendly atmosphere focused on the development of listening and speaking skills. If you want more information about the courses offered by the EF school, you can request a brochure for free.
Language Studies International is a private higher education institute that uses a tried and tested teaching method based on theoretical and practical principles in order to achieve rapid results.
Their lessons focus on grammatical structures, vocabulary, and pronunciation, in order to provide students with a wide base of essential skills for communicating effectively in the beautiful language of Victor Hugo. Teachers strongly encourage students to practice outside of class, as a way of consolidating the progress made in class.
If you're looking to learn French quickly, you can opt for intensive courses, with the possibility of taking ten, 20 or 30 lessons of 50 minutes per week. These courses are largely discussion-based, centering on cultural topics (cinema, theater, politics, etc.) and including exercises that make use of role plays and a range of learning supports (newspapers, films, magazines, etc.).
At this school you also have the possibility to opt for premium courses, including individual lessons or sessions in small groups of two to three participants, from a wide choice of course types to suit your needs and availabilities.
The school provides a free online French test in order to assess your level, and you can gauge your level placement by using their classification of language levels.
So, ready to start learning French in the most beautiful city in the world?
We hope that this article has given you a better idea of the different French language schools available in Paris. Our goal is to present a range of schools that are serious, reliable and seek to teach French to their students in the best possible conditions.
Whether it's small or large, brand new or world renowned, each language school has its pros and cons, and we hope you find the one that works best for you!
You don't feel like learning French in front of other people? Would you rather take private lessons from home? We help you find a teacher online!
If you think your French might already be good enough to start looking for a job in Paris or elsewhere in France, we suggest taking a look at our bilingual job offers!
And if you don't want to miss out on any of the Mister Bilingue team's tips, make sure to follow our Facebook and Instagram page!
We hope our advice has been useful and wish you all the best in your job search.
Check out other similar articles on job search tips
