French courses in Annecy

Our French courses in Annecy allow you to study French in the heart of the Alps and to enjoy all that the high mountains have to offer: skiing, snowboarding, hiking, climbing, extreme sports…

The small town of Annecy has a seductive medieval charm and many canals that run through it, earning it the well-deserved nickname of“Venice of the Alps“. It is situated on the shores of a magnificent lake where you can practice all kinds of water sports or go for long walks or bike rides on its landscaped banks. Annecy is close to the largest ski area in the world, the Three Valleys, and the most famous resorts such as Chamonix Mont Blanc, Avoriaz, Val d’Isère or Tignes.

Highlights of the destination

  • A historic town with great charm, ideally located between the lake and the mountains
  • The ideal destination for high mountain lovers in winter and summer
  • Many types of courses adapted to all levels
  • Quality teaching and TCF examination centre
  • Ski trips organised by the school on weekends from January to March
  • Friendly school atmosphere, located 8 minutes walk from the historic centre and the train station
  • Lively cultural life: carnival, festivals, shows…
  • Proximity to Lyon and Geneva, easily accessible by train
Royalty-free photos exclusively for the promotion of Megeve with the compulsory mention: JP NOISILLIER/nuts.fr. For any other use please contact: [email protected]

Our partner school IFALPES, or Institut Français des Alpes, has been specialising in teaching FLE (French as a Foreign Language) for almost 30 years.

The courses are given by an experienced and passionate teaching team, and take place in a warm atmosphere conducive to quality learning.

Recently renovated, the school is located 8 minutes’ walk from the historic centre of Annecy, and welcomes 600 students each year, from all 5 continents.

Accreditations: Qualité FLE, Campus France,TCF examination centre, member of the EAQUALS and Groupement FLE associations

The school provides you with

  • 7 well-equipped and bright classrooms
  • High-speed Internet access with free Wi-Fi throughout the building
  • Relaxation area with hot drinks (coffee, tea, chocolate) and snacks
  • Private garden
  • Cafeteria area equipped with fridges and microwaves for lunch breaks
  • Resource room where you can borrow French novels, textbooks and films free of charge to optimise your learning
  • Tourist information: guides, brochures, newspapers, cultural programmes
  • iFALPES “Carnet de route” offered

French courses: general information

  • Duration of a lesson: 45 minutes
  • Maximum number of students per class : 15 (8 to 10 on average)
  • Timetable: classes take place in the morning and afternoon
  • Level test: written test online before departure and oral test on the first day
  • Levels : from false beginner (A1) to advanced (C1/C2)
  • Certificate of participation at the end of the course
  • Weeklyassessment of French level to measure progress
  • Mobile application of the school allowing easy access to the timetable

Optional: access to the school’s e-learning platform for individual study of specific modules

15 lessons of general French per week

This part-time course provides you with the essential lexical and grammatical tools to communicate in French by working on the 5 skills necessary to acquire a language: oral comprehension, oral production, oral interaction, written comprehension and written production. It is the common core of all the courses.

This is ideal if you want to set aside time to explore the region.

Levels offered: A1 to C2

21 general French lessons per week

The aim of our standard courses is to provide you with the essential lexical and grammatical tools to communicate in French by working on the five skills necessary for language acquisition:

  • Oral comprehension
  • Oral production
  • Oral interaction
  • Written comprehension
  • Written production

Our teachers give you the necessary tools to be able to interact in your personal, student or professional life. Our standard courses also allow you to discover the French and French-speaking cultural and social specificities and, for example, to debate on the major current events.

Levels offered: A1 to C2

25 lessons of general French per week

Our intensive courses enable you to communicate in French on everyday topics as well as on current affairs and social issues.

You will study the essential grammar, conjugation and vocabulary to enable you to develop the 5 basic skills: listening comprehension, oral production, oral interaction, written comprehension and written production.


The intensive courses are real courses for perfecting your oral skills in French. All the documents used are taken from French media: videos, radio programmes, reports, games. They allow you to exchange, discuss and debate in order to
express yourself in an increasingly fluent manner.

Levels proposed: A1 to C2

Annecy is the capital of Haute Savoie, home to many famous ski resorts such as Chamonix Mont-Blanc, Morzine, Les Gets and many others. Close to the school (≅ 1 hour by bus) are the ski resorts of Le Grand Bornand, La Clusaz, Manigod and Le Semnoz.

Every weekend from January to March, Ifalpes organises ski trips to different ski resorts (Les Arcs, Combloux, Meribel…). Do not hesitate to consult our special French + Ski programme available at this period. An afternoon snowshoeing trip with a guide is also part of the winter activities.

You can choose to complete your course with modules of 5 or 10 private lessons per week in the field of your choice:

  • General French
  • Exam preparation (DELF/DALF/DFP/TCF/TEF)*
  • University preparation
  • Professional

French levels: A1 to C2

Rates : on request

IFALPES favours a communicative approach in its courses, encouraging students to communicate in French, both orally and in writing. The school also favours an active and participative approach, encouraging students to speak and exchange ideas. Furthermore, the school uses an objective-based approach: teachers organise their courses according to linguistic and communicative objectives, so that students can be assessed on the progress they have made.

Thanks to its natural setting between the lake and the mountains, Annecy is a destination which allows the school to organise numerous sports and leisure activities throughout the year at reduced prices or at cost. The activities offered vary according to the season:

  • Downhill and cross-country skiing
  • Guided snowshoe hikes
  • Sledging
  • Windsurfing
  • Wakeboarding
  • Canyoning
  • Kayaking
  • Diving
  • Hiking
  • Climbing
  • MOUNTAIN BIKING

Every month, the school also organises cultural activities and outings in the town (visits to museums, exhibitions, tasting of regional products, etc.) and in the surrounding area (Chamonix, Geneva, Lyon, etc.).

Single room, breakfast

Homestay is the ideal type of accommodation to discover the French culture as a whole. The school selects the families and visits them.

Travel time to the school: families are located in Annecy or in neighbouring towns and live on average 15 – 20 minutes from the school (on foot or by public transport)

Practical information:

  • Wi-Fi Internet access
  • Washing machine available once a week

Option (with supplement):

  • Half board

Accommodation in flats or residences is aimed at self-sufficient students who wish to be more independent.

Individual flats

The flats are located in the centre of Annecy. They are small individual studios with kitchenette and shower room. These studios are intended for individual use. A supplement is applicable in the case of a double occupancy.

Stays from 1 to 4 weeks

Student residences

Our partner works with 2 student residences adapted to stays of a minimum of 4 weeks.

Zénitude/Pont-Neuf residences

Small individual studio with kitchenette, without meals

Both residences have similar characteristics. The Pont-Neuf residence has slightly more spacious accommodation.

Résidence Zenitude – Travel time to school: 15 minutes by public transport

Residence Pont-Neuf – Travel time to school: 5 minutes on foot

Stays from 4 weeks

Studio features:

  • Fully equipped kitchenette
  • Basic kitchen utensils
  • Shower room
  • Bed linen provided
  • Towels provided
  • Wi-Fi internet access

Services available:

  • Weekly cleaning of the room
  • Change of sheets and towels every fortnight (to be brought to the reception)
  • Parking (extra charge)
  • Laundry (chargeable)
  • Reception 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

*A deposit may be required for all loans.

The same residences offer “Business Stay” hotel residence packages for periods ranging from 1 week to 3 months. Prices vary according to the residence and the size of the studio or flat.

Rates and availability: please contact us

Travel

Arrival day: Sunday
Departure day: Saturday

Arrival station or airport :

  • Geneva Airport (GVA) – Aéroport International de Genève-Cointrin

Located 44 km away, this is the closest international airport to Annecy

By bus: 1 to 2 hours travel time
T72 line: https://www.transalis.fr/fr/destinations/ligne-t72-annecy-cruseilles-geneve
FlixBus: https://www.flixbus.fr/
OuiBus: https://fr.ouibus.com/

  • Lyon Airport (LYS) – Lyon Saint-Exupéry International Airport

By bus: from 1 to 3 hours travel time
FlixBus: https://www.flixbus.fr/
OuiBus: https://fr.ouibus.com/

Transfers are possible on request (see Dates and Prices)

  • Annecy train station (transfers included in the price)

Please note: do not book your transport before we have confirmed your stay (approximately 4 days after payment of the deposit).

Visa information

Do you need a visa to follow this programme? For more information on this subject, please consult the visa information page of our website.

Please contact us by mail or phone if you need more information.

Dates 2023

Session starts: Courses start every Monday throughout the year, unless otherwise stated below. If Monday is a public holiday, the session starts on Tuesday.

Session starts for completebeginners (A0): 07/02, 07/03, 04/04, 02/05, 06/06, 04/07, 01/08, 05/09, 03/10, 07/11

Public holidays*: 10/04, 01/05, 18/05, 29/05, 14/07, 15/08, 01/11

Christmas holidays: from 23/12/23 to 07/01/24 included

*For students on an intensive course of 1 to 4 weeks, lessons not given on public holidays are made up or compensated by an activity. For other courses, lessons are made up.

The fees include :

  • The chosen course formula
  • Accommodation in a host family, in a single room, breakfast included
  • The teaching material
  • Transfer to and from the Annecy train station between 8am and 10pm
  • Certificate of attendance
  • The school’s mobile app
  • Guided tour of Annecy
  • All taxes and administrative costs of the school

The fees do not include :

  • Travel to and from Annecy
  • Transfers from Geneva or Lyon airports to the residence
  • Deposit for the apartment/residence and cleaning service (if applicable, to be paid on site)
  • Any visa fees
  • Optional insurance
  • Tourist tax (flats and residences)

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