CAVILAM - Alliance Française
1, avenue des Célestins B.P. 72678, Vichy, 03206, France
CAVILAM - Alliance Française
PROGRAMME
From Monday to Friday morning: French courses at CAVILAM – Alliance française carried out by qualified teachers with the experience of teaching to kids and teenagers (15 students maximum per class).
From Monday to Friday afternoon: multisports activities at VICHY STAGES, located 10 minutes walking distance from the school CAVILAM – Alliance française, or excursions outside Vichy.
* Multisports (2 to 3 activities per afternoon): golf, tennis, ping-pong, swimming, basket-ball, volley-ball, hockey, badminton, accrobranch, bowling, mini-golf, Bubble Foot, indoor football, paddle, rafting…
* 2 excursions outside Vichy, per week:
- Sports excursion: bike-rail, « Bourbonnaise » Mountain (moutain biking), gorges of the Sioule (swimming and Climbing), …
- Discovery of the region: Clermont-Ferrand city, Randan castle, Busset castle, …
- Theme parks: Vulcania, Le Pal (leisure park)
End of the week :
- Friday: party evening (barbecue or regional meal.
- Saturday: day shared with the host family.
- Sunday: hiking to discover the lakes and vulcanoes of the Auvergne region (Puy-de-Dôme, Gour de Tazenat, Puy Mary…). Picnic included.
Sports activities are run by accredited instructors.
SUPERVISION / RESPONSABILITY
CAVILAM – Alliance française: from 9:00 to 12:00, Monday to Friday (during the classes), supervision by CAVILAM – Alliance française teachers.
VICHY STAGES (registered organization through the French Ministry of Youth and Sport): from 12:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, supervision by VICHY STAGES team, one supervisor for 10 children.
Host family: out of the classes and the sports activities programme, children are under the host family’s responsibility.
FULL BOARD ACCOMMODATION
- Host family - individual room - breakfast and dinner included every day + full board on Saturday - laundry service, bed linen and towels provided.
- From Monday to Friday, children have lunch in a cafeteria under VICHY STAGES supervision.
- Sunday: picnic included.
The prices include courses, activities, full-board accommodation, sport equipment, local transport of the students (excursions and activities outside the town) and 24h supervision. Transfers from and to the airport not included.
Admission every Monday from 30/06 to 11/08, for all levels except complete beginners.
Complete beginners: 30/06 and 28/07
Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities
CAVILAM - Alliance Française does not hold classes on the holiday dates above. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.
You can choose from the following class times:
Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.
Average | 12 students |
Maximum | 15 students |
Age range | 12 - 16 years old |
Average | 14 years old |
Founded in 1964, CAVILAM (Centre d’Approches Vivantes des Langues et des Médias)
was established by the municipality of Vichy and the universities of Clermont-Ferrand.
In 2012, it joined the international network of the Alliance française, becoming CAVILAM - Alliance française.
Setting a global standard: The institute has gained an international reputation for its pedagogical innovation.
Each year it plays host to nearly 4,000 foreign students from over 110 nationalities.
Our mission is French language teaching.
We offer:
. intensive immersion-based French language teaching for adults
. training programmes for teachers of French as a foreign language
. “Sports and Language” summer courses for younger children
. language study trips for school groups
. preparation for official tests and certifications in French proficiency (DELF/DALF, TCF, etc.)
- Online French courses
- Online Teachers trainings
.
Located in a superb setting at the foot of the splendid Parc des Célestins on the banks of the Allier river, CAVILAM - Alliance Française offers high-quality teaching to students and trainees in the comfort and elegance of a modern facility spanning 9,000 square meters and equipped with exceptional technological resources.
The institute partners on a regular basis with France’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the Institut Français, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, French cultural services abroad and several media outlets including TV5MONDE, Radio France Internationale and Canal Académie.
French as a foreign language teaching award: 2020, the institute was awarded again the official “Qualité FLE” distinction by France’s education authorities, receiving the highest score on every criterion audited (hospitality, facilities, teachers, training and administration).
has partnerships with the following universities and colleges in France. You can gain full or conditional acceptance into one of these institutions.
The nationality and age mix at CAVILAM - Alliance Française varies over different time periods, courses and levels. In the summer, the average age is 14.
does not hold classes on the holiday dates below. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.
Vichy - Located in the heart of France, Vichy is an ideal city for discovering the French way of life in an authentic, picturesque region.
It is a perfect starting point for excursions into Auvergne and throughout France.
City of art: Vichy’s opera house is a masterpiece of Art Nouveau.
The city’s thermal baths reminiscent of the Far East, Napoleon III-era chalets, impressive homes, shops, and covered markets make Vichy a unique and surprising city.
Its expansive parks - true botanical gardens - are perfect for long, leisurely walks.
City of history: Vichy has been known for its thermal baths since Roman times. During the 19th century, Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie popularised spa culture, making Vichy synonymous with health and beauty. During the Second World War, the government of Marshal Pétain chose Vichy as the French capital. After the war, the city enjoyed a renaissance thanks to health tourism and the cosmetics industry. Today, the Vichy brand name is known worldwide: In 2021, the town became part of the transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name "Great Spa Towns of Europe" because of its famous baths and its architectural testimony to the popularity of spa towns in Europe from the 18th through 20th centuries.
City of sport: Vichy and its surroundings boast exceptional sporting facilities: an aquatics centre, golf courses, a racetrack, tennis courts, and a multi-sport recreational centre.
The teachers and staff were warm and welcoming. At the same time, we communicated only in French, which was challenging and instructive for me, Even as an older student not enrolled in the senior program, I felt right at home. The facilities were very basic and could use a facelift, but that is my only complaint.
Show details » Read more...Overall i had an excellent experience. Vichy is a wonderful city, easy to walk everywhere, many great restaurants, parks, etc.
The housing was great, perfect location, clean, all I needed. However an email listing what is provided and what is not would have been helpful (buy your own toilet paper, laundry soap, trash bags, cleaning supplies, etc). The housekeeping was not done early enough; i arrived on a Sunday and the room was not cleaned until the following Wednesday — a long time without clean towels. No extra trash bag was provided. Small things like this would make a big difference.
My morning instructor Claire was wonderful. Though it was near impossible to hear what other students said, and she did not often repeat it, so that time was of no value to anyone but the one person speaking. Room was noisy from the street but if we shut the windows it was too hot.
My afternoon instructor had a style that I could not adapt to. He had us playing games or speaking to each other, and I cannot learn good french from speaking with others who also don’t speak correctly. He did not teach. So, I changed, and my second teacher was terrific. Pasquale led more vibrant, listening/speaking lessons and stressed vocabulary, which was great.
I had no idea that 90% of the students would be so young, so unfortunately there were no socializing opportunities for me. Other than that, i loved my time in Vichy at Cavilam.
Classes were nice, small groups, we talked a lot and did various exercises. The other students were really anti-social. They did not talk to many other students and were not very welcoming. I felt a lot alone. Luckily there were more activities organized by CAVILAM. That was nice. Overall; learned a lot, mostly because of the family that I slept, a bit pricy, but it was a good experience
Show details » Read more...I attended CAVILAM in Vichy, France during September/October 2022. The school is quite centrally located in the small town and the facilities are quite good. My only complaint was the cleanliness of the bathrooms. Especially in light of COVID-19, the facility needs more cleaners on site. There is often no soap in the bathrooms etc.
The teachers were all excellent. I have three main teachers in the course of the month I was there. Class each morning (grammar, vocabulary, ready and writing), workshop in the afternoon (speaking, listening, responding to questions etc) and then a one-on-one session three times a week for 90 minutes. This offered an intensive immersion program and really helped accelerate my learning. I know that I experienced a rapid increase in my ability to comprehend french spoken at normal speeds. My vocabulary improved a lot as well but I need more time to become fluent in speaking.
I stayed in the Vichy Residences near the river. I really enjoyed that experience. Each evening I went for a walk around the lake which was the perfect way to relax after a long day. The laundry facilities and lounge areas were also excellent.
In conclusion, I will be looking to return to CAVILAM in Vichy sometime in the Spring. I hope to stay for at least eight weeks.
The accommodation arranged by the school in Vichy was excellent.
Both of my teachers were very good and put in a lot of effort.
The classroom facilities were average but cramped.
The class was large up to 14 people of mixed abilities and so quite slow moving. Most students were in the school for long periods of time and so had a different focus.
The exam at the start to find one’s level was terrible. It was not explained properly what was wanted/needed & it was difficult to understand what was appropriate in terms of an answer. Perhaps it was easier for young people used of doing these sort of exams using multi choice questions but I felt I was put at a lower level than I was able for. I asked to move up a level but was not allowed / accommodated.
I think that Cavilam is a professional, very well run institution with excellent teachers and very good resources for the students. It is friendly, inclusive with a wonderful cultural and social programme run by enthusiastic staff. I had some excellent and dedicated teachers, especially Tatiana (class lessons), and Julie Rousseau and Frédérique (for my private lessons).
Accommodation-wise, i very much liked Residence Vichy which is clean, modern and secure with great facilities, including a laundry. I felt that, for me, the first accommodation that I was allocated at Residence Lutetia was not of the standard that I would expect - although i think that a younger person would find it comfortable.
I learnt a great deal of French conversation, grammar and useful vocabulary in my private lessons with which I was very happy - Julie and Frédérique are excellent teachers. I found, however, that - other than with Tatiana - the group classes did not place enough emphasis on the learning of grammar and on correct pronunciation. It may be the accepted technique to teach through an emphasis on conversation but, in my classes, the students would have benefited more from a different approach. In summary, I did not find many of the group classes as helpful as they could have been.
Overall, however, I would return to Cavilam which, as I say, is an excellent educational institution - but, for me, I would prefer - and would benefit more - just to enroll in private lessons and perhaps the afternoon ateliers - not the morning group classes. I think that this option should be available for prospective students.
The least helpful course was my atelier, but this may be because I was not in the proper level and it was a bit disorganized. Housing, activities, location, and teachers were on par. Although, courses seemed to be very focused on DELF, which took away a bit from the overall learning experience.
Show details » Read more...The educational program is absolutely fantastic in every way. The teachers were excellent, the staff friendly and helpful, and the facilities were great. This is a big program especially in the summer and they are good at evaluating and placing students in their appropriate level. There is flexibility depending on what the student wants or needs to learn and the amount of time they have to spend there. One of the key factors that sets this program apart from most other language immersion experiences is the town of Vichy - it is a relatively small typical French town and when you go to the boulangerie and ask for pain au chocolat in a bad accent, the boulanger is unlikely to answer you back in english as always happens in Paris and larger cities. There are not a ton of distractions there but everything you need to have an enjoyable cultural experience is available. The parks and river are beautiful and there are great places to go walking, running and get outdoor exercise. My home stay experience was phenomenal. Every meal was spent talking with my "famile de coeur" and this helped my French as much or more than being in class all day. My only regret is not understanding better the organization of the morning classes, afternoon workshops and private instruction for the "immersion program". I wanted an intense program and experience with speaking and comprehension thus was placed in an afternoon "atelier" for speaking and comprehension. The 3 hr morning class was also mostly speech and comprehension and overall I had very little grammar review. The 14 private classes were great, but given the intensity of the other classes and the homestay I did not have enough time alone to study and take full advantage of the private instruction. In the future I would sign up for "intense" or the "super intense" choices.
Show details » Read more...My language teacher was very enthusiastic, funny and very knowledgeable about other languages and cultures which was good because there was a lot of different cultures and nationalities in the class. The building was nice.
I did not like the cuisine sold in the canteen. I went once and never went back.
Apart from that, everything was great. The excursion I went on was very enjoyable.
As I wrote before, the class was very diversified, and so the teacher had to attend to all students' difficulties. The teacher I had every morning was very good (Sophie Gouby), but in the afternoons there were good and not so good teachers. The problem was not about their knowledge about the French language, but their little knowledge about History and Social Sciences. As we had in the afternoon ateliers on different subjects, it requires a good general knowledge that was not always enough.
I can say the same thing about the activities promoted every Wednesdays and Saturdays. The first guide I had (going to Moulins) does not have enough knowledge about what he was explaining. But he second one was very good.
The ambiance is very good, the distributed material also. Toilet's are not enough, and there is not enough indication about their location.
The food we had at the canteen was awful, and everyone complained about it. Even the family where I have stayed at during those three weeks said the same. Nevertheless, the fact that I had delicious dinners at their home compensated the horrible lunch.
The comradeship among the students was very agreeable, and I could form good friendships there.
In conclusion, I must say that the family that received me was very, very friendly, their meals were wonderful and the best thing, they invited me to a ballet, a theater play and took me several times to cafés and local pastry shops. Their house is very comfortable and I had a nice time with them.
I only stayed a week, but it was amazing meeting new people of different cultures. This made the lessons particularly enjoyable and interesting. The teachers were engaging and I progressed a lot in my five days at Cavilam due to everything being in French (even when you didn't understand a word- they would explain it to you in French!). The facilities were well equipped.
The activities organized by the school were interesting and allowed me to engage fully with French culture: tasting sessions, movie nights and trips to nearby attractions such as Clémant Ferrand.
There are plenty of cafes around the school where you can eat lunch (food in the canteen was not good!), which was lovely.
I also thoroughly enjoyed staying with a host family, who helped me settle in quickly and plunge myself into the French culture!
Vichy is a lovely spot, with parks, a cinema and plenty of shops and cafes. It is a historic and architecturally interesting town. I loved it!
Everything at Cavilam is nice and ... moderate :) Nice though small classes, nice teachers, constant activities (from dancing to excursions, some sports, free and payable) - you can always choose what you want. If you really plan to study french - the place is very good. The city is so small and everything is so calm here and boring that you have nothing to do but to study language. Some teachers are very slow, but if you progress you can change the group every week - I did it 3 times for the period. But for that you have to study at home as well - not just in classes, and you have to be pro-active. Your teacher will not push you to learn. My apartment was very small (8-10 sq.m in total) and moderate but clean and within 4 min walk to the Cavilam - I really loved it.
Show details » Read more...Homestays are carefully selected and offer students the opportunity to learn more about the local culture in a comfortable setting while studying French in Vichy. These homes are often between 5 - 15 minutes away from the school by public transport. Families usually offer affordable meal plans that allow you to sample the local cuisine. If you have special requests or diet restrictions (because of religion or health reasons), please let us know in advance. Your housing starts on the Sunday before your first day of class and ends on the Saturday after your last day of class, unless otherwise noted. Learn more about homestay housing
We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.
Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you. If you wish to receive your paperwork by express mail, you will be charged 90 € when you register.
Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Vichy based on your budget, schedule and preferences.
Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.
Have questions? Get answers from CAVILAM - Alliance Française staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.
Ask a questionCAVILAM - Alliance Française