Training for Teachers of French, Tours.

Teachers of French can attend teacher-training courses in July and August. The 4-week course includes almost 100 hours of training. It can be broken down into fortnightly sessions for teachers unable to stay 4 weeks.  These courses are eligible as part of the European Comenius and Grundtvig scholarship programmes.

Teacher-training courses are also organized on demand, more particularly for ministries or embassies.

Course description

A 96-hour teacher-training course over 4 weeks (or 48 hours over 2 weeks) for both experienced and inexperienced teachers of French.

The course is organized in 3 main areas:

1. French language teaching: reflections, methods, practice
2. Teaching civilization : an intercultural approach
3. French language : improve language skills, teach phonetics

Elective modules  include:

• information technology in education
• French for young learners
• specialized French
• cultural studies

Course dates, 2012:

2nd to 27th July - 4 weeks;         

2nd to 13th July - 2 weeks;     16th to 27th July - 2 weeks;     30th July to 10th August - 2 weeks

Course price:

2-week training : € 520

4-week training : € 980

This long-established Institute has been teaching French language and culture to generations of young and adult students and French teachers since 1912.  Only war has managed make it close its doors, and then only temporarily.  In the space of a century, several generations of teachers have taught more than 200,000 students.  The school, a multinational and multicultural     establishment open all year round, welcomes students from over 80 countries every year. This unique environment lets everyone  interact and discover a shared language: French. And beyond the quality of the programmes, total immersion in French society is always a tremendous way of accelerating the learning process.  It still occupies the former Hôtel Torterue, a beautiful mansion dating from the Second Empire, purchased for it by the Tours town council in 1924.

Immediately after the Second World War, the Institute started taking in students from American universities. This tradition lives on today with about fifteen colleges.  The school itself is under the academic supervision of Tours University.  The curriculum is based on the Council of Europe's Reference European Framework.

The diversity of mother tongues and cultures in classes is a permanent feature. This requires great flexibility of its teachers in paying special attention to each student's difficulties - a basic quality in the teaching of French as a foreign language.

For all general French courses, students take a placement test on the first day. They are then divided into classes by precise level.  Unlike most language schools, new students do not arrive in classes every week. The same students stay together with the same teachers up to the end of their course.  This way of organizing courses affords students a great degree of stability and a clear view of the curriculum and aims - conditions that are highly favourable to optimal learning.  Students are continuously assessed and regularly tested on each type of skill (oral and written). This system measures their progress in real time and allows any difficulties to be overcome.

All students can benefit from tutoring, for personal guidance in their studies and to help them overcome difficulties. They have a designated tutor for the duration of the course, with a weekly one -hour slot to meet their tutor.

The Institute employs 20 full-time teachers, who are qualified teachers of French as a foreign language, and are familiar with the specific difficulties of each mother tongue and its writing systems.

The academic team also works on numerous educational projects:

• didactic training courses for teachers of French
• courses at Tours University
• educational assignments for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Several members of staff have also been involved in the development of language teaching methods.

An administrative team is available to deal with all student matters, assisting students in everyday official and administrative procedures in France (health, insurance, bank accounts etc).

Courses leading to DELF, DALF exams and those of the Paris Chamber of Commerce exams are available in the school.  Staff are on hand to provide students with information and guidance on all matters relating to their courses and examinations.

The Institut has a large resource centre at the disposal of its students, which includes:

• a library
• a media library housing all its audiovisual material
• computer-assisted teaching workshop.

These areas allow students to study on their own, with the assistance and advice of specialized teaching and administrative staff.  They are a very useful complement to class work, allowing students to improve their knowledge of or revise certain points, prepare a class project, or simply relax while using their French.

The library, which is open from Monday to Friday, specializes in French as a foreign language and includes language methods, exercise books, grammar books, dictionaries and specialist French reference books to supplement class-based learning.  It also has an extensive collection of literature and reference books on a wide range of subjects.  A wide range of daily newspapers and magazines is also available for consultation there.  In addition, it provides extensive information about cultural events and shows in Tours, and also roganises a Friday film club.

The Institute's media library is open every afternoon, Monday to Friday, allowing students to work with audio or video material and on audio/video workstations on their own, or with the advice and help of a teacher:

• aural comprehension exercises
• dictations
• pronunciation designed for all levels
• French songs
• films and videos
• The phonetic workshop

The Institut is one of the first French-language schools to be awarded the "French as a Foreign Language Quality" (FLE) label, which was created in 2006.  This label is a guarantee of the establishment's high standards of teaching and services.

Several types of accommodation are available and can be arranged by the school.  Full information about what is included in each one will be sent on request.

• Family homestay - from €154 to €196 per week.  No deposit is required.
• University halls of residence  (July and August  only) - single room, studio or 2-bedroom flat. Prices from €130 to €360 for 2 weeks, and from €310 to €680 for 4 weeks, depending on the type of accommodation.  A deposit is required.
• Youth Hostel, 5 minutes from the school - € 305 per month + €7 membership fee + € 15 booking fee.  A deposit of €295 is required, as is insurance of €29 per year (compulsory).
• Hameau Saint Michel, opposite the school - from €528 to €652 per month + booking fee of €56.  A deposit of €130 is required.
• Lamy Residence serviced studio apartments - €460 to €500 per month + €310 deposit.  No booking fee.
• Teneo Residence serviced studios and apartments - €440 to €660 per month, no booking fee.  Deposit of one month's rent required.  Extras:  Parking (€20 per month), Cooking kit (€20 per month), Linen kit (€10 per month).
• Les Estudines Residence serviced studio apartments - €470 per month, no booking fee, one month's deposit required.
• Furnished flat - from €600 to €1500 per month, depending on the size of the flat.  Deposit of 1 month's rent required.
• Hotel - from €45 to €60 per night (2 stars) or €75 to €100 per night (3 stars). Prices per room only, without breakfast.