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Original poster

Any experience with language camps in France?

39 replies

SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 14/07/2025 10:13

I’d really like to strengthen my child’s French, as I feel the amount of French taught at secondary school isn’t enough to build real fluency or confidence in the language.

I’m considering private lessons with a native speaker (e.g. twice a week),
and sending my child to French language camps during school holidays — ideally with accommodation and full language immersion.

Has anyone here had experience with such camps or residential courses in France?
Can you recommend any reliable organisations that offer high-quality language trips for children around the age of 12?

Any suggestions or reviews would be greatly appreciated!

OP posts:
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Original poster
SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 07/08/2025 12:18

I am sorry but I do not perceive it as a digging in the hole. I stated my opinion and stand by it. You are allowed to your own opinion but do not impose it on me.

Thank you for relevant recommendations of the course organisers from those who posted it.

OP posts:
doglover90 · 04/08/2025 19:05

Gosh OP, if I were you I'd stop digging yourself a hole because you are not coming out of this well.

Original poster
SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 04/08/2025 15:40

But people do talk between each other, they hear the accent and are discriminated.

I absolutely do not question the fact that it is appalling. Yet it is bad luck to meet such people because it is not like everybody is racially aggressive in Provence ( or provinces) of France. I do go there quite frequently- last time a year ago I visited Provence. It is a very multicultural area. I would say it can happen but is not something widespread.

OP posts:
clary · 04/08/2025 14:04

SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 04/08/2025 13:38

She said provinces ans tourist areas. This is offensive for anybody who lives in France in province or tourist areas. She was offended by specific narrow minded people and extending it to the entire types of regions is very much unfair.

No, white people in UK are not priviliged. You don't see the full picture. People from the country I come from were and are subject to endless xenophopic and racist remarks. It was very common around Brexit and it is still now. I am pretty sure I have not got a job several times because of that. I wouldn't dare to say that the entire company was like that or a type of region in UK this happens more. This is about specific narrow minded people. Yes, it is bad luck to meet them.

They said their dc experienced racism in Province (I assume a typo for Provence) and Tours areas. They advised avoiding these areas if anyone was not white. I can't see where they said the whole area was racist, but the advice seemed reasonable if they encountered issues repeatedly. I would have been offended too and again, I don't see why anyone should have to put up with that.

I don't doubt that xenophobia is directed at white people from other countries in the UK. That's appalling (not bad luck). But still, anyone white has the privilege of not being discriminated against as they walk down the street, before they even open their mouth.

Original poster
SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 04/08/2025 13:45

Under UK law:

“Race” includes:

Ethnic origin

National origin

Nationality

Colour

This means you can be white and a subject of racism in UK based on your nationality. racism is not only in reference to skin pigment

This definition comes from:

The Equality Act 2010

The Crime and Disorder Act 1998

The Public Order Act 1986

OP posts:
Original poster
SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 04/08/2025 13:38

She said provinces ans tourist areas. This is offensive for anybody who lives in France in province or tourist areas. She was offended by specific narrow minded people and extending it to the entire types of regions is very much unfair.

No, white people in UK are not priviliged. You don't see the full picture. People from the country I come from were and are subject to endless xenophopic and racist remarks. It was very common around Brexit and it is still now. I am pretty sure I have not got a job several times because of that. I wouldn't dare to say that the entire company was like that or a type of region in UK this happens more. This is about specific narrow minded people. Yes, it is bad luck to meet them.

OP posts:
clary · 04/08/2025 12:56

SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 04/08/2025 11:31

I think that suggesting that provicial and tourist regions in France are racist is very unfair. There are all kind of people living everywhere. I am sympathetic with her experience and do not question validity of her experience but putting a label in what areas ...are racist and what other places are not is simply very bad. It is as if somebody said: in Lincolnshire people are racists.

I am against labeling any areas as more racist than other areas. This is very unfair and racists.

is clearly not someone who has themselves experienced racism.

Trust me the racism is not only a thing directed from white people. It is I am afraid something from any skin colour to any. Yes, white people in South Africa experience racism. Mentioning that white is priviliged is totally racist comment and full of predjuce. Racism goes both ways. All ways for that matter. I find it very unsettling that people understand racism in such limited way.

not OK to minimise it and suggest that we (they?) should be above such things.
And shouldn't we be above such things? We should. And that what I stated. And definitely not label as regions. It is specific narrow minded people who were racists on that lady's experience and not the entire region. Narrow minded people are everywhere.

Edited
Show quote history

The pp did not say an area of France was racist. They said that their DC experienced racism there. They gave some shocking examples.

You said “they must have had a bad luck” which to me is minimising the experience. Saying they should be above such things is frankly bizarre. Why should anyone have to put up with that kind of offensive treatment?

And yes, anyone white in our current society, especially if they live in the UK (or other countries too) is coming from a place of privilege in all kinds of ways. Look into it if you don’t accept that.

Original poster
SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 04/08/2025 11:45

OP if you’re trying to bring this thread back to topic, your most recent post is not the right way of going about it.

This was a thread about recommendations and not about labelling province and tourist area in France as racist. It was not about being racist to me and calling me priviliged.

I am not going to change my mind about being ok to offend any race including white people. And I am not ok with calling France province as racist. Terrible labelling and creating stereotypes
You can report it to the moderators. I will not change my mind even if they remove the thread. I will still I see racism as a broad experience where we should not label any race or region for that matter.

OP posts:
Original poster
SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 04/08/2025 11:31

clary · 03/08/2025 19:26

Agree @HighburyHope and also:
anyone who can say we should be above such things as amount of pigment in the skin- and I stated that
is clearly not someone who has themselves experienced racism. If someone who is not white still experiences racism, it’s not OK to minimise it and suggest that we (they?) should be above such things. From a position of privilege (ie being white).

I think that suggesting that provicial and tourist regions in France are racist is very unfair. There are all kind of people living everywhere. I am sympathetic with her experience and do not question validity of her experience but putting a label in what areas ...are racist and what other places are not is simply very bad. It is as if somebody said: in Lincolnshire people are racists.

I am against labeling any areas as more racist than other areas. This is very unfair and racists.

is clearly not someone who has themselves experienced racism.

Trust me the racism is not only a thing directed from white people. It is I am afraid something from any skin colour to any. Yes, white people in South Africa experience racism. Mentioning that white is priviliged is totally racist comment and full of predjuce. Racism goes both ways. All ways for that matter. I find it very unsettling that people understand racism in such limited way.

not OK to minimise it and suggest that we (they?) should be above such things.
And shouldn't we be above such things? We should. And that what I stated. And definitely not label as regions. It is specific narrow minded people who were racists on that lady's experience and not the entire region. Narrow minded people are everywhere.

OP posts:
clary · 03/08/2025 19:26

Agree @HighburyHope and also:
anyone who can say we should be above such things as amount of pigment in the skin- and I stated that
is clearly not someone who has themselves experienced racism. If someone who is not white still experiences racism, it’s not OK to minimise it and suggest that we (they?) should be above such things. From a position of privilege (ie being white).

HighburyHope · 03/08/2025 17:58

If a contributor to the thread says her family has experienced racism, it is not OK to minimise that. Not OK to dismiss her family’s experience as just isolated bad luck. Not OK to imply it doesn’t matter because “we’re white” (or whatever) and not likely to experience what they have experienced. Not OK to imply that she is the racist for calling out perpetrators of racism.

OP if you’re trying to bring this thread back to topic, your most recent post is not the right way of going about it.

I will be reporting the thread.

Original poster
SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 03/08/2025 16:12

Maybe I should add.

  1. Suggesting that people living in provincial and tourist regions of France are racists- is a racism.
  1. Stating that we are white blue eye is not racism. It is a fact and written in response that the advice given would be not relevant to to us anyway
  1. Calling somebody priviliged because is white is a racist and narrow minded remark that shows lack of touch with reality. Not all white people are WASP and even if some are we are in XXI century and we should be above such things as amount of pigment in the skin- and I stated that
  1. No, I am not French
OP posts:
Original poster
SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 03/08/2025 15:51

dylexicdementor11 · 03/08/2025 13:33

After reading all of the OPs posts I think the OP is having difficulty understanding what other posters are writing. The OPs response here is nonsensical.

Show quote history

Are you looking to stir drama in the old thread? I have received information and recommendation I needed and thank you for relevant responses

OP posts:
dylexicdementor11 · 03/08/2025 13:33

SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 17/07/2025 09:55

What a load of nonsense - never said anything like that. I am reporting you offensive and racist post

After reading all of the OPs posts I think the OP is having difficulty understanding what other posters are writing. The OPs response here is nonsensical.

dylexicdementor11 · 03/08/2025 13:30

SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 16/07/2025 14:40

For goodness sake, in France there are many people of colour, more than in UK even and they were there for generations. Surely your kid just had a bad luck.
I get that people may not like religious extremists but I really don't understand the politics of the skin pigment in the XXI century. So wrong.

We are all in my family blond blue eyes pale types.

This might not have been your intention but this comment is rude and dismissive of the posters experiences with racism.

HighburyHope · 25/07/2025 20:11

My DD went to French summer camp at Alpine French School in Morzine in her early teens, and this summer (end of Y12) is going to one of the Montpellier language schools.

onlytherain · 19/07/2025 19:33

This might be of interest to you:

https://www.lingoo.com/en/search/profile/results?profile_search_lang=310&profile_search_type=0&profile_search_stay=1&profile_search_loc=0

In quite a few of the families the (usually) mother is a lanuage teacher, so your child could have some 1 on 1 sessions on top of the immersion.

Clearinguptheclutter · 17/07/2025 21:13

I did a French degree

def lots of good language courses out there but I came on loads as a teenager by spending two weeks with a (lovely) host family. Friends of friends of my French teacher I think. The mother was an English teacher but other than translating the odd work was amazing at speaking French at me the whole time!

However i think host family arrangements are very hit or miss and can be distressing for the children (or amazing). Def best if you have some connections.

Original poster
SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 17/07/2025 21:07

clary · 17/07/2025 20:22

I certainly agree with you about the number of lessons in school – that's partly what I meant by stretched I guess; there are so many other subjects that need to be covered (quite rightly! I am not suggesting studying French at the expense of biology!) that it's hard to squeeze in more than 2 or three hours a week, even at KS4.

Wrt noisy and disruptive students, they exist across the ability level I'm afraid, tho it's true that less-able students are more likely to be disengaged. A good teacher will manage that tho.

But tbh even with an hour of French lessons a day in a class of 30, no student is going to be close to fluent, unless they do a good deal of work outside as well.

All the best to your child – I love that you want to increase their confidence in MFL.

lass of 30, no student is going to be close to fluent, unless they do a good deal of work outside as well.

Absolutely.

Wrt noisy and disruptive students, they exist across the ability level I'm afraid, tho it's true that less-able students are more likely to be disengaged.

My son keeps saying it to me that in the top sets there are also disruptive kids but just fewer of them: "mum they are just more capable but some are still naughty! "

All the best to your child – I love that you want to increase their confidence in MFL.

Thank you:) and all the best to you too

Ah and I forgot to say, no, I am not French. I only speak a bit of French

OP posts:
clary · 17/07/2025 20:22

I certainly agree with you about the number of lessons in school – that's partly what I meant by stretched I guess; there are so many other subjects that need to be covered (quite rightly! I am not suggesting studying French at the expense of biology!) that it's hard to squeeze in more than 2 or three hours a week, even at KS4.

Wrt noisy and disruptive students, they exist across the ability level I'm afraid, tho it's true that less-able students are more likely to be disengaged. A good teacher will manage that tho.

But tbh even with an hour of French lessons a day in a class of 30, no student is going to be close to fluent, unless they do a good deal of work outside as well.

All the best to your child – I love that you want to increase their confidence in MFL.

Original poster
SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 17/07/2025 20:02

@clary

I was interested in this thread as MFL is my subject. I'm sorry that you don’t rate the quality of secondary language teaching (of course it is stretched in every direction, like so many things at schools, but there are still some amazing teachers).

I don’t think there’s an issue with the teacher’s dedication in 99 percent of cases. I have no doubt many teachers are great. In my opinion, there are two main problems:

  1. There aren’t enough hours of language instruction at school.
  1. In most schools, languages are not taught in sets but in mixed-ability groups, which often include noisy and disruptive students.
OP posts:
clary · 17/07/2025 19:45

SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 17/07/2025 17:33

Thank you. How do I find information a about Club Med

Show quote history

Club Med is a holiday company @SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn

https://www.clubmed.co.uk/

I was interested in this thread as MFL is my subject. I'm sorry that you don’t rate the quality of secondary language teaching (of course it is stretched in every direction, like so many things at schools, but there are still some amazing teachers).

I agree with @WingingIt101 that immersion is a great way to learn a language. The trouble is that you need to keep it going – one of my DC spent some time in another country and got pretty good at the language, but has struggled to keep it up. Perhaps easier for a child – but if you want anything approaching fluency you need to be speaking French to them at home. You’ve not said if you are French? would that be a possibility?

I must say that I have found some of your comments a tad surprising – but it is sometimes hard to judge tone on a forum like this.

History of Club Med

All Inclusive Resorts & Holiday Packages | Club Med

Browse Club Med's wide range of luxury resorts and find the perfect holiday to suit your needs. Available to book online today!

https://www.clubmed.co.uk

Original poster
SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn · 17/07/2025 17:33

Moominmammacat · 17/07/2025 15:09

Go on holiday to Club Med and put them in children's club! Very French.

Thank you. How do I find information a about Club Med

OP posts:
Moominmammacat · 17/07/2025 15:09

Go on holiday to Club Med and put them in children's club! Very French.

onlytherain · 17/07/2025 10:23

@SometimesYouWinSometimesYouLearn Good luck.