Au Clair du Sud
Learning... a pleasure. Learn the language... live the life
In the relaxed and beautiful surroundings of the South of France, Au Clair du Sud provides informal, practical and interesting French language courses in small groups (max 6). We make learning the language a pleasure!
Language coursesOur courses for 2011
French and Gastronomy A five day course learning practical French to enable you to discuss and discover the charms of the local produce of the South of France (wine, cheese, oysters, olives, markets...). We'll prepare you to talk directly to producers.
French and Cooking A five day course spent talking about and cooking French food - with wonderful wines to accompany it. An acclaimed chef will help you prepare delicious meals and we'll prepare you to follow his recipes. All in French of course! The non cooking days will be spent on themes such as the market, wine and cheese.
French and History A five day course learning about the Roman and Medieval history that helped shape the South of France (recommended for advanced students).
Each day the morning session is entirely focused on words and phrases to be put into practice that afternoon.
For example, on the French and Gastronomy course, if a visit to a vineyard is planned, the morning will cover the vocabulary needed to describe the taste, and to understand the owner as he describes his personal approach to wine making. The following day we might visit a local market, so we need to be ready to discuss the different produce, quantities and prices. And then there's the olive grove, 'the domaine de l'olivie'.... have you ever tasted the different flavours of olive oil, or wanted to ask someone what time of the year the olives are harvested? We look at the production cycle of olives and practice this type of question before going for a visit. The language sessions typically take place from 9.30 am until 12.30, followed by a working lunch with your tutor (at a restaurant) and the afternoons are dedicated to visits and practical lessons.
| A typical programme of French and Gastronomy is... | |||||
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | |
Morning | Wine appreciation lesson | All about olives lesson | Seafood language appreciation lesson | Preparing for the market | Cheese of the Languedoc Rousillon lesson |
Lunch* | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch |
Afternoon | Visit local wine château for tasting and history | Visit olive grove, mill and museum | Visit oyster beds at Mèze and charming Sète | Visit the market | Visit local cheese producer |
*the cost of lunch is not included in the price (around 15€ for set 3 course meals)
We concentrate on useful French you need in a given situation - at a leisurely pace and without pressure. After a tasty lunch we visit the real thing to put your practical knowledge to good use.
Our course dates for 2011 are:
April 18th-22nd
May 16th-20th and 23rd-27th
June 6th-10th
September 19th-23rd
October 3rd-7th
