Join a language school for foreigners! Each year, more and more young people travel to learn a foreign language across the world. These initiatives are even encouraged by some governments in order to prepare their populations for the multicultural world of tomorrow. Nice is no exception, and these types of schools are proliferating there. Today, about fifteen private establishments offer such services.
Azurlingua, the most prominent and oldest of these schools, was the realization of a project envisioned more than 10 years ago by three students from Nice. Today, two of them, Marc Pulcinelli and Jean-Luc Librati, still serve as directors. Currently, Azurlingua hosts about 2500 students annually, half of them during the summer. Housed on-site, in student residences or with local hosts, students divide their time between nightlife and classes. “Overall, they are quite studious,” Marc Pulcinelli assures. “It must be said that outside of class hours, the school offers numerous sports and cultural activities. Generally, they participate in these outings during the first week and then, after getting to know each other, they manage on their own.”
Just a few streets away are the premises of France-Langue. Certified teachers have been teaching French in Nice there since 1994. This year, the school even benefited from contracts with the Spanish government to promote foreign languages. With the help of a sort of scholarship, Spain thus finances the language holidays of a number of its students. For France-Langue, as with other establishments, success is currently ensuring with 200 students enrolled. “A small number of them even return year after year to refine their learning,” adds Babeth Bernard, the assistant director. Maria today finishes her 3-week internship at the school, and while she is eager to return to her family in Moscow, she will nonetheless keep an unforgettable memory of the city. “I followed an intensive learning program consisting of 30 hours of group classes and 5 hours of private lessons; I stayed with a local host and it went very well. Nice is a very welcoming city where I was able to meet a lot of people. I’m happy to return, but I’m ready to start again next year.”
Like France-Langue, Alpha B., located in the same neighborhood, works hand in hand with travel agencies. Jenny, a young German high school student, opted for an “all-inclusive” two-week stay. Here again, the experience is conclusive, even though Jenny finds the training and life in Nice a bit expensive. “For someone like me who does not yet have an income and therefore has a relatively limited budget, you have to be careful as the nightlife here isn’t cheap.” Count at least between 1000 and 1700 euros for two weeks (courses + accommodation + food). A good way, therefore, to travel while improving one’s language skills; you just need to have the means. Note, however, most language schools can issue internationally recognized diplomas.
The French government does not yet subsidize this type of internships, but if you have a taste for travel, other possibilities are available to you:
– [scholarships and aids from the National Education](https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/actions-france_830/education-universite-formation_1043/partir-etudier-etranger_4944/index.html)
– [the European Voluntary Service](https://www.injep.fr/-Service-Volontaire-Europeen-18-25-.html)
– [the International Civil Service](https://www.sci-france.org/)
