Intensive French Language Course (General courses + Workshop)

IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère

Q&A
Price
school-reference
detail

Course description

Why Choose IS-DBA

__________________________________________________________________________________
▶ Benefits of taking our courses

We attach great importance to the satisfaction of our students: throughout their training, from their first week to their last day, we make sure that the courses offered meet their expectations. We pay close attention to the objectives expressed by each student, so that we can offer them the learning adapted to their needs. For example, we place as much importance on preparing for the DELF B2 exam to enter university as we do on acquiring the language skills needed to be independent in everyday life in France.

(1) GENERAL COURSE + UNIVERSITY OBJECTIVE!
We stand out from other FLE schools because, as well as offering traditional FLE teaching, we are committed to helping our students achieve their academic and professional goals and to treating them as fully-fledged Parisian students.

(2) ONGOING & MONTHLY ASSESSMENTS
During their training, two formative assessments take place within each class (from level A1 to level C1): the first in the middle of the session (after five or six weeks of lessons) and the second at the end of the session to determine whether the student has passed to the next level. The subjects of the tests focus on the learning acquired during the session within the class. This enables the teacher to assess progress in relation to the syllabus, and the student to assess progress in relation to the objectives of the level followed. It also highlights any difficulties encountered, so that these concepts can be reworked during the rest of the session. Finally, these two assessments are an excellent way of preparing for official exams, such as the DELF or DALF, as they offer similar tests and assess the same skills. Students will then be able to prepare for these exams more confidently and have a concrete idea of their level.

(3) SPECIFIC WORKSHOPS
These unique workshops, which you won't find anywhere else, are designed to help you acquire the concepts and knowledge you need to carry out your university projects and to go into greater depth on concepts covered in the general course. From French culture to grammar, and from preparation for the DELF to phonetics, these workshops will give you the opportunity to improve your French and discover a completely different side of the French language and civilization.

(4) COURSE DESIGN BY THE TEACHERS
The IS-DBA teaching team develops its own class content to offer original, authentic and up-to-date courses on a variety of subjects that go beyond the framework of the most commonly used textbooks while respecting the Common Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). As well as acquiring the skills required for the DELF exam, the school also offers you unique teaching materials to help you make daily progress, both orally and in writing, in your life in Paris.

(5) GUARANTEED PROGRESS
The entire IS-DBA team carefully monitors the progress of our students throughout their journey in the French language. We listen carefully and, if necessary, offer remedial solutions, which may take the form of a change of class and/or level. We also ensure that our students receive personalised follow-up through weekly one-to-one sessions with a French teacher, during which you can go into more depth on the concepts you wish to study or practise your oral skills.

__________________________________________________________________________________

▶ Our general French courses & our premises

▸ 1 lesson = 2 hours 30 minutes, 4 lessons per week for A1-C1 level
▸ The average class size is 10 students per class, which guarantees a high quality of lesson and a friendly atmosphere in the classroom

__________________________________________________________________________________

▶ Our workshops
▸ 1 workshop = 1 hour, 3 lessons per week

General and spesific workshops: to enrich the content of general French courses. During this workshop, students can take part in debates, conversations on a specific topic, role-playing, a play, games, etc.

▸ Phonetics (A1):
In this workshop, we work on the particularities of French pronunciation (phonemes, morphemes, accents, rhythm, intonation...) to enable you to better understand the language and make yourself better understood orally. To achieve this, teachers use a variety of media (textbooks, systemic exercises, ICT, songs, videos, theatre, etc.).

▸ Oral expression (A1-B2-C1) :
This workshop will enable you to get to know and use common everyday expressions and work on the particularities of spoken and colloquial French. The aim is to get our students to speak as much formal and informal French as possible. The teacher intervenes at the beginning of the lesson to provide language tools (vocabulary, syntax, grammar, etc.) and during the session to correct. During this workshop, students can take part in debates, conversations on a specific topic, role-playing, a play, games, etc.

▸ Grammar (all levels):
French grammar is notoriously complex. With this workshop, syntax and conjugation will hold no secrets for you! During the session, teachers provide students with linguistic knowledge, then help them to manipulate the structures in writing and speaking. Far from being a theoretical course, this workshop will enable you to handle French conjugations and grammar on a daily basis.

▸ Preparation for DELF and DALF (A2 to C1) :
Many textbooks prepare you for the official DELF and DALF exams. This workshop is a necessary complement to acquire the specific methodology and know how these exams work. The teachers will prepare you for all the tests (oral and written comprehension, oral and written production) and help you to improve throughout the session. You will have the opportunity to write a wide range of texts (articles, emails, letters, text commentaries, etc.), to prepare for the individual oral test and, above all, to receive individual feedback on your work.

▸ French culture (A1-A2-B1):
This workshop introduces you to many aspects of French culture: from gastronomy to literature, from architecture to current affairs, this course is a real eye-opener into the workings of French society. It is also an opportunity for students to exchange and compare their cultures, to take part in discussions in French on a wide range of subjects and to enrich their vocabulary.

+ Cultural outings organized by our French teachers

__________________________________________________________________________________

▶ CECRL Program
▸The French courses at IS-DBA are based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CECRL). The CECRL defines the methods of learning, teaching and evaluation of languages and proposes a standardized scale of competence in French as a foreign language.

▸The assessment scale describes 6 levels of proficiency, from A1 for beginners to C2 for those who have mastered the language. This framework and the 6 levels of progression are widely accepted at the European level and increasingly at the global level.

__________________________________________________________________________________

▶ Language levels:
▸ Basic user
Level A1 - Introductory or Discovery Level
Level A2 - Intermediate Level

▸ Independent user
Level B1 - Threshold level
Level B2 - Advanced or Independent

▸ Experienced user
Level C1 - Independent level
Level C2 - Mastery Level

Course topics

Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities

Class schedule

Course duration
4-48 weeks
Start dates
06 May 2024, 13 May 2024, 20 May 2024, 24 Jun 2024, 01 Jul 2024, 08 Jul 2024, 15 Jul 2024, 22 Jul 2024, 29 Jul 2024, 26 Aug 2024, 30 Sep 2024, 07 Oct 2024, 14 Oct 2024, 21 Oct 2024, 28 Oct 2024, 11 Nov 2024, 18 Nov 2024, 06 Jan 2025, 13 Jan 2025, 20 Jan 2025, 27 Jan 2025, 03 Feb 2025 and 17 Feb 2025
Start dates for beginners
24 Jun 2024, 01 Jul 2024, 08 Jul 2024, 15 Jul 2024, 30 Sep 2024, 07 Oct 2024, 14 Oct 2024, 21 Oct 2024, 06 Jan 2025, 13 Jan 2025, 20 Jan 2025 and 17 Mar 2025
Classes per week
20 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 60 min)
Class days
Monday - Friday
School holidays
29 Apr 2024 - 05 May 2024, 08 May 2024, 09 May 2024, 20 May 2024, 05 Aug 2024 - 25 Aug 2024, 01 Nov 2024, 04 Nov 2024 - 10 Nov 2024, 11 Nov 2024, 23 Dec 2024 - 05 Jan 2025

IS-DBA FLE 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.

Class times

Morning session
09:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Afternoon session
01:15 PM - 03:45 PM
Activity
12:00 PM - 01:00 PM

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

All levels, beginner to advanced
You will take a placement test on your first day to determine your class level.

Class size

Average 12 students
Maximum 16 students

Student age

Age range 18 years old and older
Average 24 years old
(25 in the summer)

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
Read more...
school
photos

Photos

  • Activities offered at IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère 1/13
  • Classroom at IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère 2/13
  • Library at IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère 3/13
  • Classes at IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère 4/13
  • Classes at IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère 5/13
  • Classes at IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère 6/13
  • Classes at IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère 7/13
  • Classroom at IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère 8/13
  • Building of IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère 9/13
  • Activities offered at IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère 10/13
  • Activities offered at IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère 11/13
  • Activities offered at IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère 12/13
  • Activities offered at IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère 13/13
reviews

Reviews

100% recommend

based on 5 reviews
5 stars
3
4 stars
2
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location

"Teachers are very kind and nice"

HAO YUAN HSU, student from France

I am a French beginner. Although I have only taken a one-month course, my excellent teachers have made me improve quickly. Thank you very much, IS DBA

Read more...

My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
5 weeks
Date of study
15 jan. 2024 - 23 feb. 2024
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
IS-DBA Team, IS-DBA Team at IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère responded to this review.
15 March 2024

Bonjour Hao Yuan,

Merci beaucoup for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you've noticed progress in your French skills after just one month with us.
Keep up the great work, and we look forward to continuing to help you reach your language goals at IS-DBA!

À bientôt,

"Lots of thorough content and fast paced, but a bit hard to follow at times."

Zara Cowden-Davis, student from Australia

The course offered lots of content and moved at a fast pace, which was great. I enjoyed the conversational element a lot. I felt it improved speaking the most, as you get to understand if you are comprehensible. Plus it was good for class dynamic. I think the course needed a bit more of this. Sometimes I felt there was too much long grammar lessons where we are all lost because the teacher would speak very fast in french, and we only A2 level. So, a lot of us were lost here.

Read more...

My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
6 weeks
Date of study
19 jún. 2023 - 4 ágú. 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"A great experience!"

Maria Laura , student from Italy

I studied at IS-DBA for an entire month and had a great experience. The school is very easy to reach, as it is located at a few minutes walk by the tube. The only thing I didn't quite like was the room allocation - we were allocated a few times a room with no windows which isn't the best choice also for health reasons, especially since covid-19. But for everything else it was great. What I did like especially was the quality of teaching. My teacher was Alexis, and he was always well prepared, made lessons engaging and was always open to students' needs. I can definitely say that, thanks to this experience, my level of written and spoken French has definitely increased.

Read more...

My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
19 jún. 2023 - 14 júl. 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Engaging & fun teachers"

Ashley Metzgar, student from France

I enjoyed my intro level class at IS-DBA. The location is great, very central to Paris and easy to get to via Metro. My main teacher, Andres, was easy to understand and encouraging. He made the class super engaging and fun. The class progresses at a pretty fast pace for a complete beginner but as long as you make time to study you'll progress on schedule. The classrooms are a bit small but they changed our schedule to accommodate the number of people in our class, and so there weren't any problems.

Read more...

My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
28 mar. 2022 - 22 apr. 2022
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"It was intensive but very rewarding"

Soomin Park

The professors were excellent and the staff was friendly and helpful. The institution is very well situated and has a great view on Paris from the classroom.

I had courses from professor François and he was always dedicated, enthusiastic, and fun. In every lesson, he provided us with his own made print-outs which were very compact, unlike FLE textbooks. Besides the knowledge of the french language, he taught me a lot including the overall culture, history of France, and the lifestyles of Parisien. When I was taking the DELF exam, he also provided me with courses focused on DELF.

The ateliers were diverse and comprehensive. I took the pronunciation, business-french, civilization, and art course.

Overall, I highly recommend IS-DBA to those who want to earn french intensively in Paris.

Read more...

My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
26 weeks
Date of study
1 júl. 2020 - 31 des. 2021
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
IS-DBA, Communication team at IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère responded to this review.
05 July 2021

Hello Soomin,
I already miss you. Please come to the school anytime.

Thank you !

visa

Visa support

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.

Flights and airport transfer

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 Paris based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

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.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

Read more...
questions

Questions and answers

Have questions? Get answers from IS-DBA École de Français Langue Étrangère staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

Ask a question
Show prices