Annecy, in the French Alps is a wonderful town, not just because of its picturesque scenery, but also as the perfect place to learn the language of France. So you are in the right place and have decided to enrol on one of our IFALPES French language courses, but are wondering what the differences between the Semi Intensive and the Intensive Courses are? Let us take a look to find out.
The General French Intensive Course
The General French Intensive Course is made up of 20 lessons (15 hours), and this is a great course for learning interesting information about the surrounding Alps, and the French culture of the local people. There’s certainly plenty to talk about. Focusing on communication, this course with lessons taking place from Monday to Friday, covers spoken comprehension and expression, as well as written comprehension and expression. There are alternative morning and afternoon sessions, lasting a total of 3 hours a day, and five times a week.
Students of any level from beginner to advanced are welcome to join the Intensive Course, although beginners must start at the beginning of a monthly series, in order that there will be chronological progression. The programme for the French Intensive Course is very flexible though, however, there is a minimum period of one week that students must be able to commit to taking lessons for.
We are proud of the fact that this course has students from all over the world enrolled on it, and it is an excellent opportunity for making friends on an international level. There can be as many as representatives from 62 different nationalities taking part in the Intensive Course. You can learn about many other cultures, as well as that of France.
The General French Semi Intensive Course
The General French Semi Intensive Course is different to the General French Intensive Course because it can only be studied by students living in France, although this may include those who are living there as au pairs, or other long-term workers. Unlike the minimum course commitment of one week for the Intensive Course, you need to be able to enrol for 11 weeks for the Semi Intensive Course. Students choose which days they take their lessons, but they must take them three times a week from Monday to Friday. The lessons are held alternatively in mornings and afternoons and are for three hours.
So there is a difference in how many hours a student must study on the Semi Intensive Course, and for how long they must take it. Another difference is that beginners are not able to take this course, unlike the Intensive Course, which is open to all levels of study.
Students who have completed a B2 level in French are eligible for the Semi Intensive Course in combination with another module from a number of subjects, including law, management and tourism.
Although there are differences between the Intensive Course and the Semi Intensive Course, they both offer an excellent programme for learning the language of France.
