Institut de Touraine

I travelled with my husband. We rented an apartment two blocks from the school. I was surprised at the facility. There is a real library and computer room. The staff was very helpful. My instructor Ms/ Philippon was excellent. I have only had a year. of French so my placement was perfect. I only attended in the mornings so the other activities weren't always available. Tours is a beautiful city with many things to do and other places to visit. I hope to go back in the next year!

Fred
Huntington Beach California

The best part of the course were the teachers; patient, funny, speaking beautiful French, engaging with each nationality treated respectfully. This was the perfect atmosphere to learn in.

The classes in the institute de Touraine were never the same because I had different professors throughout my stay; they all had teaching methods that allowed me to strengthen my previous knowledge. Nevertheless, I got to a point where there was no higher level so, from time to time, I felt stuck.
.
The Institute is located really close to the Main Street, allowing us to wander around the city when we didn’t have any courses. The building was very well equipped, with different rooms for each level, bathrooms, resting areas with WiFi, coffee and vending machines, a table for ping-pong, a piano, a library filled with books. All the accommodations made easier my stay and helped me to explore new things.

I liked my experience in Institut de Tourain. It was pleasing and enjoyable. All of the staff were friendly and nice. I started with zero French but in seven weeks I can say my french is good as a beginner thanks to my hard working teachers! They were all very patient and cooperative.

It was a great experience. The teachers were wonderful. The front office staff were a bit testy.

I enrolled in the Greenheart Travel Program that found my accommodations and placed me with a French host family in Tours. In return, I taught my host family English for the duration of my stay. That experience (still ongoing), along with my educational experience at Institut de Touraine, has been one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had!

I completed nearly three weeks of an express course program at Institute de Touraine. In these short weeks, I learned so much! I feel that I’ve progressed most in my listening and grammar skills. I’ve always struggled to understand native French speakers, but I quickly learned the necessity of gaining the gist of a phrase rather than allowing myself to get stumped over a word.

I’ve also improved my grammar skills, particularly my understanding of the French tenses. This has allowed me to clean up and expand the range of my sentence structures. It feels so good to step out of the “passé compose” and “futur proche“ realm and venture into new grounds.

Institut de Touraine is situated at the perfect location! It is very close to the tramway, bus stops, shops, restaurants, library, and more. However, I would have really liked a media center or library room that remains open for students to study until the late evening hours.

I met some great teachers here (Mme Anne Claire Peneau Ravenelle showed so much patience with us and had well prepared lessons everyday).

I attended a meet and great with a friend at Café des langues and really enjoyed it. I met new people and practiced my French to boot! Tables were organized by language so I also met people that could speak my first and second languages, English and Arabic.

One thing I would have liked more of is time to practice conversation skills. I feel that the oral comprehension classes were too heavily focused on listening and pronunciation skills and not enough on actually speaking.

I strongly recommend enrolling in a course at Institut de Touraine if you’re looking to improve your listening and written comprehension skills and would like to meet and practice your French with fellow foreigners. Along the way, I met some amazing teachers and people from all around the world, and that made learning the language so much more enjoyable!

I really liked the teachers and the methods and technique that they used teaches.
By the way, the Institut de Touraine is a very classic building but I think it's a very good place to learn.
French, the teachers, activities and housing helped us to improve our language.
And of course my friend also.

I have too many memories from the Institut and I hope to come back soon.

My teachers were phenomenal. In terms of learning French, they spoke in ways that allowed me to understand the language while still hearing new material and allowing me to hear concepts in real life situations. I would do anything to be able to go back to this institute to study French a little more. My classes were extremely diverse and that helped my learning to grow through other cultures and learning styles than those of my country and culture. The city of Tours was perfect for me to be in because I was able to hang out with most people in the area because they were almost all in my age range. I saw a very real side of a very French city and that is exactly what I needed in my life. The activities were beyond fun. Everybody got involved and I was able to connect with a lot of people this way. There were physical activities and intellectual activities alike. I felt like I could go to every single one of them and the director made herself available for comment and conversation about anything and everything, which made me want to attend events even more. There are very few things I disliked. The facilities were mildly outdated, but very usable. My house was mildly far from the institute, but I really needed the workout anyway. These are the reasons I like and did not like the Institut de Touraine. Overall I was 98% satisfied.

I highly enjoyed my time at the Institut. The professors and after-school resources were perfect to help students at any level. I appreciated the constant encouraging words of Paula, my oral professor. I believe the homework load was a good balance in order to let students explore and invest their time in Tours. I would highly recommend living with a host family. My family, the Roys, was so generous with their time. They spent hours with me at the dinner table helping me with homework, just taking time to talk and allowing me to practice my French. I recently spent four months in Caen and traveled to visit my host family on the weekends because I enjoyed their company so much!

Both of my teachers were incredible, and Coraline was exceptional. The environment was so comfortable and engaging, that I could relax and focus on learning. The teachers' abilities to explain material, engage the class, and communicate were above average. The variety of activities kept things interesting. The phonetic labs were especially helpful in understanding the nuances of the French language through spoken pronunciations and playbacks of recordings.

The only part of the class that I felt could move a bit faster were the oral classes that WERE NOT in the labs. I feel those times could have been better used to engage in spoken dialect with the class or perhaps role playing, or any other form of using French in the spoken form. Sometimes these classes were just a review almost, and it was things we understood. Instead perhaps, I think more time in the lab would have been helpful.

In 4 weeks I learned so much. I came to Touraine barely speaking French, and by the end of the 4 weeks I could speak a whole paragraph, and string together sentences with ease in regular communication. If I had had another 4 weeks, I think my French would have been almost fluent.

My time at the Institute was one of the best learning experiences I have ever had!

Merci beaucoup!

Isabelle Reiss

I met many good friends and teachers and I love them!
I learned a lot and enjoyed lots of activities.
But during June and July, it was terrible.
It was vacation time and a lot of students from many countries, especially the USA, came to Touraine.
They were good students, but too many people were in Touraine.
It was like I was in the USA.

It was reasonable that you took the students who wanted to study in your school.
But I do want to tell you this:
Too many students make the class lower quality, the atmosphere messy.
Because of increasing students, you used a new building and hired more new teachers and all of it made students who were in Touraine before feel disappointed and mad.

Anyway except June and July, I enjoyed a lot in Touraine.
Thank you for making my pleasant life in France.

BONNE ANNEE!

I love the classes because they were small which makes you chat and get your classmates more. Teachers were so good I didn't expect that. The activities weren't that much I think because I stayed only for a month. The house I stayed in was so lovely and warming :).

I liked the location of the Institut; it was perfect next to the restaurant and coffee shops. I liked how the teachers were so welcoming and really encouraging.

I didn't like the hours for the labs. They were too little and so much vocabulary to memorize in a short period. I hoped there would be activities or a website linked to the Institut website which would able the locals and the students to chat and meet in coffee shops and bars to have more experiences in the city and the country and their habits.

Finally , because i had a french girl friend and because of the institut that MONTHwas the best month in my LIFE

I am really happy that I chose the Institut de Touraine to improve my French knowledge.
The teachers (all of those who I met) were extremely open, positive, helpful, enthousiaste, all in all really devoted! I received a lot from them! Not only my French improved, but they showed me the appropriate methods to learn, helped to concentrate on the real problems and identified my strong points, too.
I'm convinced that the improvement of my language knowledge got its strongest base in this school and I'm really thankful for this.
Apart from this the student life and the atmosphere of the school is really positive. I still keep in contact with some students I met there.

I especially value my holidays in Tours, learning French, because it was the first time that I faced managing myself in French. Attending classes was great because my French needed a deep refresh and the location is great because there are plenty of activities to do and places to visit.

I loved my experience in France at the Institut de Touraine! They made the magic of learning a foreign language come to life. I feel like the biggest attribute it offers is that it is central to Tours, where it is said to have the purest form of the French language spoken in France. The teachers and staff were incredible! They set up multiple activities to get to know each other and I saw students reveling in the French atmosphere.
The only thing I would change is the class scheduling. I would have preferred to take classes during the morning/early afternoon hours and then be able to explore on my own or with small groups in the afternoons/evenings. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed myself the entire time and especially enjoyed my host family. Elizabet from L'Institut de Touraine matched me up perfectly with my host family. I still keep in touch with them and I am planning to come and visit them again next year on my own!
It was, overall, one of the best experiences of my life!
Thank you.

Hi, every aspect was wonderful. The city, the Institut and the teachers, I loved it all. The house we stayed in was the best of all. We felt at home.

Classes: my classes were well structured, both the written and oral components.

Teachers: I very much appreciated my two teachers (Loic Ravenelle and Julie Goddard). They were very nice and seemed to sincerely care for their students.

Location: great location, both the city of Tours within France, and the campus within Tours. Was able to walk to the Institut every day for classes, walk to many places for lunch, etc.

Facilities: by Canadian standards, I found the facilities to be lacking. In July, it was very hot and our classroom was too hot to learn comfortably. There was air conditioning, but by the time it cooled the classroom, it was time for lunch. The computers in the computer lab were very slow and sometimes I could not do what I needed to do, so I had to find an internet café instead.

Activities: I loved the extracurricular activities. The optional excursions were excellent and well-planned with Florence. I went on three of them: Chambord / Cheverny, Paris, and Mont St-Michel.

Housing: I stayed at the Résidence Léonard Devinci (Les Estudines). It was good. Simple, but good.

My housing experience was excellent. I think I learned the most when I was spending time with my famille d'accueil because they were very kind, willing to talk to me, to tell me about French culture, and to introduce me to other people. Most importantly, they spoke no English, so my French comprehension and speaking abilities improved a lot whenever I was with them. I was able to walk to classes in 10 minutes or less.

I also loved the activities offered by the Institut, especially the trips to interesting historical sites. They were very affordable, transportation was very comfortable, and it was great to have teachers along to tell us the history of the sites in French. Overall, wonderful learning experiences.

The location of the Institut is also wonderful. Tours is a beautiful city, and not too large, and the Institut was conveniently located in the middle of town. I was able to attend mass at St. Martin's in between classes.

The facilities are also very good. I had to walk to the top floor for classes, but exercise is healthy! The coffee dispensers are also crucial.

My teacher, Clementine Rubio, was excellent. She challenged the class but did not exhaust us too much.

I changed classes three times in the first week, which was frustrating because I was not confident that I would be placed in a class where I would learn enough. I was very nervous regarding oral comprehension and expression when I first arrived, and I had not understood the online placement test and had scored very poorly. I was placed in one of the lowest level classes, although I had taken years of grammar classes and could comprehend almost anything I read. I enjoyed all of the teachers I encountered and I thought they were all excellent at teaching, but I was disappointed with the placement process. Ultimately my professor in the United States requested that I be moved to a different class where I earned very high marks, but I do not think I would have been able to convince the teachers to move me to a higher class on my own. I explained to my teachers all of the grammatical concepts which I had studied and understood, but they thought my (initially) weaker oral comprehension skills meant that I should be placed in extremely low level classes. In classes where most of the material is grammar and reading comprehension, placement based primarily on oral skills does not make sense to me. If my professor had not intervened and requested that I be moved to a different class, the experience would have been a waste of money. I think the placement process should be more welcoming to input from the students, and more emphasis should be placed on written comprehension. In my experience, my oral skills increased dramatically with increased confidence and out of necessity, but it is not possible to make such dramatic improvements in written skills.

Finally, I enjoyed labo a lot, but I preferred some of the other oral teachers to the one I ended up with. The activities in labo were not as productive or instructive as those of the other teachers, but I still learned from the experience.

I'm an Italian 19-year-old girl who studied at the 'Institut de Touraine' for about one month last summer.

I had a great time in Tours, studying French, making friends with people from all over the world and visiting amazing new places.

The French classes were very interesting and useful. I feel like my French improved a lot during my stay. We had many opportunities to speak the language, but also to read, write and listen. I was in the B2/C1 level class and when I went back to Italy, I successfully passed my French exam. The teachers were very good at motivating us, involving us in conversations and making jokes now and then! I learnt a lot of other cultures as well, the classes being multicultural.

The location of the school is perfect, right in the old centre of Tours. In between classes, my friends and I used to walk to Place Plumerau, where all the nice cafés and restaurants are. The atmosphere there is really nice and typical!
The 'Institut' has got three buildings, all in the typical style of the region. The facilities, all very satisfying, include free access to Wifi, computer rooms, a library and a cafeteria.

Apart from studying, we were offered the opportunity to go on many excursions and see really beautiful places. With the school we visited quite a number of castles and once we also went to Mont Saint-Michel (in Normandy) and to St. Malo (in Brittany), which were all memorable trips!
Moreover, the school organized many activities in the Tours-area, like picnics and biking trips.

I lived with a host-family and had a great time. The lady who hosted me (and three other girls from Colombia and Japan) was very kind and friendly, and a great chef too! My house was very close to school (only 10 minutes walk).

Tours by night is also very beautiful and offers a lot to students and young people in general.

I really recommend this experience to anyone who's interested in learning French abroad, meeting new people and living in a charming French town!

My teacher, Katia, was excellent. The home stay was good. I learned a lot!

I loved everything about my stay. The school is in a great location, with restaurants and shops nearby. My house was 20 minutes walking distance but it was a nice walk. The classrooms aren't in the best shape but they are nice. My teacher was very nice but I didn't like the fact that a lot of the work we did was pretty boring since we focused on just looking at worksheets. I wish we could have done maybe more projects or done things like watch French videos, etc. Not just worksheets. I went on a trip to Mont St. Michel with the institute and it was very nice. The bus was very comfortable, the tour host was very nice and informative, and the whole thing was very very fun! I liked the activities the school offered but it should offer them more often. The cooking classes should also be offered more often and should be more complex because they seemed very simple and almost for kids. My host mom was nice and the house was ok but it turned out to be infected by bed bugs. I was not affected but my roommate was. I didn't like that my host mom didn't take long to prepare food she would just open cans or cook something fast. My other friends were cooked nice meals and they got to experience French dining at its best. I feel like my host mom was too lazy to cook so she would make the same boring things. It made me not want to look forward to dinner. I was very disappointed. Other than that, everything was fine. The staff at the institute are super nice! They would answer my questions with patience and would not make me feel bad that I couldn't speak much French. Honestly, it was the best summer of my life and I am very thankful to the institute for giving me an unforgettable experience. The best part is I am coming back next year for another summer of adventure!

It was very beneficial for me. The reason is that the teachers were very kind and I had a chance to talk to classmates from many countries. I like that the school's location is like a movie and I have wanted to go to Mont Saint-Michel for a long time, so I was glad to have gone through the school's event.

Actually, I don't have words to express my gratitude towards the institute as I got my most valuable teaching experience as well as had the most unforgettable experiences of my life. The classes, all the teachers and the management are excellent. I improved my French as well as French teaching knowledge (FLE). Also, through class observation I could master classroom techniques, teaching resources and different teaching methods. The activities that we did in the class room inspired us to become active and energetic teachers. Moreover, the conferences, the visits, excursions and the meetings enhanced our knowledge and I was able to upgrade my cultural, social and political knowledge of France.

"The Institute of Touraine" and "Tours" are two inseparable phenomena which add color to all of France! I was really fascinated by the beauty of the Loire valley, the great history linked with the city and the proud location of the institute.

All the teachers at the institute work dedicatedly and they are really cooperative and very friendly. They remain my idols in my teaching career.

I must be thankful to all the authorities for arranging all the facilities for me to make my tour a success. The service I received is really appreciated.

I was lucky to share my experience with the colleagues who came from all over the world and through them, I am sure of the importance of the institute, the pride of Tours, the warmth of French people and the greatness of France to the whole world.

My teacher main teacher was very nice. My other teacher struggled a little bit. I was placed in a level that was too easy for me and my teachers said it was fine when I talked to them to move up. My host family was amazing and centrally located, however not everyone lucked out. I felt very bad for my friends who were in the dorms because they were really far away and in a scarier part of town.

It was a unique experience. I began to study at the Institute in May 2013, and I have been, able during this period, to learn the French language and begin to express it for the first time in my life, which has pleased me very much. I especially liked when the French people I spoke with told me that I speak well for someone who is still learning the language.
Also, it was nice to meet many students from around the world and have the chance to be friends with them and get to know their different cultures.
My teachers were the best I've ever had. They were very professional and nice. All the staff members were very kind and always willing to help us when we needed it which made life easier for us in France. In general, it was a pleasant experience for me, so thanks for all who work there.

I like the city itself, the people who live there, the kitchen, attractions, and teachers. There was nothing serious that I did not like.

I went to the Institut de Touraine this spring when I worked as an Au-pair in Tours. What I liked most about this language school were the classes itself. I improved my French a lot and had lots of fun during the breaks with the other students and the region. Tours, the city, is very beautiful and the region around it is as well. That's why there are quite a lot of tourists during the year. I loved how multicultural my class was: Europeans, Asians, US-Americans, a Mexican and Arabs. It was so great to talk to them and to make friends with them.
To put it in a nutshell, I'd like to say that the institute is great for improving or simply starting to learn French (there were lots of beginners), and becoming a part of a multicultural class in the middle of beautiful France. My stay of three weeks actually was far too short!

L'Institut de Touraine is one of the most well-known schools that teach French to foreigners in the world. It is located in a perfect city where you must integrate all that you learn in the Institut, as well as outside, in order to survive every day, no matter what level of French you are at. It is located in the beautiful Centre Region full of French history and traditions, and only a 2 hour TGV or TER train ride from Paris, where many students went around to explore France during the weekends, myself included. Some even went on a European tour after or before their program. This really shows the convenient and ideal location. No better place to be to learn French.
You learn things in the classroom such as certain ways of expression in French, and then you would most likely have the opportunity to use it when you meet people on the streets in Tours. This enhances your speed of learning since you use and reuse what you learn in classroom in a real life setting. You become more and more fluent in French, and gain a lot of confidence since you are forced to speak it every day.
There are 8 levels of French at the Institut, spanning from new beginner to almost native. One level usually takes a month, and they can even prepare you to write the DELF and DALF French examinations.
Class sizes are good, with a maximum of 20 students per class. You essentially get 2 homeroom teachers who you learn most of the French from (Speaking+Listening and Writing+Reading). They tend to all your questions and can give you advice. They are really patient and helpful, but only speak to you in French and nothing else so you must use any way possible to get what you want across. There are also additional French classes that you can choose from depending on the level of French you are at (e.g. culture, history, economics of France, etc.)
The facilities are also pretty good, even though technology is not very prominent since the buildings are quite old, but that adds to the charm of the Institut with its long history. There is a nice library and media room where students are allowed to freely watch French films, listen to French songs, recordings and audio to prepare for exams, etc. The staff are all really helpful and patient with all students, and the staff at reception also speak pretty good English. There are plenty of optional after-school activities such as movie-nights, French pastry cooking, writing literature, and music workshop, etc. The best one they have in my opinion are the guided tours for a reduced price that includes transportation and an instructor from the Institut who usually specializes in French Art or History so you can go around and explore the Centre Region and understand its history.
Almost all students are from different countries around the world so you literally get to meet people from different cultures and backgrounds, and use French to communicate with each other as another enhancement to the experience. Then you make friends for life after having classes together every day for at least a month.
The student population during the summer are generally quite young, from high school to university graduates, but there are also several mature students who are there to learn French for their profession or as a life interest, which adds to the diversity in the classroom.
The Institut is most famous for its summer programs, but there is still a population of students who study there year-long, whether to take all the levels the Institut offers and take all the French exams available, to become integrated into French life, to build a career or to work in France in the near future after they become fluent in the usage of French.
In addition, housing wise, most students either stay in student residence, or in home stays with a local French family, both arranged by the Institut. I managed to have the opportunity to stay with a family with a roommate, and it was an amazing experience! I had conversations with them over supper everyday entirely in French on many different topics. I was fortunate enough to stay with a busy young couple who lives in a very nice and modern house. Even though it may feel awkward at the very beginning in a foreign country, speaking a different language you are not yet fluent in and staying in a strangers' home, the couple was very nice, accepting, patient, and understanding to us. And their cooking was the best! We had a different type of dish every single day for 4 weeks, from traditional French foods like the baguette sandwiches and crepes, to the pastas, salads, to Euro-Asian fusion foods, etc. We gradually learned the culture, lifestyle, and mannerisms of the French by staying with them. We got along so well that I looked forward every day to waking up in France for what new I would be learning, and not knowing what I will learn or expect that day ahead. Time flew by so quickly that I did not want to leave at all, and wished I could stay and actually study in France from then on. It was hard to depart and say goodbye to everyone we met and acquainted with in Tours.

All in all, I totally encourage everyone who wants to and is passionate about learning or improving their French language skills, or learning about French/European history, culture, or lifestyle, come check out the French programs the Institut de Touraine offers! You will have the time of your life, so different from the North American life in a good and refreshing way.
Bon courage, bonne chance et bon voyage!
Good luck, good luck and bon voyage!

I have been in Tours three times and twice in the Institute de Touraine. I have always been very impressed with the outstanding quality of teaching, the variety of methods, approaches, and resources. The location is brilliant. The facilities have both the traditional old France character and the out to date technology and facilities for teaching and learning. The social programme is well structured. Some after school class activities, like the cinema club, give you the opportunity to get close to the French culture. I would recommend The Touraine Institute to any one after being in many other courses in other parts of France.
However, the senior receptionist is a bit of a madame. I asked various times for a course certificate, but she was arrogant and unhelpful.

When I arrived to Tours, I never imagined what was waiting for me. First of all, the school is amazing. The way of learning is great because each class was different. All the teachers I had were amazing; each one with a different way of teaching, but at the same time they were patient. Their classes were interactive, and one thing I liked a lot is the different classes. Some were writing, speaking, listening, and reading. In the first levels, I loved how I got the experience to go to a supermarket and start asking people about the typical food or things like that. It is a way of learning and getting rid of the shyness. In the last levels, I loved all the interesting topics we got to debate, like all this polemic stuff going on. It was so interesting. The Institut is just the best. I cannot say how grateful I am of choosing it. Since the day I arrived, everybody there treated me so nice. Everybody knew my name, and they are always smiling and looking forward to seeing me. I had everything; the computers, the library with all things for me to study, also activities after school. The one I liked the best was going to Mont Saint Michel, and also going to Villandry by bicycle. The place I stayed at was amazing too. It was with a family, but they were just so nice with me. The school was near, less than 5 minutes walking. The food they gave me was delicious. It was also another part of my learning because I needed to speak French, and that way I was always talking. Another part I loved was all the great people I got to know there. I made tons of great friends from all over the world, and I still talk to them. Tours is a beautiful town. I just loved taking long walks. I think that overall, it was an experience that left something in my life, because everyday I miss being there, just walking there. I miss speaking French. I miss the school. I miss my French family. I miss my friends. I miss Tours, and if I miss all these things, it's because they were just the best.

I mostly liked the classes I had at school, though in summer it was hard sometimes to sit the whole period in the room because there was a lack of fresh air. I particulary liked the family I stayed with (Florence and Albert). Thanks to them, I've learned a lot of new and interesting things about particularities of French culture and special features of Tours city life. They helped me with my every problem and always gave me good advice, I still feel grateful to them.

I like my teacher Mr. Bolo, but I do not like the distribution of students in the classes. In my class, there are 7 Arabs! There is no activity, party, or cafeteria.

I'm really glad to be a student in Institut de Touraine. Before arriving in Tours, I was scared, but everything went well. I lived memories. My teachers are very nice and of course very professional. There is no problem about my class. Thanks to you, I made a lot of foreign friends. Tours is a beautiful city. I will never forget my memories I have lived here. The institute is very close to everywhere. I am very pleased with the education and also the activities. All activities were very fun.

I really want to thank you for my family welcomes. I think this family is the best. They are all very nice. I have no negative comments about them.

Thank you again for all.
I hope I can come back.

Goodbye.

My experience at the Institut was nothing less that amazing. My professors were always hard-working, fun-loving, and passionate about their job. The amount of cultures and countries represented in the student body is magnificent and really opened my eyes to what's out there. I learned that in order to really understand about a country and it's culture, I need to meet the people from them, because the stereotypes created by our countries have led us to believe in falsehoods and over-exaggerations. The facilities were quite nice and I found the buildings very beautiful. I was pleased at the help the Institut offered, from renting a phone, to helping me find the right host family, to even printing paper in the Salle d'Internet. The booklet given to me at the beginning really helped me start out on a good note. My host family experience was very positive and I found it much more educational than if I had lived in an apartment. With my family I learned about the French culture and got to have way more practice speaking French. I definitely would recommend it to anyone who had the opportunity to study at the Institut.

The only thing I can think of that I did not like was the internet range and the amount of paper we received in class. In regards to the internet, it only was in the courtyard and the the building Balzac, but when I was in Vinci or Rabelais, it didn't work. It would be more convenient if the internet were everywhere, including in the cafétéria. And in regards to the use of paper, I found it was too much. We can avoid wasting so much paper by connecting the professors and students via email. I felt horrible having wasted so many pieces of paper at the end of my trimester. I recycled them, but it would be better if we did some assignments digitally.
I really had a wonderful time at the Institut and would recommend anyone to go to the Institut de Touraine!

L'institut Touraine is probably one of the best choices I have made so far in my life. First of all, I improved my French a lot. I arrived at l'insitut barely speaking French, but voila! I can now have any kind of conversation in any circumstances, and I can read any newspapers, Figaro, Le Monde, La Croix, without using the dictionary. Thanks to my French skills, I was able to receive the French government scholarship and get into the most prestigious school of international politics in France. It wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for the Touraine Institution. Secondly, I have met wonderful people. Not only students, but also teachers (not all, but most of them) are passionate, kind, and generous. I especially liked Veronique Sorin. I met her in my second month in France, and I could improve my French day by day. I think when it comes to teaching a foreign language, it is important to write down words and sentences on the board so that students can learn it correctly. Especially the language like French, which can have different way of pronouncing words. She was simply the best language teacher I have ever met, and also a kind and loving person. I also enjoyed Alain's courses, which can be a little tough for beginners, but great for intermediate level-ed students. Thirdly, I find the lab class really helpful. It's a great system to teach the right pronunciation. Thanks to the lab courses, now sometimes I am mistaken for French for my good accent.

However, if I do have some suggestions, first of all, there are not many courses for high level students and especially 'l'atelier' courses. They are often redundant, (like literature) and I wish there were more variety. Secondly, I think the library could be better equipped. Some movies and books are too old, and 'il manque' new books, best-sellers, or movies. Lastly, I think l'institut can encourage students to make a study group by themselves, make it official, and allow them to use one of the classrooms for the study group after classes (with responsibility of course). I always thought there was something missing in terms of interaction and passion among students, and I have seen several students try to group and give each other grammar quiz, 'vocabulary devoir' etc. But it can work better with the staff at the l'institut Touraine.

Well, it got long a little, that just shows how much I loved and cared I guess. Hope it grows in the future! "Hope il se grandisse dans le futur!"

I was not picked from the airport when I arrived: I had to stay at a hotel for one night. Although I called the host family 2 times and left her a voice message before my arrival to Tour, I got no answer. She said she had to stay up late the night before and so she missed my calls! My home stay was 20 minute walk, far from the Institute. I requested in the application to live near the Institute. It was not fun walking in the scorching sun of July. My room was sunlit all day and it was almost impossible to take a nap in the afternoon or sleep at night without sweating. The lady I lived with was nice though!
I would say that my teachers were nice in general, but the instructional time was wasted in side talk many times. Some instructors were not serious too.
The WiFi connection was horrible.

I can say though that my French has improved and I should give credit to my teachers at the Institute. I plan to come back, but not in the summer.

I was very satisfied with the content of the class, especially the phonetic and speaking.
Class will be definitely useful and effective for my near future.
It seems there is nothing I don't like about Institute de Touraine.

The classes and teachers were wonderful. The location is perfect and the extracurricular activities were a lot of fun. Housing was not so good. My host was neither responsible, nor a non-smoker as I had been promised. I am severely allergic to cigarette smoke. She was very often intoxicated and drove me to the bus on the day of my departure under the influence. She was unreliable and at times very disrespectful. The school curriculum was very stimulating. I learned a lot.

I had a wonderful experience! My professors were both very patient and helped me a lot with my French. I also really enjoyed Olivier Dufresne, who was my art history professor. Not only was he very knowledgeable about French art, he also seemed to genuinely enjoy his job and his students. I also really enjoyed the excursions, especially the one to Mt. St. Michelle and St. Malo. My favorite aspect of the Institute was that I had the opportunity to meet people from around the world. I still keep up with some of my classmates. I also loved my host mom. She was a wonderful lady and seemed to take a genuine interest in my life.

I've already done many language stays in different countries, and I've never seen such a good learning system as this school has. It's just great. As well, you have many possibilities to improve your weakness in anything you have (library, media center, teachers which you can ask etc.)

In this school, you really learn good French as well the pronunciation (labor). You can attend different courses if you'd like to improve your French in gastronomy, in literature, or you want to do the DEFL exam.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel well in this school despite of the good learning system they have. I counted every day until I can leave this school.
There were actually many students, but because every class had his own school timetable, you hardly finished school at the same time as the others, which means after you finished school, you didn't see a lot of students who you can ask if they want to do something (go out, activity, sightseeing, etc.).
The students never did something in their free time. After school, everyone went home.
I felt more like I was going to a university; study there, and after school, I go home.

And sometimes, I felt like I was somewhere in Arabia because almost half the school were students from Arabia or Libya, and all the girls wore a head cloth.

I was here to improve my French for pleasure, and also to have fun with the others and do something together. Unfortunately, the guys never did something after school, nor on a free afternoon, which means I did all the sightseeing by myself.
I was really disappointed.

Most of the students in this school study French because of their career. They are French teachers or they want to go to a university in France.
Everyone in class took the French really seriously. It's difficult to explain. I'm not used to that. Normally on Friday, the teacher asked what we were doing that weekend, and on Monday, what we had done on the weekend. In this school, it was never like that. The teacher had their program which they had to finish til Friday, and there was no time to ask questions like this. It was like a university.

Also, once a month, the whole school had a whole day of just exams (writing, listening, speaking etc.). It was the same for every class to test the adaption to their level.

I recommend this school just to the people who want to have French for their career or who want to go to a university in France, but not to people like me, who just learn French out of pleasure. You will be very disappointed.

I absolutely loved learning at the Institut! Not only did I make amazing friends from around the world, but I learned a lot! Not only do they teach you the language, but really cool culture and history to go along with it! While I did not learn as much as I would've liked, I think that if I could've stayed longer, I definitely would've learned a lot more!

I really liked studying at Institut de Touraine. The building of Institut situated in really a good part of Tours. It's not far from the center of the town. Classes are held in groups which depend on the level of the language. Classes were usually funny and very useful. Teacher try to make the education interesting. We read the texts about France and about its features. I really had improved my knowledge of French. There are a lot of activities during the free time that you can choose. I think that everyone can find something that he is interested in.
I really liked this summer.
Thank you very much for this chance.

I really liked the teachers. They were polite and funny also very helpful, which is important for being a teacher. The lessons were also good. Badly, we did't have enough time to see all the chapters of our studybook. But we were there for just 1 month. Facilities and activties. There were a lot of activities. I liked the excursions, the parties at wla Ganguette, and the talent show. Everything was good.

I loved the month in Tours! I stayed in a host family with Maryse Labbé. The food was delicious and there were other students in my family. I'll have contact with them. I liked the courses and the students. The only thing that would've been better is the acoustic of the classroom. Sometimes I couldn't really understand the teachers.

There was a difference in the level of students in the class.
So, the class does not proceed smoothly.
The class was prevented, in particular, by Arabs.
Offensive smell and noise from construction was unpleasant.
Homestay was very good.
If I could visit again, I want to stay in the same place.

Too bad activities were few.
I think there are more winter activities.

Classes are not the greatest. Coming from a big college is really difficult because there are only a handful of people in each class, when everyone even shows up. And, it is the same group of people in every class you are in, continuing throughout the day. It's more like a middle school than a college, and is just rather boring to students from bigger schools. It's also very frustrating that we cannot choose our own schedules, classes, times, or professors like at college. Students really enjoy having that freedom and being able to work their schedule to their own preferences. It is interesting meeting people from other countries, though. However everyone at the Institute tends to form groups of their own nationality, so there is not much assimilating going on, and everyone speaks their native tongue 90% of the time anyways. Teachers explain things well most of the time, but can be repetitive and slow moving for other students, so those who pick up quickly will be bored. They also tend to publicly criticize students when they make a mistake or do poorly, and mine liked to make a lot of rude jokes about women or people's nationalities. The location is decent. There's not much directly a cote de l'institute, but everything around is about the same walking distance away. Facilities are old and not the greatest, which is no doubt why they are constantly doing so much renovating and construction. There are a few activities offered, but I feel that they are not as well organized as they could be and no one really goes to them. I lived in a host family provided through my own college, not by the Institute, so I really have no opinion on housing.

I was so excited to come to Tours, France as I have a passion for the French language and culture. However, the only good thing about my experience was meeting good people from around the program, and the beauty of the city around where the school is. My living arrangements were awful. I lived the Residence of Christophe Colombe. On the website, it says it was a 20 minute walk from the school. In reality, it took me close to one hour to walk to school every day and one hour to walk home. And not only that, but the building is located right in the ghetto. Anytime I would leave my room to go to school or grocery shopping, locals would yell at me on the street saying things like, "Eh! Mademoiselle!" over and over to catch my attention. I am not used to this behavior and it was terrifying. When I went to the office to complain and to be moved into a different area, the lady told me I was wrong. She told me I was making it up, that the building is in a beautiful area of the city, and that no one bothers me. I was in this woman's office crying about feeling unsafe and uncomfortable where they put me to live. She told me that I was tired and I didn't know what I was talking about. I almost left Tours and came back to Canada that day. There is no reason I should have been treated like that, especially since I poured so much money into coming to Tours. I do not stand by this behavior.

Another negative aspect was my teacher. My grammar teacher taught us almost nothing, and not only that, but he was a bit of a racist. During the class, he would mock people's name who came from Asian decent, and if we got a question wrong he was tell us "no" in our mother tongue. For example, if I got a question wrong he would say "no" because I speak English, rather than "non", since we were in a French class. And if the girl from Russia got an answer wrong, he would say "niet" rather than "non", which is extremely discouraging.

The good part about Tours was the beauty of the city around the school. The river and the Ganguette and the shops were all very nice. Also, my language teacher Coraline was a very good teacher, and the field trips to the castles were good.

Hi all!
All first, I would like to say thanks to this school and this great opportunity to discover the France on the other side.

I was in Tours for one month and it went very well. Classes were very interesting and effective. I learned a lot of things: grammar, lexicon, the familiar language, etc. But one thing I did see was the number of people in a group. It was big enough, and this, in my opinion, is not in favor of oral production.

Basically, it was really beautiful and if I had the opportunity to go there again, I'd go there without hesitation!

Kind regards,
Elena Egorova.

My experience at Institut de Touraine was absolutely incredible! I am an American nurse who studied for three months before moving to a French-speaking country in Central Africa for two years. From my very first day in my very first class, my teachers made me feel comfortable. They took a personal interest in my learning. The small class sizes were helpful and the warmth of the teachers and other students promoted good practice of the French we were learning. Each of my teachers took an incredible interest in my personal learning. They met with me for tutoring and even gave me additional work when they saw I wanted to learn more! The town of Tours is fantastic! It's location in the Loire Valley made it so ideal for sightseeing! In addition, it was filled with historic charm at every turn, but also had plenty of things to keep you busy! I rented a studio apartment that the school helped me find. My landlords were better than I could have hoped and my apartment was great. The residents of Tours were friendly and were willing to let me practice my French when I went to stores. I also was very involved in a local church and they were very kind to me as well and definitely helped my language proficiency. Although most people attending the school spoke a little English, it was always encouraged that we speak only French. I was very glad for that and was also glad that people in Tours (at stores, restaurants, etc) did not speak English with me! All those things helped improve my language skills greatly!

Adore.
What I firstly liked was a lot of students from another countries. Thanks to Institute for having an opportunity to meet a lot of new people and hang out with them every day!

Like.
1. Classes and teachers. I really liked them a lot, because during them (only two weeks) I finally started to speak French. It was difficult, cause I firstly came to France and had never spoken French with foreigners before.
2. Location. I fell in love with this little town. Only one wide street and the only place to go at night. But I knew almost everybody from this Institute. And I liked this cosy and homelike place.
2. Housing. That's what I liked too because I had my own room with all facilities included. It was clean and comfortable. (Colomb) Despite it was rather far, it became an advantage. I had a lot of time to talk with friends while walking.

Didn't like.
To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with the range of activities/excursions. I think it should be more variants of spending every day, but not only weekends.

Really loved it. Learned a lot of French. The quality of the teachers was very good and the activities programmed were excellent.

As I am confirmed, I like almost all of my classes, teachers ,and classmates. Even I encountered many difficulties in the beginning, but I just conquered those myself. And then, all the days in school was very wonderful with the fantastic facilities and activities. I hope that I will go back soon!

First of all, I'd like to say thanks to Institut de Toraine for good organization and for monitoring of the students' situations at whole.
What I liked was:
1. Our wonderful teacher Paula. She teaches professionally. Our classes were always very dynamic, informative, and seemed that they passed very fast.
2. I lived with a single lady, Madame Annick Chastang. She has been very attentive to me, and helped if I needed that.
The only small minus is sometimes I would like a bit more diverse food. But in summer that's OK.
3. Thanks for excursions! Institut de Touraine organizes them with teachers, who are always ready to repeat or to explain something. That was convenient for us students.
4. The important and very useful matter was the "Cafe de langue" where most of us got acquainted. And thanks to Sarah for her work with students! She is a valuable employee.
And I liked Tours in all! A very nice and convenient town.

Overall, my experience at the Institute de Touraine was positive. Most of the teachers were very knowledgeable and thrilled to share the French culture and language. Small classes, excellent resources, and facilities encouraged corporate learning. The only negatives were the distance and ghetto locations of the Sanitas housing.

The entire experience was amazing; the teachers and the classroom. Learning was excellent. The excursions were well worth the time and the extra cost, and I would highly recommend you go on as many of them as you can. The chateaux are beautiful. The town of Tours is am amazing place to visit. Walk around town as much as possible. Visit the shops, restaurants, and above all the Cathedral and the St Julien Church. The host family where I stayed was great. They enjoy hosting and love to help you learn.

I attended a class of level A1++. We were in 13. I was the only Italian in the class and I loved this because I had to speak French or English or Spanish.
I loved my teachers Florence and Anne. They were very friendly and available. They really listened to the needs of their students, however all of the team of Institut is very kind with the students.
I did two excursions, both with a professor of Institut. I think his name was Dufresna, but I'm not sure because I always heard it, but never read it. I liked how he explained the history of the monuments. I'm not very well in French, but I understood the most part of explanations.
I stayed by a family. I loved them too. My bedroom was very big and after a week, I was feeling as if I was in my house, with my real family. They were very nice.
I think that Tours is at a strategical place (with few hours by train you are in Paris, Bordeaux, or Nantes) and big enough to have a lot of things to do and to see. But, in the same time, it's little enough to be quiet, safe, and after few days, it's easy to orientate. I loved it.

The classes were wonderful. Their size really helped facilitate participation and language learning as well as building connections and friendships. I thought the teachers were fun. They brought so much to the class that couldn't come from curriculum alone. They were an excellent resource for anecdotes and advice. The location made it easy to get to know the town and have a full experience. Being in a home stay and walking to the Institut everyday was something I enjoyed. It seemed to be centrally located so that no where was really too far of a trip from the school. The biggest thing I disliked was the wifi, I could connect, but I never seemed to actually be able to access the network and use it.

The classes are not too small and not too big, just right, and mixed of people from all over the world and with different ages.
After a graduation, a number of different language trainings/lessons help learn to listen, speak, write and so on.
All teachers I met have been kind and helpful.

Tours is a beautiful little town full of possibilities for events, to meet new people, to relax, to dance, or have cocktails.
I would recommend to take courses in summertime as there are much more activities and possibilities as in the winter time.
Also, an animator took us to a lot of different events and I took some cooking courses. And, I liked the tours to the castles and parks.

Other things I liked were the library, the Mediathek, and the little cinema where you could watch some films for free.

It was the first time in fifty years that I was a student in a classroom, so the experience was like a trip to childhood. What impressed me most was the high expectations of the teacher. She continued to insist technical performance beyond my ability, and this pressure has created for me a very useful challenge.

As for the negative feedback, I would say that oral capabilities of other students in the class were generally below the mine. As a result, discussions were necessarily difficult. I understand that it is quite impossible to solve that problem.

On the other hand, I owe the absolute success of my visit to Anne-Marie McDonald, who welcomed me into her apartment with grace and an invaluable sympathy.

I'm really satisfied with my achievement, and I really have to thank my teachers, Julie Godard and Loic Ravenelle, for that. I was very lucky to have them as my teachers.

I liked the facilities although in my classroom of Literature there was no air-conditioner and the fans were not enough. In July, the heat was unbearable in that classroom.

The location of the Institute was great, but what I didn't like was that the residence where I was placed, that was student residence Christophe Colombe, was so far from the Institute, and whenever we had to walk, we walked around 30 minutes. Besides that, the zone where that residence seemed a bit dangerous. So the last week of my stay, I changed to the residence Helene Boucher, which was in a better zone, but still very far from the Institute. So I think that at least the residence Christophe Colomb shouldn't be an option. The same goes for the residence called Europa, where some friends of mine stayed, which was very close to Christophe Colomb.

Besides that, I'm very pleased with the Institute.

The classes were small which allowed a lot of interaction with teachers and other students. The teachers were very friendly and always very helpful. The facility was well maintained and sufficiently supplied my needs to be able to study the language. Located in Tours, France, I was able to make friends with French people. I recommend that everybody attempts to make a few French friends. They are great people and will enjoy your friendship as well, but you must give them a little time to warm up to you and you must appreciate their patience towards you as you learn their language. Take advantage of the opportunities that the institute offers to interact with the public. Be careful when searching for an apartment. I think there are a few local landlords that are taking advantage of students that come in for a short time by overcharging us. If you are staying for an extended period of time, search around before signing a long term lease. You will be able to find a decent apartment for 500 euros per month.

The Institut de Touraine is a well organized language school.

When I arrived the first time at the Institut, I already forgot all my school-French since years.
In short time, I improved my French skills a lot and was able to speak with the friendly people in the streets.
The housing in French families gives you the possibility to improve the French also in the evening time.
Every week there are multiple possibilities to discover the area central France with all the beautiful castles.
Events like boat trips, cooking typical French food are just some few highlights.

The Mediathek with actual movies in French and with French subtitles help you as well as the audio-rooms where you are learning with headset and microphone while a teacher helps you to improve your pronunciation.

I would recommend everyone who wants to learn French to study at the Institut de Touraine. In my opinion, it's the best way to learn French.

My teachers were great, and I think that's what made the trip. If we hadn't had such awesome teachers, I never would've enjoyed myself. My instructors were welcoming, though still challenging. The school was quaint and provided wonderful trips for students. I liked all the activities we were able to do throughout the week, and I loved the excursions. The location was nice, too.

Last summer I spent one month in Tours. I went to school at the Institut de Touraine and I've learned so much! I've never studied French in school, but now I can fluently speak it even some months later! It was a great experience. I met awesome people with whom I'm still in touch and the teachers were simply perfect: really skilled, nice, helpful and patient! I love the city, the activities, and excursions for us students and all the opportunities the school offers! Thank you!

I thought the teachers were great. I wished that at the level I was at more people would have been told they should be speaking in French and not their home language. That was disappointing.
I liked the city of Tours. The location of the school was good.
I cannot say I was happy with the host family. She seemed to want me away all the time. I wanted to experience life with the host I was staying with. She seemed to just want a boarder. I was also sick for my first 10 days and even then she would just complain that I was not going out when I just wanted to feel better. That was just difficult and made me feel rejected.
Thank you

I very much enjoyed my peers, my professors, and the campus was beautiful. I went on some of the excursions, but I didn't attend too many of the after school extra activities. I enjoyed spending time with my French family and I miss their company and all of the activities they took me to.

I liked grammar class. It's different from learning it by using Japanese, sometimes I understood well in French.
I didn't like to be asked very private things or sensitive problems during the class. It was not comfortable.
Also, the teacher said this national people is like this, that is like this. I didn't like it.

Uf! First of all, I want to tell that all personnel are amazing, especially my Professor Roman and also the great Professor Duquesne! His vast experience in history and his great motivation does a lot!

The teachers were very good and well-prepared. Location of the Institute was also good in regards to both town places and housing. The classes, however, were too easy and were only reviews of what I already knew. I think I learned very little in the whole month I was there. I remarked I felt I was in the wrong level before the first week was over, and that I thought I had been placed in that level because my online written test crashed and therefore was not completed.

I loved everything about my experience, but at times, one of my teachers was discouraging. But other than that, it was great!

The classes were great. A lot of variety in cultures. All the teachers were very friendly. The location of the school is perfect. Everything is at walking distance. In my family I had everything I needed. The activities were fun.
In total, it was one of the best experiences in my life.
One thing I did not like was that when I arrived, I did not have to take the test and was put in a class 3 levels lower then I should be. I had to change 2 times out of classes in 3 weeks.

My personal experience was a good one! I loved the Institute and my professors were so great! I learned a lot while in Tours! It was the first time I have ever been out of the United States and it was amazing. The excursions were my favorite part of the program. I wish there was an overnight weekend excursion to Paris or the South of France. I would have definitely paid to do them. The activities were held at bad times to get all the students together when everyone would go home or shopping or to a cafe in the afternoons.

I loved the classes. The class that I was in was very conversation based and this helped me very much in my speaking abilities. The facilities were nice and I was provided with anything that I would want. The teachers that I had were fun and helpful. I enjoyed the home-stay very much. It allowed me to experience culture in a great way as well as practice the language in a day to day setting. The activities provided by the school were fun and enjoyable and it was great to get to know other people through them.

I took a course at the Institut some 40 years ago, so it was very interesting to compare the two experiences. On the positive side, I felt that the Institut had expanded considerably and become much more professional, with much better facilities, and a more focused approach to the teaching, although some of the latter was no more than adequate. It was also very enjoyable to be back in Tours, a city of which I am very fond. On the negative side, I felt that the accommodation I was in, while perfectly adequate for me, was not really up to modern expectations, particularly because of the lack of en suite facilities, which I had requested.
Overall, I am very pleased to have spent a month at the Institut. My stay certainly helped to improve my French and has been an invaluable introduction to a course of study that I am currently undertaking.

Teachers are nice, patient, and enthusiastic.
Classes full of cheers and friendly different ages of classmates. I think it's cool and makes me learn more from others.
Activities are great. I participated a lot.
I lived with my host family and they treated me very well!
Location is awesome. After class, we can do some window shopping on rue nationale or picnic beside Loire.

Highly recommended. I already introduced your school to my friends and company in Japan.

I lived with an amazing host family who always tried to make every student feel at home. They would cook special food that they knew the South Koreans I lived with would like and at my last supper, they cooked a meal based on what I said was my favorite so far. Overall, they were just a wonderful family.
My grammar teacher, Marie Geai, was fantastic. She helped improve my writing, imparfait, and plus-que-parfait. My phonetics teacher was not there but maybe a week of my whole stay, but his substitute, Christopher Dropinski, was a wonderful teacher. I learned a lot of nasals and how to pronounce words like cœur et sœur better. Dufrense was really interesting in the Atelier Culture française when we talked about art. He also gave a fabulous little tour of Tours on our first day there. He was a very entertaining teacher.
The facilities and locations were very good. The location of the school is perfect because it is in the center of every thing in Tours.
The only activity I participated in was La nuit de musées and I loved it. We saw the cathedral at night, went to all of the museums, and met people we had not had the chance to meet before.
Honestly, there was nothing I did not like about this trip and experience in Tours. I recommend all of the people at my university that are taking French to go. This trip improved my French and I am now a French tutor at my school because of this trip. Overall, the staff at this institute are wonderful and I love what you all do everyday to help people learn the beautiful language of French.

Coraline Bonnet was a very effective teacher. She was always on time, prepared with lessons, engaged with students and always ready to help. She was enthusiastic and looked for interesting activities to keep students engaged.
Loic Ravenelle the oral production teacher was a nightmare. He was routinely late, unprepared with lessons, was preoccupied with his phone and did nothing to engage the calls in oral production. Our time in the lab was wasted. The activities did not have us speaking French. He would routinely make mistakes when correcting your work in the lab, so the exercise would be completely worthless. My background is education and I am aware of the methods used to engage students in activities to encourage them to speak and participate. Loic did all the talking in our oral production classes. In the oral comprehension classes he would ask random questions and expect specific answers. He would ignore a few class members and only respond to a select few. I am aware of 9 students that either requested to transfer from his class or not to have him as an instructor He was outright disrespectful to one classmate. I have requested half my tuition back because I feel like I only received half a course. Orientation could be better. A tour given of the facility and all the things it has to offer in your native language would be a great start. If your comprehension of French is limited then you fail to get all the information you need.
My housing accommodation was pricey for the small studio, but the location was good. It was close to the school and near the old city center.

During the study, I was very happy for your education.
I have good feelings because my French has improved a lot,
so I want learn French in the Institut de Touraine again.
Thank you.

I really liked the teaching style. Being totally immersed in French helped to improve my French a lot. The teachers were very patient and understanding, but also helped to improve my skills a lot. The facilities were very good for all the activities. I felt that I improved a huge amount in the two weeks I was there.