Language & culture programmes

THE JANUARY 2011 CAVILAM/CPEDERF "STAGE"

From Fri 31 Dec 2010 to Sat 29 Jan 2011Pre & post tour accommodation can be arranged on request

This will be the 27th consecutive January "stage" run by Cpederf. Arrival in Paris no later than New Year's Eve 2010, your activities will be programmed daily through to Friday 28 January 2011, and your accommodation is reserved until Saturday morning 29th January. After a Welcome Day in Paris, you have two weeks intensive practical language work at the Cavilam in Vichy, followed by a week in Nevers with constant language practice in a home-stay context and a full programme of cultural activities. The last week in Paris offers guided visits, cinema, theatre, discussion groups and final assessement.

Of interest to :
University Students of French (Australia & New Zealand)

Annie Bancroft

Programme leader : Annie Bancroft
Educational director of Cpederf. Parisian born & bred, with degrees from the Institut de Sciences Politiques (the celebrated "Sciences Po"), the Sorbonne, as well as holding the "agrégation", Annie was a teacher of English in the Ivory Coast and Paris before being appointed the foundation-director of Creipac, in Noumea, New Caledonia, in 1979, responsible for the creation and organisation of French courses and "stages" for universities throughout Australia and New Zealand. Since 1984 she has been principal tour designer for all Cpederf's Language & Culture tours, as well as organising and running numerous educational tours for schools. In particular she has been responsible for the highly successful series of the month-long "January Stages" programmes designed for university students from Australia & New Zealand, now into their 27th year.

WELCOME IN PARIS 1st JANUARY 2011

FOLLOWING A WELCOME DAY IN PARIS you will take a fast train to Vichy (situated in the centre of France not far from the city of Clermont Ferrand, home of the Michelin tyre industry!) for two weeks of concentrated practical language work at the Cavilam.

TWO WEEKS AT THE CAVILAM IN VICHY

The CAVILAM, affiliated to the Université de Clermont Ferrand, is one of the finest university institutions in France for the teaching of French as a foreign language. Each day you will have five classes centred around oral and aural French, plus an optional two hours a day in the media resources centre. A full programme of evening social activities is offered by the Cavilam, together with an all-day excursion at the weekend.

Accommodation in Vichy is on a half-board basis (dinner, bed, breakfast), so that morning and evenings plus weekends you are in a French home atmosphere. However if you wish us to make other arrangements in Vichy on your behalf, you just have to make the request (eg. bedsitter = "studio", hotel)

ONE WEEK IN NEVERS

YOUR WEEK IN NEVERS is full of activities. Your host family is reponsible for the two weekend programmes and will make sure that you speak French constantly! The Monday-Friday programme is rich in varied activities through which you will discover the history, architecture, art, society and culture of the region.

Highlights of your week in Nevers will include, for example, a visit to the important European Centre for Celtic History and Culture at Bibracte, the old Roman capital of Autun, the World Heritage centres of Vezelay and Bourges, as well as a private visit to Vauban's château Bazoches. (The major achievements of Vauban, Louis XIV's military and civic architect over several decades, were declared World Heritage sites in 2009).

In Nevers itself you will visit the Ducal Palace (often referred to as the "the first château of the Loire", and will learn about the history of faiënce which gave the town a world-wide reputation in the 17th & 18th centuries. Visits to local primary and/or secondary schools are arranged for those interested, and you will have an opportunity to discuss with local municpal authorities about the funtioning of a relatively small town which is neverthless a departmental Préfecture. In addition you will be taken to two excellent restaurants!

The host families play an important role in Nevers, and we consider this home-stay experience an essential part of the "stage", so no alternative accommodation is proposed.

YOUR LAST WEEK IN PARIS

BACK IN PARIS, you will have five days of extremely intensive activities, part of the programme being adapted to your own particular interests, while specialist guides will help you discover various places of great historic and cultural interest such as Le Marais, Montmartre, and the Impressionist Museum Orsay.

You will also visit Radio France, the Palais du Luxembourg and/or the Palais Bourbon,  the Sorbonne (if open again for visitors!) and, of course, Versailles! Cinema and theatre evenings are an integral part of the programme.

Friday 28 January : final assessment day with a round-table review of your month's activities and an oral presentation of a topic which has interested you particularly. This session is followed by the Farewell Lunch in a well-known Paris restaurant which is also classified as a historic monument for its decoration.

COSTS (please also refer to the attached brochure)

THIS "STAGE" WILL ONLY TAKE PLACE IF THERE IS A MINIMUM OF 8 PARTICIPANTS. IT HAS NEVER BEEN CANCELLED IN 26 YEARS...!

The COST includes :

All acommodation  - on a bed & breakfast basis in the Mije hostel in central Paris, (a supplement is payable for hotel accommodation), half-board family accommodation in Vichy and full-board accommodation in Nevers; two festive meals in Paris, two good meals in Nevers;

Travel Pass for all bus & metro travel in Paris, all train travel (Paris-Vichy-Nevers-Paris);

All tuition fees Cavilam/Cpederf; all cinemas, theatres, café-théâtres as part of the official programme; all outings, guided visits, excursions, guided walking tours, museums and monuments featuring in the programme.

With the exception of meals in Paris and lunches in Vichy (where you can eat in the "restaurant universitaire" if you so choose), all your expenses are catered for by the "stage" costs. (What you spend in addition is of course your own affair, but we make sure that you have very little free time!)

PLEASE NOTE that the cost does NOT include travel to France, any hotel supplements, nor any end-on accommodation arrangements you may request us to make on your behalf.

THE FULL BROCHURE can be found as a document attached to this page, and a separate Provisional Enrolment Form is also so attached (you do not need to pay any deposit with your Provisional Enrolment).

FORMAL ATTAINMENT CERTIFICATES & REPORTS

The four-week programme is conducted entirely in French. You will be given two official assessement reports and certificates, by the Cavilam at the end of your first two weeks, and by Cpederf at the end of your "stage".

CREDIT POINT RECOGNITION : most students in the past have been granted some credit points by their home university for having successfully completed the "stage". Please refer to the relevant item in the attched brochure, but it must be noted that such an arrangement is between the participant and the university concerned. neither the Cavilam nor Cpederf is directly involved : we guarantee honest assessments of your progess and achievements, that is all. We suggest that if you are interested in participating, you discuss this possiblility with your French Department if the Department has not already taken the initiative to inform you of the possibility, as several universities do.

MARRIED COUPLES 

Over the years we have welcomed to the January "stages" married couples where both participants enrolled officially for the "stage", married couples where only one is enrolled while the other participates in the cultural visits and social events as they appeal. Please do not hesitate to discuss with us the possibility of joining us in January, even if your personal situation does not appear straightforward initially!

CONTACT US AT ANY TIME

Whatever your query or concern, it's always best to discuss things openly from the beginning : you can contact Annie & David Bancroft at any time by email :

cpederf@cpederf.com

 

 

Documents :
THE JANUARY 2011 CAVILAM/CPEDERF "STAGE"

Click on pictures to enlarge

Wherever you go in Paris, there is always something to learn about the history, the culture, the society of the city. Here you inside a historic monument, but not a theatre, a departmental store!Wonderful glasswork is to be found everywhere in Paris, from medieval Notre-Dame to this 20th century departmenta store!The hostel in which you will stay in Paris (and have your group sessions) is a superbly restored 17th century mansion in the heart of ParisStill in the hostel, the final assessment session in 2009 was most entertaining when three students decided to make their formal presentation on the topic of the wine and cheese they had discovered in Fance during their stay!During the "stage" you will visit many sites, museums and galleries, including this famous Modern Art Musuem of Paris, the Centre Beaubourg. For many, the inside is better than the exterior!Dating from medieval times, the Conciergerie, which you will visit, was a prison for more than four centuries - the most infamous period of its history being during the French Revolution.French furnishing and the decorative arts generally have always been considered amongst the finest in the world : we'll try and help you understand why! Shown here is a piece by the most celebrated of all the French cabinet makers, Boule.You can learn much about the history, architecture & society of Paris just by looking closely at all you see as you walk through the streets! Hence the value of our guided walking tours!There are many marvellous museums and galleries to visit in Paris, from the medieval Cluny to the Picasso museum : lovers of sculpture will certainly want to go to the Rodin museum!Medieval stained glass windows are amongst the great glories of France - perhaps the most wonderful are to be found in the Sainte ChapelleYour visit to Versailles will be a "must" : especially as all the experts agree, the newly restored ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors is almost as spendid as the Sistine Chapel!Wherever you go inside Versailles, there is so much to learn and appreciate about the art, history, society of the Ancien Régime.Evenings in Paris will include visits to the theatre - an excellent aid for your language comprehension!You will have a daylight walking history/culture tour of Montmartre - but Pigalle and the Moulin Rouge are best to see in the evening!Even if you are not a lover of opera, you cannot fail to be impressed by the great ceiling redecorated by Chagall in the Paris Opera House.People rushing through Paris often miss many of the treasures the city can reveal : as here, for example, St Etienne du Mont, resting place of RacineYou will be taken on a guided walking tour of the "passages couverts" - the 19th century equivalents of today's commercial centresFor those interested, a visit to the French National Library (the Bibliothèque Nationale de France) will be arrangedYour two weeks at the Cavilam in Vichy are essentially for working hard, but there is a full social programme offered by the institution!Students come to the Cavilam from all ove the world to polish up their French - it has not been unkown for Australian ambassadors to France to have come here for lessons as well!Who knows, while in Nevers in January, you may even have snow!The historic centre of Nevers, seen from the 18th century bridge across the River LoireNevers had a world-wide reputation for "faiënce" before the Industrial Revolution - one firm established in the 17th century continues the tradition today.Because of the geographical situation of Nevers, the Ducal Palace is often referred to as the first château of the Loire Valley!In the train for an outing to the World Heritage site of Bourges, the conversations still take place in French!The old historic centre of Bourges has been superbly restored.The many guided walking tours bring you into contact with a wide variety of voices and accents! All the guides will constantly make you ask questions and invite comments and discussions - all in French of course!Even in mid-winter, our French-speaking Australian guide Rob will bring to life Roman Burgundy in a way that no-one else can! Rob has lived in France for decades, and is the best guide Bugundy has to offer!The visit to the European Museum of Celtic History and Culture, tucked away in the hills of the Morvan, is always a high point of the "stage".The "new" Roman capital of the region was Autun - after the Celts in Bibracte, we move on to the Romans in Gaul!Back in Paris for your last week, you have so much to see and do that you will quickly become expert with the city's most famous system of transport!The Farewell Lunch on the last day of the "stage", held in a well-known restaurant which is also a classified historic monument, is always an enjoyable and relaxing time for all!!
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