DISCOVERY & THEME TOUR
UNDERSTANDING AND TASTING THE GREAT WINES OF FRANCE - a Geology & Wine Tour (Part 1 : BURGUNDY & the RHONE VALLEY)
THE JANUARY 2010 CAVILAM/CPEDERF "STAGE"
From Fri 01 Jan 2010 to Sat 30 Jan 2010Pre & post tour accommodation can be arranged on request
This will be the 26th consecutive January "stage" run by Cpederf. Arrival in Paris no later than 1st January 2010, your activities will be programmed daily through to Friday 29 January, and your accommodation is reserved until Saturday morning 30th 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)
Programme leader : Annie Bancroft
Educational director of Cpederf. Parisian born & bred, with degrees from Sciences Po, the Sorbonne, and the "agrégation" in English, Annie was a teacher of English with considerable overseas experience 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. Principal tour designer for all Cpederf's educational and school tours, and head of the "January Stages" programme.
WELCOME IN PARIS 2 JANUARY 2010
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 29 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)
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 you will 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 dolcument 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 :
