France update
Aug. 23rd, 2008 10:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pseydtonneI spent the non-sleeping hours of the last 36 deciding which French language immersion program would get my money. I had narrowed it down to four programs, then down to two: Langue Onze in Toulouse, and International Institute of Rambouillet in a classy outer suburb of Paris.
Toulouse looked more interesting to me. It was nearly half the price of any of the other programs, it used a slightly different teaching process where you swapped off helping someone else learn English between classes, it was in a fascinating yet geeky city, and it had you share a flat with people not necessarily learning French but doing other stuff. I figured that last item would let me chill out more effectively after class while still practicing what I learned.
In the end I chose Rambouillet. They had more of their enrollment process together, so I wouldn't be waiting weeks for any answer, a.k.a. yodeling down the gully. They also had more immersed non-classroom programs and weren't so keen to shoo students out when class ends for the afternoon. The town has a major commuter rail stop about a click from the campus, so I can get into Paris within the hour if I want to escape the quiet for an evening.
I sent off my enrollment request this morning and they will reply within 48 hours (it's Saturday, so that's probably Tuesday). Once I have the confirmed date, I can purchase airline tickets. If my plans work out, I'll be leaving September 23rd and back on October 29th. I'll have most of a week to hang out before class, then three weeks of immersion classes, followed by nearly two more weeks of inflicting my skills on hapless citoyens de la Republique.
I've also been doing lots of airline research. It looks like U.S. Airways, for all of their meh-ness over the years, has a lot newer planes than United. cheaper rates and a hub in boring Philly. Anyone have specific warnings or complaints about USAir before I buy a ticket, besides "their logo is almost illegible"?
Toulouse looked more interesting to me. It was nearly half the price of any of the other programs, it used a slightly different teaching process where you swapped off helping someone else learn English between classes, it was in a fascinating yet geeky city, and it had you share a flat with people not necessarily learning French but doing other stuff. I figured that last item would let me chill out more effectively after class while still practicing what I learned.
In the end I chose Rambouillet. They had more of their enrollment process together, so I wouldn't be waiting weeks for any answer, a.k.a. yodeling down the gully. They also had more immersed non-classroom programs and weren't so keen to shoo students out when class ends for the afternoon. The town has a major commuter rail stop about a click from the campus, so I can get into Paris within the hour if I want to escape the quiet for an evening.
I sent off my enrollment request this morning and they will reply within 48 hours (it's Saturday, so that's probably Tuesday). Once I have the confirmed date, I can purchase airline tickets. If my plans work out, I'll be leaving September 23rd and back on October 29th. I'll have most of a week to hang out before class, then three weeks of immersion classes, followed by nearly two more weeks of inflicting my skills on hapless citoyens de la Republique.
I've also been doing lots of airline research. It looks like U.S. Airways, for all of their meh-ness over the years, has a lot newer planes than United. cheaper rates and a hub in boring Philly. Anyone have specific warnings or complaints about USAir before I buy a ticket, besides "their logo is almost illegible"?
