Le Verger (The Orchard) is a comfortable stone house set in the rolling Dordogne countryside of South-West France. Now in our 20th succesful year, join us for a total immersion revision course geared to addressing your specific needs, getting you speaking fluently, and giving you confidence to succeed at A level!
Your Easter and Summer revision course
25 hours group and individual tuition includes: Reading comprehension
Listening (recorded and live material)
Vocabulary building
Individual fluency improvement
Writing and Grammar
Work on the Set Text / Film
At all other times (at mealtimes, on walks, etc) you are encouraged to take every opportunity to speak with your 2 teachers and your classmates in French. Interaction in real situations with native French speakers will boost your language confidence. We guarantee you'll learn 30-40 new words per day.
Your teachers can give individual instruction on your particular weak areas. Improve listening skills and knowledge of the exam topics watching prepared video clips.
We encourage you to spend your free study time reviewing what we’ve seen in lessons for the next day’s fun mini-reviews which chart your progress. (on Easter courses we can provide time for your own revision of other A-level subjects if you have upcoming exams).
Your Hosts & Tutors
David and Michèle Lambert have BA and MA degrees in French from Cambridge and Manchester Universities. We’re both fluent users of French and each has 30+ years language teaching experience. We’ve taught various subjects at l'Université de Lille, le Lycée Perrier (Marseille), Cambridge Regional College, The Open University, Cambridge Arts and Sciences (CATS), Hills Road Sixth Form College and Anglia Ruskin University. In our fifteenth year of welcoming students to our home Le Verger, we’re committed to addressing your individual needs to help you actually enjoy preparation for A Level French — and get the grade you need!
Easter 12-17 April, 2025
Summer July 2025 (tba)
Prices:
£650 own room
£600 *shared room
Full board, individual and group tuition, visits, airport /rail station transfers from / to Limoges. Ask us about a scholarship if you feel you need financial assistance.
*While we do our best to satisfy your accommodation request, please note that in the event that this is not possible, you will be offered the alternative at the advertised price.
Prices do not include return Ryanair flights Stansted – Limoges.
Possible outside visits
A prepared visit to the mayor’s parlour in our village to hear a talk on an aspect of French life ( le tourisme, le patrimoine).
Une visite guidée of the St Yrieix library and its 12th century illuminated bible, by Mme Lamy.
Une balade (a walk) in the Perigord countryside with Mme Duteil from the village (she will converse with you in French).
Visit to a French market (Excideuil or Objat) and street questionnaire on an exam theme eg. la famille, les jeunes.
(With parental agreement, you’re free to go off in small groups to walk in your free time.
Spending Money
We may have lunch in a restaurant (plat du jour + dessert 15 euros).
Bring spending money for a coffee in a café and your own shopping (no more than 50 euros).
Let us know in confidence of any dietary, medical or other needs. We provide soya alternatives to milk products.
Getting there
The course fee includes transfers between Limoges and Le Verger (80km). It is important you are all on the same outward and return Ryanair flight from Stansted to Limoges to facilitate this. NB. Wait for us to let you know when you can go ahead and book your flight.
Travelers by train can be picked up / dropped off at Limoges-Benedictins at a time which coincides within an hour or so with airport collection/drop offs.
If you can’t make the group transfer, a local taxi to Le Verger will charge around 160 euros which we can arrange. We’ll do our best to pick up separate travelers and charge 100 euros.
In the unlikely event of a Ryanair flight rerouting to more distant Poitiers or Bergerac airport, a pick up /drop off charge will be applied.
What to bring
Please travel light ( we provide a towel and a hair drier) as luggage space in the transfer cars is limited.
-warm jumper and slippers (it can get cold at 410 m altitude!)
-trainers for walks. -notepad for visits / exercise book for classes
-your own European plug adapter
We provide vegetarian, gluten-free and soya alternatives, but please bring any foods or supplements you cannot do without ( ie sweetener).
-Bring all medicines you need (hay fever, travel sickness). French supermarkets cannot sell even aspirin. For summer courses, we recommend you bring an effective anti-tick preparation as there have been reports of ticks in the region. Rose Geranium (pelargonium graveolens) essential oil, or anything with 30% deet is effective.
We have wifi. A laptop is useful for homework preparation and independents study ( ie listening and viewing).