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French & cooking
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Students who appreciate French gastronomy will delight in a course that focuses on French cooking techniques as well as language acquisition. Nicola Hancox explores some of the different options available in France.
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It’s no secret that the French are passionate about their food and language schools all over France have developed add-ons that give students the opportunity to experience this passion first-hand.
The city of Lyon is synonymous with good food and fine dining and students at local school, Lyon Bleu International, can take a French & Cuisine course with 15 lessons of French per week as well as two practical workshops, visits to places of gastronomic interest and an evening meal at a traditional Lyonnaise restaurant. Frederique Di Tullio, Director of the school, notes that the course made its debut in March last year and is “quite popular”.
At French in Normandy in Rouen, students can opt for one of two French and leisure programmes; Gourmet French (comprising language lessons in the morning and three afternoon sessions tasting local produce) or French and Cuisine. The latter is run in conjunction with a regional cookery school where students “have lunch, then a demo and then a practical” explains Eleri Maitland at the school. Aside from the language plus courses, the school also runs a series of French and Professional Vocational Training options, including work placements, that are particularly popular with those keen to pursue a career in hospitality.
For many, this type of academic programming is a relatively new venture. Christine Barge from Cavilam in Vichy says that they launched their French and Gastronomy programme in the summer of 2009. “We only had six participants [to begin with] but they were all very satisfied with the course,” she says. Meanwhile, at the Institut Européen in Montpellier, Damien Boucard relates that increased demand led to the introduction of a French plus cooking course in November 2009. “It is too early to know if it will be successful but we are very confident it will be,” he notes.
However, at Ecole des Trois Ponts in Grand Roanne, Valeria Perez asserts they have offered a cooking option from the very beginning. “The school has been running for 18 years, our French courses are popular and the combination of French and cooking is part of our reputation”, she observes.
With demand picking up, providers plan to harness newer markets by being adventurous with course content. According to its programme guide, students at Cavilam can take seminars in “the history of French gastronomy, traditional and country recipes, wine, bread and cheese, restaurant reviews and guides and great French chefs from the nineteenth century onwards”, while, hands-on wine tasting classes are on offer at the Institut Cesar Langues in Montpellier. Ienke Keijzer at the school explains that as well as learning how to make wine, students are given the opportunity to visit a local vineyard where they can quiz experts about the wine-making process.
Another popular alternative is French plus tasting courses where students are encouraged to sample local delicacies. “We thought that mature students would enjoy food and wine themes and a hands-on approach meeting shepherds, tasting their cheeses, tasting different olive oils that a producer proposes and enjoying the variety of local wine and seafood,” says Claire Wakely at Au Clair du Sud in Montpellier. She adds that feedback thus far has been extremely positive with plenty of students signing up again.
The beauty of these types of courses is that they have wide appeal and according to Andrew Kinselle from LSF Montpellier, there is real diversity where uptake is concerned. “We have all sorts of ages and nationalities for this course, male and female, from 18-year-old gap year students to mature students,” he says. However, some providers have observed a definite pattern in enrolments. “[Students] are normally around 25 years old, mainly Asian, in particular Japanese and Korean,” says Virginia Vias from Ifalpes in Annecy. Basma Jebon from Université de Stendhal Grenoble III – which runs a two-week French and cooking course in June – agrees, noting a distinctly Asian following while Boucard at the Institut Européen has seen large numbers of females enrolling on the course. Although, he adds, men are starting to take more of an interest.
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Contact any advertiser in the this issue now
The following language schools, associations and accommodation providers advertised in the latest edition of Language Travel Magazine. If you would like more information on any of these advertisers, tick the relevant boxes, fill out your details and send.
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