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France Feedback
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This year's Feedback survey on France showed greater interest among students for short-term French language courses geared towards those learning the language for pleasure only. Significant changes among the top nationalities were also in evidence.
France feedback at a glance
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Total number of students: female 85, male 40 125
Average age in years: 30.4
Average length of programme in weeks: 8.5
Average number of students in class: 9
Average number of hours of language tuition per week: 20
% of students who found their course through an agent: 24
% of students who booked through an agent or adviser: 34
% of students who had been on another lang. programme: 37
% of students who would recommend their school: 95
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| Respondents by world region of origin |
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Top nationalities |
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W Europe (47%)
North America (14%)
Asia (13%)
C & L America (11%)
C & E Europe (6%)
Middle East (3%)
Australasia (3%)
Africa (2%)
Unknown (1%)
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1. US 13%
2. German 11%
3. Swiss 10%
3. Spanish 10%
5. Japanese 6%
6. British 5%
7. Russian 4%
8. Colombian 3%
8. Korean 3%
8. Mexican 3%
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| In my class there are... |
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How will you use your French in the future? |
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Too many students (17%)
Too many students of my language (7%)
Too many students from one other countries (14%)
None of these (54%)
Unknown (8%)
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Coll. study in the France (10%)
College study at home (13%)
Current or future work (37)
For pleasure only (39%)
No reply (1%)
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| How did you find your programme? |
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Standard of your accommodation |
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II found it on the Internet (37%)
It was recommended by a friend/relative (26%)
3. It was recommended by an agent (24%)
4. I saw it advertised (7%)
5. No reply (6%)
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Excellent (33%)
Good (27%)
Satisfactory (18%)
Poor (4%)
Unsatisfactory (2%)
Unknown (13%)
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| Standard of your academic programme |
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Standard of the teaching |
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Excellent (35%)
Good (44%)
Satisfactory (10%)
Poor (4%)
Unsatisfactory (3%)
Unknown (6%)
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Excellent (55%)
Good (44%)
Satisfactory (4%)
Unsatisfactory (1%)
Unknown (6%)
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| Standard of your social programme? |
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What is your accomodation while in France? |
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Excellent (19%)
Good (44%)
Satisfactory (4%)
Unsatisfactory (1%)
Unknown (13%)
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Host family (45%)
Residential/single room (8%)
Residential/dormitory (1%)
Other(45%)
Unknown (1%) |
Did you book your course through an agent or an educational adviser?
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Yes (34%)
No (59%)
Unknown (7%)
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Before looking for your course, did you know where you wanted to study?
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Country
Yes (87%)
No (12%)
Unknown (1%)
City/town
Yes (52%)
No (46%)
Unknown (2%)
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School
Yes (34%)
No (62%)
Unknown (4%)
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Student nationality
A number of nationality trends stand out in this year's Feedback survey of France, notably the continued decline of students from Asia in French classrooms. This is a trend that was picked up in last year's survey, when the proportion of Asian students decreased by 13 percentage points, from 31 per cent to 18 per cent (see Language Travel Magazine, June 2005, pages 16-17). According to our survey results this year, this decline has continued – Asians now make up just 13 per cent of respondents. Another observation that deserves comment is the almost total absence of Italian students this year, despite the fact that they made up the largest single nationality (13 per cent of respondents) last year. Reasons for such changes in the nationality mix are difficult to pin down but comments from schools in our recent Market Report on France indicate that enrolments from some nationalities have been negatively affected by media scenes of French student demonstrations, as well as a more general trend away from learning French in France (see Language Travel Magazine, August 2006, page 27).
Student motivation
The average length of stay for students in our survey was 8.5 weeks this year – a large decrease compared with the 17.5 weeks recorded last year. This trend is perhaps a reflection on the declining numbers of Asian students. This year, just 10 per cent of students indicated that they were intending to go on to further studies in France after completing their course, compared with 26 per cent last year. In contrast, the percentage of students learning French for pleasure increased from 21 per cent previously to a high 39 per cent.
Student enrolment
Agent use among students learning French in France is relatively low compared to other markets, with just 24 per cent of respondents indicating that they had found out about their course through an agent, compared to 41 per cent of respondents studying in Germany, for example (see Language Travel Magazine, October 2006, pages 16-17). Agent usage among our US respondents, the most dominant single nationality this year, was particularly low overall with just 20 per cent of US students saying that they had booked their course through an agency, compared with 83 per cent of Swiss students and 50 per cent of Japanese students.
Standard of the schools
With an average class size of just nine and 37 individual nationalities surveyed overall, a majority of 54 students agreed that there were neither too many students in their class nor too many students of their own or another nationality. Those who thought there were too many students of their own nationality were Swiss, German and Spanish. Overall, 95 per cent of students said that they would recommend their school to others, 2.5 per cent said that they would not and 2.5 per cent did not reply.
Living in France
Only four per cent of students found it very easy to practise their French with local people, although a further 54 per cent said that it was quite easy. When it came to the cost of living, 46 per cent of students found France to be more expensive than their home countries, while 20 per cent thought it was cheaper than at home and 32 per cent thought it was the same.
Thank you to the following schools for participating in our survey:
Académie de Langues France Méditerranée, Perpignan; Alliance Française, Marseille; BLS Ecole de Français, Bordeaux; Cavilam, Vichy; IULCF, Ecole de Francais d'Aquitaine, Bordeaux; Ecole de Langue Française Pour Etrangers, Paris; Ecole Suisse Internationale, Paris; Eurocentres, Amboise; Eurocentres, La Rochelle; Institut Catholique de Toulouse, Toulouse; Institute de Français Langue Etrangere, Collonges-sous-Saleve; Institute de Touraine, Tours; Institut Français de Chambéry, Chambéry; International House, Nice; IS Aix en Provence, Aix en Provence; Langue Onze, Toulouse; Odyssea, Institut Européen de Français, Montpellier; Universite d'Avignon CUEFA, Avignon; Universite de Poitiers, Poitiers; Carel, Royan.
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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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