Learning French in Montpellier / Lyon

[SureshJ]

Hey there,

Thought I'd throw down my two centimes...

I've only briefly visited Montpellier (and honestly, spent most of my time on the beach, which I'm a fan of). Unfortunately, this means that my contact with the locals was low... I have a friend or two who did French-studying over in Montpellier and they recommended it very highly (as they both came over with very little French knowledge and somehow managed to leave after 6 months with a B2/C1 level on the TCF --> this is definitely impressive).

I'm currently studying in Lyon, and have thus spent all of my time with the exchange students. What I will say about the city, is that its nothing like Paris in the sense of people speaking to you in English. From day 1, I had to use whatever scraps of French I knew to converse with locals (whether they know English or not, they never let on)...

In terms of learning, that's definitely a good thing. So, my biased opinion is Lyon. [Knowing nothing about these French schools specifically]

[richardc]

I've been living in Montpellier for 6 months, and I love the place - great climate, good infrastructure (if you find accommodation near a tramline, transport around town is very easy). Lots of things to do, and heaps of events, especially over the summer months. As Bev says, there are a lot of young (and not so young) single people in town, so it's fairly easy to meet people, especially if you join a club or an association for whatever activity or sport you enjoy, even for a short period.

In my experience Montpellier has no more problems with homeless people and crime than any other moderate-sized French city. If you're sensible and can "non merci" politely you'll have no problems. There are parts of town that foreigners probably don't want to live, but these areas are very obvious when you visit them, and easily avoided. Lyon is similar in this regard.

I've had no problems with people wanting to speak English with me, although there is a strong and rather interesting English/American expat communityin Montpellier who is fun to get to know (go for a drink at the Vert Anglais any night of the week).

A lot of residents here are from other parts of France anyway, (Montpellier is a popular city among the French too) so in the city itself, the local accent is probably less of an issue for non-native speakers than in the countryside - you get used to it after a short time anyway.

[SamNZ]

Hi All,

Thanks for all the useful information.
After weeks of ummming and arrring I have decided to give Montpellier a shot.
I'm not sure what to expect from only 3 months of study but I hope it will make me more determined to learn French and live there in the near future.

Thanks,

Sam

[richardc]

Originally Posted by SamNZ

Hi All,

Thanks for all the useful information.
After weeks of ummming and arrring I have decided to give Montpellier a shot.
I'm not sure what to expect from only 3 months of study but I hope it will make me more determined to learn French and live there in the near future.

Thanks,

Sam

Hi Sam, good luck with your time in Montpellier, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

Just one thing - you mentioned you were arriving in September, which is "la rentrée" for schools and universities. There'll be a lot of people looking for accomodation during that period. If you're looking for a place to stay short-term, definitely ask your language school for assistance, they'll normally help out with tips and contacts.

Feel free to contact me if you get stuck: richard.cotman@gmail.com (There's very few kiwis like us here in the south - I'm living in Montpellier until September-ish, but then probably moving to Paris to look for a job)

Bonne continuation,
Richard

[Coton90]

Hi guys,
We're moving to France in October from the States and will be 45 minutes from Montpelier. My 18 year old daughter will be taking computer animation, graphics and other art courses at a private school there. If you know of any like-minded students, clubs, or sites that will help her make the transition, it would be most appreciated. Thanks. Jeff