[LeanneLabelle]

I want my children to experience living overseas and my partners wants to learn how to speak French so we are looking at France. Ideally I would also like to attend a cooking school while we are there. We are looking at a 3-4 month time frame. Does anyone have any suggestions? What is the best region to look at? What are the employment possibilities for someone who doesn't speak French fluently? Aside from the Cordon Blue, is there a school that is well know?

 

[Bevdeforges]

When you say a 3 - 4 month time frame, is that the amount of time you hope to spend in France, or the time frame you have set for yourself for making the move to France?

Chances for finding employment (long or short term) are slim at best just at the moment, but it will depend to quite an extent on what sort of training and experience you and your partner have. Visas are the determining factor - to get a work visa you generally need to find the job first. (And finding a job in France more or less assumes a basic working level of French.) If you want to attend a school, you'll need a student visa, and that will limit your ability to work.

As for your partner, if you're married, the partner can probably qualify for a dependent visa. If not, each of you will have to qualify for a visa on your own.

Last I knew, the Cordon Bleue is mostly known as a cooking school for wealthy English-speaking foreigners.
Cheers,
Bev