Location

On the French-Belgium border, Lille was part of the County of Flanders. In today's times, it is a bustling university city with 17th-century brick town houses, cobbled pedestrian streets and the large central square, Grand Place. Lille was named the “City of Art and History” in 2004 and became the World Design Capital in 2020 through an innovative project: transforming its territory through design. 

Lille is well connected to both Paris and London via the Eurostar making it a very convenient city to visit and ideal if you want to avoid flying. 

School

Housed in a former consulate, the language school is a tight-knit community of likeminded language enthusiasts. The intimate classes provide personalised learning with experienced teachers. The teachers are passionate about their subject matter and are dedicated to helping their students succeed. The school sits in a university neighbourhood which is lively and full of young people. There are plenty of cafes, restaurants, and shops to explore, as well as cultural events and activities to participate in. It's the perfect location for language learners who want to immerse themselves in the local culture and practice their language skills outside of the classroom.

Language Course

The core course comprises 15 lessons which concentrate on learning and actively using French. The tuition is very much practice oriented. You will participate in group sessions alongside other students of a similar level, with lessons focused on improving all aspects of the language; speaking listening, reading and writing. There are 3, 1 hour lessons per day and these take place during the morning. 

Work Placement

There is no replacement for using your language skills practically in real life situations and in the country where the language is spoken. On a Work and Study trip you will have the opportunity to improve your language skills in the morning lessons and then be exposed to the language in a practical work situation for the afternoons/evening, giving you the optimum chance to gain confidence in all areas.

Each of our work placements fits one of our Business Categories. Placements include shops, restaurants and hotels, nurseries, radio stations, sports facilities - almost anything that you will find in a big city! Have a look at our Gallery to see the types of placements we offer.

Our placement team take great pride in securing placements that meet our students' needs.

Accommodation

For students wanting to completely immerse themselves in the French language and culture we recommend that you stay with one of our carefully selected French hosts. They will not only introduce you to the French way of life and help you practise the French language but will also give you a taste of local and delicious regional specialities. Host accommodation is situated within 50 minutes total journey time of the school and provide half board (breakfast & evening meal) from the Sunday before your course starts to the Saturday after it finishes. Subject to availability, an extra day on one side of your trip may be available on request to facilitate travelling dates. A surcharge is payable for any extra nights.

You can read more about what it means to stay with a host in our Host Accommodation Guide.

Transfers

We can direct you towards public transport to help you travel from the airport to your accommodation.  

School Closures

The school is closed on 05/11/24, 11/11/24, 21/04/2025, 01/05/2025, 08/05/2025, 29 and 30/05/2025, 09/06/2025, 14/07/2025, 15/08/2025, 01/11/2025 and 11/11/2025. The school is closed for the holidays between 22/12/2025 - 11/01/2026.

For missed days there is a £40 discount. 

Insurance

Travel, Medical and Workplace Insurance is included with this package. For more details and policy wording please see our Insurance page.