









Think of a Try-It-Out-Trip™ as
the look-before-you-leap.
- Our first two steps (assessment and online course) told you what your strengths & challenges were.
- By the time you arrive in France, our online course will have narrowed down the skills & knowledge you need the most.
- Language?
- Choosing a town?
- Learning the transportation system?
In France, you’ll build the precise skills you need because:
- You’ve had the skilled assessment and coaching to know which were needed
- We’ve lined up the local and national professionals you are looking for (and vetted them before hand.)
- The goal of this trip is to help you gain the skills you need to live a full, independent life in your adopted country. So our role will not be holding your hand constantly. Much of your time this month will be you doing things on your own.
- What we will be doing is connecting you to resources that are virtually impossible to find for the individual who is putting a trip together on their own.
- The realtor who likes to talk to English-speakers and give them the overview of the local real estate market
- The French person who has the same interests as you and wants to practice their English, while you practice your French
- The supporters of the local non-profit with whom we partner; come to weekly coffees, or a French conversation group, or a Shakespeare discussion group (in English). How about a knitting group? Or hiking? Or fine dining?
You’ll be in contact with the people you most need and want to know. In this way, we’ll have stacked the odds in your favor, but you’ll also be using your skills to make the connections good ones.
Yes. Most definitely. Perhaps the biggest pitfall potential expats face is the notion that it will be “just like our wonderful vacation to France”. We call that the ‘honeymoon’ phase. It won’t last. (We ready you for these ups and downs in our online course. Then again when you’re in France.)
The length of a month is an insurance policy. Between two or three weeks in to a trip, most people must shift gears. They have to grapple with the truth: practical life, particularly in a new country, with language challenges, is nothing like a honeymoon.
NOT finding out how you feel about France, once the vacation glow wears off, could be the biggest mistake you make. The Try-It-Out-Trip innoculates you against that particular hurdle.
By now, thanks to the pre-trip online course, you’ve learned a lot, which means, once in France, you’ll be able to zero in on your “to-do” list. Still choosing a town? You’ll be happy that Angers connects so wonderfully to other places by train. Skip the community coffee hour, if you please, to go check out highly-praised towns around Angers (Tours, Saumur, Amboise, Rennes)
The exact schedule of group activities will only be available on arrival, as we will have tailor made the content to suit the needs of the people on the trip. That way everyone hopefully gains the particular skills they need. We know we’ll have several weekly morning coffees, and options of having a group sit-down with a particular subject matter expert, taking field trips, or practicing a real-life skill. It will be tailored to the needs of the people on the trip.
Each person’s trip will be different. Yes, you’ll have the option to be with others some of the time.. No, you won’t be joined at the hip, or pampered! Some obstacles you encounter will be yours to solve. Independence is one of the core values we hold and a core goal we have for you. But there will be a huge wall of support as you venture forth.
Included in your package is:
- French Conversation Group: one hour a week*
- 6 hours conversation with a French-speaking library volunteer. We pair you with a member at your level. Together, once the pair is OK, you choose your own times & locations for the other hours.*
(sponsored by our library partners)
OR FOR THE MORE INTENSIVE OPTION:
In the heart of the Loire Valley, home of the Kings of France, CIDEF (Centre Internationale d’Etudes Francais, within the Catholic University of the East) has been the place to study French since 1947. As a university center of French as a foreign language, they welcome students from all over the world to learn French language and discover French culture. Their 156 partner universities trust them to offer an outstanding program developing language and cultural knowledge and skills. Their team counts full-time teachers, 10 of them being Phd’s specialized in didactics, linguistics and pedagogy. Their center is in the university, among the other faculties and right in the city center, 10 min from the station and from the restaurants and shops, making it a very lively place to experience France and la Douceur Angevine.
Add an option for intensive language learning with the internationally acclaimed CIDEF (L’University Catholique de l’Ouest in Angers) CIDEF has been granted the Qualite FLE label and is an examination center for certification and university diplomas. The classes at the University would be tailor made for our A Life in France™ participants. Held at the university with in a small, friendly group, at the level of learning tailored to you. This option start at €475/week and classes are tentatively scheduled for two hours, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, leaving you time for our other activities and free time. Read more about CIDEF’s reputation and stature in the world here.