Châteaux des Langues Stage Anglais Collège

An English immersion stage for collège-level students, built on constant practice rather than classroom hours alone. The day alternates one-hour grammar and exercise sequences with games, songs, sport and other activities, all of them run in English; the only French spoken is during two short "French times". Each participant receives an "English Best Friend" workbook compiled by the school, gathering the language points, tools and working techniques used during the stay. Groups are limited to eighteen participants and led by English-speaking activity leaders. The programme carries the UNOSEL label.

A residential stage at the Château de la Mazure in Forcé, Mayenne, combining tuition, accommodation and the full activity programme on one site. The school also runs a separate stage for lycée-level students.

Participants are accommodated on site in rooms of two to four. Each room has its own bathroom.

Tennis, pétanque and badminton are available on site, and a large part of the programme takes place outdoors. Every morning there is a half-hour walk. Participants who wish to can join the picking in the organic kitchen garden, and an educational farm is also accessible.

The language centre has a number of teaching rooms, so the group changes room for each activity to keep the rhythm of the day and hold concentration. The grounds include sports facilities, an organic kitchen garden and access to an educational farm.

Mobile phones are collected for the duration of the stage so that participants are not pulled out of the immersion by outside calls on their attention — difficult at first, by the school's own account, and accepted as the stay goes on. The supervising team is present around the teenagers throughout, at a ratio of one leader to four participants. The site is fifteen minutes from Laval station and close to motorway exits, so parents can bring and collect their child themselves and talk the stay over with the teaching team.