



Cours de civilisation française de la Sorbonne
Why choose Cours de civilisation française de la Sorbonne?
Created in 1919, the Cours de civilisation française de la Sorbonne (or CCFS) today have century-old expertise and represent a renowned institution in the French as a foreign language landscape. The CCFS are a private higher education establishment and, as such, stand out from traditional French schools, particularly through academic partnerships with prestigious public and private institutions. The CCFS' mission is to contribute to the influence of French culture throughout the world through the teaching of French civilization and language while preparing international candidates to enter French higher education system as degree seeking students. Mainly attended initially by an American public, the CCFS today brings together nearly 160 nationalities with a strong presence of the Chinese, American, German, English, Brazilian, Korean, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, Russian and Swedish nations. Around 5,000 students attend the institution annually. From short-term study abroad students seeking a cultural experience to international residents looking for improving their knowledge of French language and culture, the CCFS welcome every term a great variety of students' profiles, creating a very enriching and empowering space for all of them.
Created in 1919, the Cours de civilisation française de la Sorbonne (or CCFS) today have century-old expertise and represent a renowned institution in the French as a foreign language landscape. The CCFS are a private higher education establishment and, as such, stand out from traditional French schools, particularly through academic partnerships with prestigious public and private institutions. The CCFS' mission is to contribute to the influence of French culture throughout the world through the teaching of French civilization and language while preparing international candidates to enter French higher education system as degree seeking students. Mainly attended initially by an American public, the CCFS today brings together nearly 160 nationalities with a strong presence of the Chinese, American, German, English, Brazilian, Korean, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, Russian and Swedish nations. Around 5,000 students attend the institution annually. From short-term study abroad students seeking a cultural experience to international residents looking for improving their knowledge of French language and culture, the CCFS welcome every term a great variety of students' profiles, creating a very enriching and empowering space for all of them.
Cours de civilisation française de la Sorbonne Reviews
Hear what past participants have to say about the programs
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Un échange enrichissant
July 30, 2025by: Alvaro SAINZ - FranceProgram: Learn Business French in Paris
Taking the Français des affaires course at La Sorbonne with Monsieur FESQUET was truly one of the highlights of my time in Paris. As someone who already had a solid foundation in French grammar, I was looking for a program that would not only refine my language skills but also help me better understand the professional and cultural codes of doing business in France. This course exceeded all my expectations. M. FESQUET is a highly experienced and engaging instructor who brings a wealth of real-world knowledge into the classroom. Under his guidance, we explored topics such as how to communicate effectively in a French business context, the expectations and nuances of professional etiquette, and how French workplace culture compares to other countries. From writing formal emails and analyzing case studies to understanding negotiation strategies and corporate structures, every class was practical and intellectually stimulating. One of the most valuable aspects of the course was the group dynamic. The class was composed of a truly diverse mix of nationalities, ages, and professional backgrounds, which created rich discussions and helped us all learn from each other. It was the perfect environment for expanding both linguistic and intercultural competence. I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants more than just textbook grammar. Whether you're planning to work in France, collaborate with French-speaking clients, or simply understand how the professional world functions in a francophone setting, Français des affaires at La Sorbonne is an excellent choice.
The best year of my life
April 28, 2025by: Mariana Villa Baca - MexicoI am from Mexico and I had always dreamt about learning French and visiting Paris, thanks to this program I was able to live in the city of my dreams while I was studying this beautiful languange. I had great teachers, I had the opportunity to attend to very interesting conferences in which I learnt more about French culture and I made some good friends with whom I still talk from time to time. Being a student in this program allowed me to get a student visa and to access all the benefits that the French goverment provides for students: social security, access to university restaurants, aid for paying my rent... At the end of the program I was able to get the DELF B2. It was a beautiful experience for me and thanks to what I learnt I was able to get a job as French teacher here in my country.
Bonne experience
April 23, 2025by: Vladislava Dessailly - RussiaProgram: Learn Business French in Paris
J’ai eu le plaisir de suivre le cours de Français des affaires à l’automne dernier, et j’en garde un très bon souvenir. Notre professeur, Monsieur Fesquet, était toujours respectueux et attentif. Il partageait avec nous non seulement des connaissances du language professionnel, mais aussi des éléments de la vie quotidienne en France, ce qui rendait le cours vivant et enrichissant. J’ai apprécié les exposés : ils demandaient du temps, mais permettaient d’explorer des sujets actuels et culturels, tout en améliorant l’expression orale. J’ai également trouvé très utile l’apprentissage de la rédaction de lettres formelles, un aspect essentiel de la communication en France, souvent négligé dans d’autres cours. Le cours m’a permis d’élargir mon vocabulaire et de revoir des points importants de grammaire. De plus, nous avions un groupe d’étudiants formidable, avec une ambiance bienveillante dans laquelle je me suis sentie très à l’aise. Seul point à noter : le niveau annoncé à l’inscription était B1, mais en réalité, le contenu correspond plutôt à un niveau C1. Cela peut être un défi pour certains, surtout au début.
I strongly recommend this course to develop your practical French
April 10, 2025by: KYOKO INOUE - JapanProgram: Learn Business French in Paris
This course gave me a strong confidence to use my French language skill not only in my daily life in Paris but also in the business as a professional person. In this class, our teacher who has a lot of experience of teaching business French gave us his original materials so that we could learn and review the French grammar (level B2 or C1) everyday, get knowledge of the latest subjects of French business and get to know how to write the business correspondences (e-mails, or official letters in French). Especially, there were the students who already had their professional backgrounds from the multiple countries with various ages so that we could discuss many subjects related to the French business; the working circumstances, administration and human resources (HR), international trading, and knowledge of the French commerce including the domain of luxury, or traditional industries , start-up and logistics etc. If you are thinking to develop your French for your professional contexts at work, I would like to recommend this course!!
Great Experience
April 08, 2025by: Gloria Reyes - Puerto RicoIt was a great experience, the residence and the university was amazing. You feel like a real Parisienne. I really wanted to stay more days. I think that the program can ad more free days in order to enjoy more of Paris.
Exposés
April 05, 2025by: DONGKOOK KIM - South KoreaProgram: Learn Business French in Paris
Personally, I had the most difficulty in preparing the 'Exposés' which every student have to present three time during the course. It appears simple and not fastidious for young generations which are adept at digital things(mostly power points), but very hard for me tempting me almost give up in the middle of the course. It was a point to that I couldn't deliver M. Fesquet at the last class due to lack of time. In my point of view, if he loosen these homeworks and can find alternatives that students feel more comfort, I am sure that more and more people, particularly at their 50 ties and 60 ties as myself will apply to his programme.
A wonderful experience to work alongside fellow, much younger, students from the four corners of the world.
April 04, 2025by: Robert Pierson - United KingdomProgram: Learn Business French in Paris
Firstly, it must be said that Professor Fesquet, who led the course, is an outstanding tutor. Never once, when I made mistakes, did he fail to encourage and he was ever positive. Encouragement is of vital importance: nobody wants or needs to be told he or she is an idiot! My broad perception of the course (Business French) was that the content was 80% basic French Grammar. It seemed to me that the business aspect depended, less on the teaching and more on the individual student's acumen and research and their ability to manipulate Microsoft's Power Point. In which my colleagues acumen far exceeded my own; all colleagues provided beautiful presentations while mine were pedestrian. This was offset by my linguistic ability (scoring 19 points out of 20 in the final examination) while my colleagues were less adept. If I have a point to make, I think that the course should concentrate, to a greater extent, on the business aspect: say 50 grammar/50 business. It would, for example have been positive to encounter real, live, French business people and to debate with them. All in all, an excellent experience for which I'm eternally grateful.

A month in France
April 02, 2025by: Fabiola Hernandez - Puerto RicoOnce a week they provided a little breakfast in the mornings, great to try the food. My professors were great and really nice with foreigners. I got to explore many places! I had my class on the mornings and the afternoon free and the weekends free.
My Prof
March 04, 2025by: Raphael Chambers - United StatesMy professor was definitely the highlight my time at the school, his classes were definitely what made it all worth it. It does definitely depend who you get, so not everyone is going to have the same time, but the thoroughness with which he taught was second to none. I'm really happy I went over.
Perfect Fall Semester
February 22, 2025by: William Handi - United StatesOf all the language programs I've studied in during my time in France CCFS remains my favorite. My autumn in Paris was lovely and deeply immersive and a wonderful look at the Vie Parisienne. Both in and outside my classes I was able to create a wonderful group of friends and explore the heart of the Latin District. CCFS offers extraordinary language programs and without it I would not be able to speak on my current level. They offer a wide variety of non language classes as well and I was able to learn much more about French history a particular interest of mine. Given this, I can only enthusiastically recommend their program to others hoping to immerse themselves in the French language and life.

Je leur adresse tous mes remerciements
February 22, 2025by: Cihat Bademci - TurkeyJ’ai été très satisfait des CCFS grâce à leurs enseignants compétents et à leurs responsables dotés d’une excellente communication. C’est un établissement qui valorise ses étudiants et où l’on peut suivre aussi bien les cours semestriels que les cours d’été sans aucune hésitation. Je leur adresse tous mes remerciements.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What language levels are offered?
In order to carry out its mission, a good language school must adapt to its students: the CCFS thus meets the needs of all international students, regardless of their level of French.
What make the CCFS different from other language schools?
We are a century-old private higher education establishment and not a language center! In addition to regular language teaching, we focus a lot of our teaching on phonetics (pronunciation, articulation) thanks to specialized linguistics teachers and equipped classrooms (labs). We are also dedicated to teaching culture and civilization to any student who wish to add the component to his/her learning.
How do I know I'm eligible to study at the CCFS?
As we specialize in French as a foreign language, the requirements to study with us (through our general programs) are quite simple: to be at least 18 years old and graduated from high school (since we are a higher education establishment), and possess all applicable legal documents to be in France (passport and visa, if needed) when the course starts. For our more specialized courses, a more thorough application will be required.
What if I'm looking for a short program?
We offer Summer programs: June, July, and August (4 weeks each), that you can add up to make it a longer (2 to 3 months) program!
Do you help students with finding accomodation in Paris?
We can definitely help you find a host family to live with (and improve your level of French with)!
Ready to Learn More?
Created in 1919, the Cours de civilisation française de la Sorbonne (or CCFS) today have century-old expertise and represent a renowned institution in the French as a foreign language landscape. The CCFS are a private higher education establishment and, as such, stand out from traditional French schools, particularly through academic partnerships with prestigious public and private institutions. The CCFS' mission is to contribute to the influence of French culture throughout the world through the teaching of French civilization and language while preparing international candidates to enter French higher education system as degree seeking students. Mainly attended initially by an American public, the CCFS today brings together nearly 160 nationalities with a strong presence of the ...

Cours de civilisation française de la Sorbonne

Cours de civilisation française de la Sorbonne
Ready to Learn More?
Created in 1919, the Cours de civilisation française de la Sorbonne (or CCFS) today have century-old expertise and represent a renowned institution in the French as a foreign language landscape. The CCFS are a private higher education establishment and, as such, stand out from traditional French schools, particularly through academic partnerships with prestigious public and private institutions. The CCFS' mission is to contribute to the influence of French culture throughout the world through the teaching of French civilization and language while preparing international candidates to enter French higher education system as degree seeking students. Mainly attended initially by an American public, the CCFS today brings together nearly 160 nationalities with a strong presence of the ...
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