Irish Leaving Certificate course

alpha.b Institut Linguistique

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Course description

This course is designed for high school students who want to improve their knowledge of French with a view to take the Leaving Certificate examination in Ireland.

Morning lessons are devoted to grammatical and functional objectives according to the program of the French Continuous Course.

Afternoon lessons in mini groups with a maximum of 8 students, are reserved for oral and written exam preparation.

1 to 2 hours per day after lessons for preparation or exercises.

Morning classes : 10 students maximum

Afternoon classes: 8 students maximum

Course topics

Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities

Class schedule

Course duration
1-4 weeks
Start dates
Every Monday (26 May - 22 Aug)
Classes per week
26 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 45 min)
Class days
Monday - Friday
School holidays
21 Dec 2024 - 05 Jan 2025, 21 Apr 2025, 01 May 2025, 29 May 2025, 09 Jun 2025, 14 Jul 2025, 15 Aug 2025, 11 Nov 2025

alpha.b Institut Linguistique does not hold classes on the holiday dates above. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.

Class times

Morning session
08:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Evening session
03:30 PM - 06:45 PM
Afternoon session
01:15 PM - 02:45 PM

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

Elementary
Pre-intermediate
Intermediate
High intermediate
Advanced
You will take a placement test on your first day to determine your class level.

Class size

Average 8 students
Maximum 10 students

Student age

Age range 16 - 20 years old
Average 17 years old

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
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school
photos

Photos

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reviews

Reviews

100% recommend

based on 13 reviews
5 stars
7
4 stars
5
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing

"Alpha B’s program for French Teachers included very good instruction, resources and excursions."

Gary Sures, student from Canada

The class size was very good. There were about 8 teachers in total. The instruction was very good. We learned good methods for teaching different grammatical elements (future, past, conditionnel), as well as units including technology, graphic novels, and an excursion to a local museum. Perhaps a bit too much time was given for teachers to introduce themselves, and the comic book session could have involved more participant interaction. Marie Hèlène was very generous with her time and resources, even giving students a USB key with resources.

Overall, I was pleased with the educational program. The one aspect that could have been improved was the social aspect. The week that I was there, they offered the following: a walking tour of Nice, a visit to mini golf and an attraction park (which I didn’t go to, this was more geared towards the younger students) , an excursion to Antibes and a excursion on a boat to see dolphins.
I would have appreciated more afternoon excursions.

I would have also appreciated more evening activities such as wine and food tastings, perhaps a cooking class. I was told that the week prior to my visit had more of that, so it was unfortunately not offered while I was there.

More of an effort could have been made to do icebreakers / activities so that students from all programs could meet each other. I only found out near the end of the week that there was a program of students 30 years and older. It would have been nice to meet them earlier.

My home stay was good. Colette provided very good meals and conversation. I wouldn’t call her the easiest person to live with. She was very particular and at times a little rude, but overall it was fine.

My only other issue was that I found out that because I booked the program through a 3rd party on the internet rather than directly with Alpha B, I ended up paying a considerable amount more than I would have had I booked directly through Alpha B (several hundred euros more).

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Date of study
22 Jul 2024 - 26 Jul 2024
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"It was very diverse and I loved it!"

Ewa Domaradzka, student from Poland

The teachers were very nice and welcoming. I was able to learn many interesting things from them but also other students. Nice the city itself was beautiful and fun. You can chill on the beach or go party in the pubs or clubs. Côté d’azur was the best! After classes, just a few minutes from the school buildings we could go swimming in a beautiful warm sea. There weren’t many activities organized by the school itself. Housing was also good although I didn’t like that i couldn’t take the shower after 10 PM. Other than that my host was very sweet and nice.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
1 Jul 2024 - 12 Jul 2024
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"I loved it and I will continue my frenchcourse next year"

Denise Gruber, student from Italy

They are all very kind. The test for knowing my level was great, so I came in the best class for my level.
Activities were great and I loved that the afternoon was planned for speaking and discussing. Delphine is a great teacher and getting to know also Vincent, was great because we had very interesting discussions.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
6 Nov 2023 - 10 Nov 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Experienced and passionate teachers!"

Anne-Sophie Frogé, student from UK

Fantastic school. I have learned a lot. We were on family course. AS is almost 9 ( so her mum writes review) however she was very happy with the course and with meeting new friends. Teaches were amazing.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
26 Jun 2023 - 7 Jul 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Alpha.b profs were very good and the administration very efficient."

Michael Brown, student from UK

I booked this course only a few days before the course was due to start and had a very good experience with the administrative team. When I arrived everything had been well organised.
The course started well because of the clear introduction from Anna and Jean-Phillipe. The initial assessment was carried out quickly and efficiently. As a result of the streaming of classes I felt comfortable with the class I was allocated to. The other students were generally very good and created a good learning environment although, as is often the case, the very young students did not participate as much as I would have liked.

Both Delphine (2weeks) and Olane (frist week only) were excellent teachers who made the classes very engaging and interactive. They were well organised and created a good learning environment supporeted by good materials. Jennifer (week 2 pm) was sound but less effective as I found her lessons less active and more "old-fashioned" in style. I was very pleased with the extra session from Jean-Phillipe at the end of the first week.

The school is well located in the city but the classrooms in the main building were often noisy because of the road traffic outside. Also, the rooms in the Forum were disappointing - they were dark and sometimes damp although they quieter than in the main building. The technology in the rooms was basic and could be improved to support teaching e.g. bigger screens, better audio and video and the ability to search on-line during the lesson.

The social programme was quite limited although I did enjoy the Cafe des Langues event in Nice old team. The introductory walking tour was well worthwhile. By comparison, I have studied with IS in Aix-en-Provence and they have a much more extensive programme of outside activities .

Overall it was a very good experience and I would recommend alpha.b to others.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
26 Sep 2022 - 7 Oct 2022
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Excellent teacher and program"

Tanya Smith, student from France

I did the course for over 50s and had a nice small group of women to spend two weeks with. There was a good mix of nationalities and levels of proficiency. The teacher was incredibly good at adapting and responding to the different needs and interests in the group. She was highly skilled and very engaging, maintaining enthusiasm and energy throughout. It was very motivating and I learned a lot.

The program of activities was nicely balanced and led by a knowledgeable and friendly tour guide. Level B2 people would understand all/most of what she says. Level B1 or lower would struggle a bit. However the classes in the morning were tailored to both levels, so we had a mixture or consolidating what we might have already learned and acquiring new vocabulary/I improving our understanding.

Being in a small group enabled us to practice talking a fair bit (though I would have liked there to be more conversation practice). Overall the course was great, as evidenced by the fact that several if my classmates had done the same course before and had come back for more. It was particularly good for practicing/improving comprehension and for learning more about Nice, nearby villages and French culture.

Support from the administrators was also very good. I’d strongly recommend this program.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
25 Oct 2021 - 5 Nov 2021
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Rewarding and effective learning with friendly upbeat staff."

Leif Jansson, student from Sweden

Positive teachers.Few pupils in class.
Négatif no leisure room. No cafétéria.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
7 Oct 2019 - 18 Oct 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Helpful and a very good place to improve your french"

Nicholas Tranchero, student from Singapore

The class i was in was very good and my class mates were helpful and encouraging, the teacher was very helpful helping me with words i didn’t understand and the ones i didn’t know. The location was very good as it was a 3 minute walk from the tram station which was only a 15 minute ride. The facility was food with lots of class rooms and there was divided into 2 section and the classes were big and was very comfy

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
22 Jul 2019 - 2 Aug 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"It was a lovely way to spend two improving my language skills."

Ruth Evans, student from USA

I enjoyed my experience at Alpha.b language school. My housing was so convenient to the school, and my hostess, Nelly Dunaud was terrific. I thought the class was not personally challenging, but Delphine, the instructor tried to teach to a variety of levels within the class very successfully. I liked the mix of personalities in my class which enhanced my experience. Our activities for the most part were interesting, but moving 30 people around for activities was challenging. It would be more enjoyable to break the group in half(which did happen on a few occasions). This was my first trip to Nice which was wonderful.. I can't think of a better location to improve my French.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
6 May 2019 - 17 May 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Nice, friendly but average"

Paul Lyngbye, student from Denmark

Nice, friendly but average.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
9 Oct 2017 - 13 Oct 2017
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"The teachers were excellent and challenged me where I hadn't been by previous teachers"

Barry Thompson, student from UK

I normally don't like everything for example instructions to be in French but this added an extra dimension and forced me to 'think in French". I only wish you were able to do a full-time or long-term instead of just one week. A few things that didn't make sense for years such as conjugation started to sink in.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
22 Aug 2016 - 26 Aug 2016
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Very good experience!"

Nancy Elena Rodriguez Dilena, student from Argentina

Overall, I liked everything.
The school is located in a very nice neighborhood and in a typical French building. The classrooms were well-lit and comfortable .
The teacher teaching style was excellent, with experience and knowledge of different languages, ​​facilitated more communication, apart from that the teacher was very willing to modify the program to our particular interests .
I did not avail of the accommodation through the school, so I can not comment on that subject.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
30 May 2016 - 3 Jun 2016
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"The course was very good."

Kadrie Yukselova, student from Bulgaria

:)

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
10 Aug 2015 - 21 Aug 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
housing

Housing

alpha.b Institut Linguistique offers the following housing types:
homestay

Homestay - Single-person room - No meals

240 €
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Location: In the city center of Nice
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Distance to school: 5 - 30 minutes by bus
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
240 €
Independent but nevertheless convivial type of accommodation. You share a flat with a French person or family according to the elementary rules of "savoir vivre".

Self-catering. Shared facilities including right to use the kitchen. You have to bring towels.

Homestay - 2-person shared room - Breakfast and dinner

260 €
weekly
Age range: 16 years old and older
Location: In the city center of Nice
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: 2-person shared room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner (14 meals per week)
Distance to school: 5 - 20 minutes by bus
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
260 €
Our main selection criteria are the families' presence and aptitude to receive foreign guests in the best conditions.
All of the placements are personalized and monitored as much as possible.

You will share a room with your friend if you are traveling together or with another student of the school.

Homestay - Single-person room - Breakfast and dinner

310 €
weekly
Age range: 16 years old and older
Location: In the city center of Nice
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner (14 meals per week)
Distance to school: 5 - 30 minutes by bus
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
310 €
Our main selection criteria are the families' presence and aptitude to receive foreign guests in the best conditions.
All of the placements are personalized and monitored as much as possible.

You will have your own room and share the bath room with the family or with other students staying in that place.
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.

Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you. If you wish to receive your paperwork by express mail, you will be charged 150 € when you register.

Flights and airport transfer

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Nice based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

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questions

Questions and answers

Have questions? Get answers from alpha.b Institut Linguistique staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

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