[QUOTE=Dorlee;9929666]Dorlee: The school's website is here: www.millefeuille-provence.com

Millefeuille is not cheap but I think it's program is excellent value. It's a residential program, so the price includes accommodation and all meals, as well as very small classes (2-4 students) consisting of about 4 hours of formal classes, one hour of supervised/tutored study, an hour of guided written expression, and evening seminars. While I was there, I attended a lecture by a Professor of Political Science who explained the French system for electing presidents (it was the fall before the last election) as well as a wine-tasting seminar run by the winemaker associated with the chateau and school.

The other aspect of the program I liked was that almost all of the students were mid-career or more even more experienced professionals. (I think the youngest attendee was 32 the week I was there.) About half of the students worked in the field of international affairs (for governments, international organizations or companies) and were very interesting to talk to. (This is my background, too, so we had a lot in common.) The teachers tailored the tutorial and writing sessions to suit my professional interests. The teachers were excellent (and one of them was gorgeous ). More importantly, the calibre of the students was high, too - curious, hard-working and interesting. That can really make a difference in a program.

I don't think the school is well-suited to absolute beginners and I would recommend that novices choose this school only if they are quite extroverted. You're expected to speak French at all times and if you don't have a decent base of vocabulary (and/or feel shy about speaking out when you don't know what you're saying), you might not enjoy the experience as much as another program that is better designed to accommodate beginners.