Maison des langues Maison des langues

Organization

The Maison des Langues winter courses are intensive courses in French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, and Russian, held during the first two weeks of February. 

All courses take place in person at the University of Geneva.

Before finalizing your registration, you will need to take an online language test. This test is mandatory; it allows the teaching teams to place you in the most appropriate level and class. For complete beginners, no test is required.

Classes have an average of 12 to 20 participants.

The courses cover the five skills (speaking, writing, listening, reading, and interaction).

Teaching materials are provided on the first day of class.

All of our teachers hold a master's degree in their field, have teaching qualifications, and are selected for their extensive experience in language teaching. Participants are supervised by a team of teaching coordinators. All of our courses are regularly reviewed by the scientific directorate of the Maison des Langues.  

Certificate

You can obtain a certificate of attendance at the end of your course. To do so, you must attend at least 80% of the classes and meet your teacher's requirements. 

The summer courses of the Maison des Langues are intensive French classes that take place every morning from Monday to Friday during the summer (2 × 3 weeks). These courses have been offered at the University of Geneva since 1891 and have allowed entire generations to make rapid progress in French while enjoying the city of Geneva in summer.

Classes 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

All courses take place in person at the University of Geneva.

Before finalizing your registration, you will need to take an online language test. This test is mandatory; it allows the teaching teams to place you in the level and class that best suit you. For complete beginners, no test is required.

The courses have an average of 12 to 20 participants.

French classes take place every day from Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (including a 20-minute break), for a total of 20 hours per week (1 academic hour = 45 minutes).

The courses train the five skills (oral and written expression, oral and written comprehension, interaction).
Teaching materials are provided on the first day of classes.

Course levels : A1.1 complete beginner | A1 beginner | A2 advanced beginner | B1 intermediate | B2 advanced intermediate | C1 advanced.

Optional activities 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

During each session, you can participate in language activities every afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. These activities are optional and are offered to you free of charge by the Maison des Langues. They are strongly recommended but not mandatory.

Each activity is adapted according to level and skill. The schedule and location of each activity are communicated on the first day of classes.

Examples from past years : Themed walks | Swiss culture and society | Everyday writing | Workplace writing | Professional writing | French for academic purposes | Everyday French | Grammar | Pronunciation and speaking.

Certificate of attendance

You can obtain a certificate of attendance at the end of your course. To do so, you must attend at least 80% of the classes and meet your teacher’s requirements.

Official level certificate 

Students who have regularly attended at least one session of French courses (during the current year), as well as members of the university community (UNIGE, HES-SO Geneva, IHEID, HUG), can register for an exam to obtain a language certificate:

French as a Foreign Language Certificate A2–B1

French as a Foreign Language Certificate B2–C1

If successful, a language certificate attesting to their level in French (A2, B1, B2, or C1) will be issued within four weeks.

Passing the French as a Foreign Language B2 or C1 Certificate exempts students from the French admission exam at the University of Geneva (the Faculty of Arts requires an additional test).

History

Click here to learn about our long history !