French Courses for Business in Durham

Private individuals and professionals in companies all over the UK have profited from undertaking a French Language Course with SIMON & SIMON. Averaging 15 years of experience, our native French speaking qualified teachers construct your course so that your individual requirements are met, no matter what your level of experience. Our French teachers receive excellent feedback from our clients. A profile, containing information about the French teacher’s background and experience, is sent to each student before the French lessons start.

Maybe your only knowledge of studying languages is what you remember from school. Modern language teaching has recently changed to be much more entertaining and rewarding. Your French lessons in Durham will be carried out almost completely in French. This is the Communicative Approach and by this method you will notice progress from the initial lesson. You will soon feel confident and able to use French to communicate in various business and social situations.

The French courses that we offer can be run as 1:1 or group sessions. While most of our clients use 1:1 French training for their employees, group sessions can be good value. Participants numbers should be kept to 6 or less, and they will need to commit to meeting every week. If you require faster progress, 1:1 French courses at Durham are more suitable as the lessons and course can be tailored to the individual’s needs while focusing on their specific weaknesses and strengths.

French Course Management

SIMON & SIMON’s French language courses all have a specific Account Manager who oversee the course. Each of these managers is highly experienced and multi-lingual. At the start of your French course, you will receive a profile on your trainer, course materials and a Course Plan. After every 40 hours of training you will receive a Progress Report. We will send you our quarterly newsletter, Breaking the Language Barrier, which contains a wonderful prize draw as well as weblinks to valuable language learning resources.

SIMON & SIMON has arranged French language courses for clients in numerous locations, and with our global network of language trainers we can organise a French language course for you wherever you are - in almost any major city in the UK, Europe and beyond. The vast majority of our French lessons take place at our clients' offices, removing the need for you to travel, but French lessons can take place in your home if that is more convenient. We can also arrange full-time residential French language courses for you - just contact our office for information on available destinations.

Durham French Course Schedules

Our French language courses in Durham go on all year. Some of our students attend more than one 90-minute weekly session if work circumstances allow, and most will attend at least one per week. Weekend Courses in French can be arranged on request. Our French courses are available 12 hours a day, from 8am to 8pm Monday through Friday. 30 hour per week intensive French courses can be held on clients’ premises or in residential centres in the UK or abroad. These courses take 6 hours per day, Monday through Friday.

We will tailor your French language course for your specific aims and level of knowledge. Before you start your French language course we will assess your goals and level of French experience. Your desire to learn French may be simply to develop basic skills, or you may have some level of proficiency and wish to increase your ability to use French to discuss business. You may want to develop your language skills so that you can use French in negotiations and meetings or improve your pronunciation and telephone skills. No matter what goals you have, you can be confident of our French trainers experience and that your French language course is tailored to your needs and your goals will be quickly met.

French Language Examination Courses

Our students’ pass rate for French examinations is at 95%, and we are happy to help with the preparations for any such examination. Our high pass rate shows the value of working with French teachers in Durham who have a higher level of experience than average. SIMON & SIMON also arrange registration for French examinations as well as administering the examination and issuing the results.

The table below is based on recognised language levels used by various academic institutions accross the European Union. A highly motivated student attending weekly sessions with their language trainer can expect to move from one level to another after 50 hours providing they also commit to a similar number of hours of self-study.

Of course, some people find learning languages easier than others, and some students will have more opportunities to practise the language in the course of their work and leisure, so these factors also need to be considered when trying to assess how long it will take to move from one level to another.

Company Funded Training

If your company is thinking of investing in language training our free consultation and demo lesson is a real opportunity to see if SIMON & SIMON is right for you - hundreds of other companies have chosen SIMON & SIMON, so we hope you will join them.

To take up this special offer, please call Cristiana Aragoni, on 020 7931 9869 - quoting "Demo Lesson" - our no-obligation consultation and demo lesson is free of charge.

Self-Funded Training

If you are interested in taking one of our courses as a private individual, then our free demo lessons are a perfect opportunity for you to meet one of our language trainers, experience the teaching methodology firsthand, and for us to assess your level and course needs - all with no obligation.

Demo lessons typically last 1 hour, and take place at our offices in central London, close to Victoria Station.

To take up this special offer, please call Cristiana Aragoni, on 020 7931 9869 - quoting "Demo Lesson" - our no-obligation consultation and demo lesson is free of charge.

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language by around 136 million people worldwide. A total of 500 million speak it as either a first, second, and foreign language. Moreover, some 200 million people learn French as a foreign language. French speaking communities are present in 56 countries and territories. Most native speakers of the language live in France, the rest live essentially in Canada, particularly Quebec, a minority in New Brunswick and Maine, as well as Belgium, Switzerland, Monaco, Luxembourg and Louisiana. Most second-language speakers of French live in Francophone Africa, arguably exceeding the number of native speakers.

Durham is a city in the North East of England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county. It lies to the south of Newcastle Upon Tyne, Chester-le-Street and Sunderland and to the north of Darlington. Durham is well known for its Norman Cathedral and 11th-century castle, and is home to Durham University. HM Prison Durham is also located close to the city centre. Archeological evidence suggests a history of settlement in the area since roughly 2000 BC. The present city can clearly be traced back to AD 995, when a group of monks from Lindisfarne chose the strategic high peninsula as a place to settle with the body of Saint Cuthbert, that had previously lain in Chester-le-Street, founding a church there. Local legend states that the city was founded in A.D. 995 by divine intervention. The 12th-century chronicler, Symeon of Durham, recounts that after wandering in the north, Saint Cuthbert’s bier miraculously came to a halt at the hill of Warden Law and, despite the effort of the congregation, would not move. Aldhun, Bishop of Chester-le-Street and leader of the order, decreed a holy fast of three days, accompanied by prayers to the saint. Saint Bede recounts that during this fast, Saint Cuthbert appeared to the monk Eadmer with instructions that the coffin should be taken to Dun Holm.