SOFI 64 French Language School Biarritz — Local services in Bayonne

I waited 2 years to be able to come to SOFI64 and it was so worth the wait. I stayed in Anglet and Biarritz for 3 months between June and September 2022, as I was looking for a longer term immersion course to be able to really understand the basics of the language, culture and improve my French. The school is a beautiful building and a great environment to learn and meet some fabulous people. Everyone who comes here, will feel the magic of this awesome community. Everyone is so warm and welcoming and it instantly puts you at ease, which is a must because learning a new language is, of course, very difficult.

I had the pleasure of having lessons with Pauline and Virginie (with some lessons also with the guest teacher Guillaume) and I cannot be more positive about my experiences with them. They are both warm, generous, incredibly funny, patient, endlessly encouraging and get you speaking the authentic French way. They make the classes so fun and engaging. There is no better environment to learn and you will definitely improve and enjoy every minute. I started as almost a complete beginner (A1) but steadily worked my way through and just started level B1 by the end of my stay. The course content is well structured and nicely paced with varied subjects that allow you to focus on several different grammar points each week. Although I didn’t get the joy of having Steph as my teacher (this time!) She is always available to help, has a amazing sense of humour and loves to engage with everyone. If you need anything, she will be there to help you and will go above and beyond to make your stay the best it can be. She also arranges little events and trips for the students which really add to the community feel. I highly recommend the Pelote Basque, ask her for details! Also not to be forgotten is Thomas with his warm smile, welcoming nature and his delicious treats at the pause cafe. And the two dogs and cat, Gypse, Tinko and Yin, who you will fall in love with too. The school welcomes people from all over the world and you will meet awesome people who have the same interests. You will quickly make new friends and have memories that will last a lifetime. During my time there, I stayed with a lovely host who added so much to my stay. Marie, was so wonderful and generous with her time and really has a passion for meeting new people and helping them improve their French. If you want to really experience the French way of life and boost your learning, I would recommend staying with a host family.

The area is stunning and vibrant, with beautiful beaches stretching for miles with so many great views and places to see. There is always something going on, with music festivals, surf competitions, volleyball tournaments, fireworks at the beach, summer festivals like Fête de la musique & the Fête de Bayonne, which really highlights French culture and the Basque region. You are also within a hours distance of Spain so is definitely in reach for some exploring. The surf is fantastic but difficult (It takes almost as much time as learning French to perfect but I will be coming back next year to take up the challenge!). Some of my best memories are playing volleyball at the beach with new friends and playing a few games before stopping for pizza while watching the sunset. Also the end of summer BBQ was the perfect end to my stay in France.

The summer I spent in Anglet, Biarritz and Bayonne was incredible and the best experience. I have met so many wonderful people and made some awesome memories that I treasure so much. I cannot imagine a better place to spend three months learning French and have improved way more than I could have ever imagined or accomplished on my own at home. The progress is all down to this amazing immersion experience and everyone involved at SOFI64. I’m already planning my trip back again next year to continue my journey. To all the people I met this summer, Thank you so much. À...

I first started my French classes at Sofi64 in February 2022. At a young age, I have always had a passion for helping people and loved the idea of becoming a doctor. I wanted to study medicine outside of my Caribbean country Saint Lucia, but more importantly study medicine in a French territory. It was therefore necessary that I was able to understand the language and interact with people around me. After more research and several 5-STAR Reviews later, I stumbled across this amazing French school situated in Anglet and immediately enrolled.

I arrived there with minimal speaking skills and understanding of the basics required to master the language, which I must admit had already hindered my confidence. However, in some magical way, Stéphanie along with all the others changed that in no time. One is always greeted by Thomas and our favorite pets (Gypse and Tinko) at the door, which dare I say, brightens up your day and washes away all nerves that you may have (especially on that intimidating first day). You then get to interact with the other students who come from all over the world (I met students from Ukraine, Canada, Germany and Mexico) and talk about current worldly events or simply what you ate for dinner the previous night. My teachers, Stéph and Virginie, always created a comfortable teaching environment where there’s no pressure in making mistakes or asking questions (one can say you’re more inclined to do these since you’re more eager to learn). And if you have a sweet tooth like me, you will definitely enjoy Fridays, where Thomas prepares his special recipes for tasting during the 15 min break. Talk about perfection!

Not only does Stéphanie ensure that you are in good hands whilst at the school, but she also checks up on you when you have left. When I left the Sofi64 French School and returned to the Caribbean, I shared with Stéph that I wanted to write the international French exam DELF B2 and she made it her duty to help me in my study preparations (the school also offers DELF Exam Prep Classes) and she would send me corrections on the work I would do, including my 5-min oral video. She was extremely helpful and thanks to her advice and teaching, I am now certified in French at the B2 Level (intermediate) and will be studying in a French territory where I can have a lengthy conversation with any French national.

If you are looking to learn or improve your French I would definitely recommend Sofi64 French...

It was a hard decision finding a school that would provide the excellent immersive experience we were looking for. However, Sofi64 excelled in catering for myself and 7 of my colleagues, all with varying degrees of French; from absolute beginner to advanced. From the very beginning, Sofi64 rose to the challenge spectacularly and provided the whole group with an unforgettable week-long course.

The whole ambience was warm and friendly and the week-long course was tailored to ensure we felt at complete ease during our whole time there. This helped massively to alleviate any worries or lack of confidence the group felt. French is not only encouraged in the classroom, but outside of it; from eating in the beautiful courtyard, to drinking a coffee with fellow students and teachers in the kitchen, French was encouraged everywhere and really did help the process of everyone progressing at every possible moment.

The lessons were adapted perfectly to suit the needs of all. Though my colleagues found the learning curve pretty tough at the beginning of the week, I was quite amazed by how quickly they began picking up on the target language within 5 days. My colleagues found the lessons fun, engaging and they were also adapted to ensure the lessons included content we could teach in our primary school. The lessons also helped the teachers with basic target language that could be used in the classroom back in England, to improving their pronunciation.

Stephanie did really well to split up the classes and I absolutely loved the challenge in the advanced class. The lessons were adapted to what I wanted to learn about. In particular, Virginie ensured that each lesson included an oral discussion around different themes; from family and where I grew up to discussion about homelessness and world politics. I really enjoyed the discussions and the debates we had, and Virginie's preparation prior to each lesson ensured each minute was invaluable.

In particular, the group thoroughly enjoyed being so close to the beach and Stephanie provided superb advice on where was best to catch the best waves and also to swim. The group also hired a few of the surfboards and had a blast.

Overall, our group absolutely loved the experience at Sofi64 and if I could change anything about our experience, it would be to book an even longer course to fully maximise the learning potential of the...