The B.M.A. International French
Language School in Biarritz

Marie-Ange DUVERT founded BMA BIARRITZ Language in 1994 in Biarritz, after having been a director for 10 years of one of the largest organizations for language trips abroad. BMA is a family oriented structure, which ensures everyone safety, comfort and progress in their language skills.

Host families are carefully selected.
They are cordial and conscious of their role as "host parents" to the young people that they receive.

B i a r r i t z is a special and lively place to practice French. Its pleasant surroundings come alive through cultural activities and sports.

Biarritz is known throughout the World for its surfing beaches.

 

BMA Biarritz

Ensures that the trips are of the highest quality and that they are well planned. BMA can welcome a maximum of 75 participants at one time. This is done to maintain the highest quality and standards. A constant interaction between BMA and the students makes it possible to keep track of the integration of the students, of their health, and the progress and well being of each student. BMA host families are famous for their kindness and hospitality. Participants are accommodated and welcomed like members of the family.

BMA professors have worked for 10 years in language. They therefore have a good knowledge of language training and activities with young students of the French language. They know how not to make courses too difficult if they have to, but they can also adapt. The school has a lot of student research publications, in particular with regards to teaching workshops, and of course the Internet for further information.

A television is at the disposal of teachers with DVD and video player equipment for documentaries. We organize excursions to taste both salty and sweet regional products in order to vary the learning experience. Concerning organization, BMA offers activities that have costs adapted to the age bracket of 14 / 18 years. Small trips are made to interesting places (Spain, Basque Country, Jean de Luz - the city of the Sun king, and so on). BMA makes a "cyber-class" available to the students so that they can correspond with their family and friends by e-mail.

Insurance

BMA has multi-risk insurance policy that covers the participants within the framework of their collective contract that guarantees :

• Responsibilities incurred within the framework of the activities
• Coverage for people who make the community : administrators, employees, voluntary, accommodated children and adults, participating in the activities

Arrivals & Departures

Arrivals are on SUNDAYS and  Departures are on SATURDAYS.

NB: If you have difficulties in find a flight on Sundays, we can accept an arrival (in an exceptional case) on another day of the week on condition that we are informed in advance.

Your host family will wait for your arrival by train or plane and will accompany you the next morning in to the school for the first day of courses and you will be welcomed by Marie-Ange DUVERT.

Courses and Activities

School : Villa « SANTIAGO » 25 rue des jardins 64 200 BIARRITZ (town centre)
Tel : 0033 686 762 181

The courses are multinational to allow for a broad range of conversation and participation. (6 and 15 pupils per class)

The morning: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday (12h of general education: conversation, grammar, presentations, talks, selected current subjects...)  *Wednesday excursion day.

Supervised workshops: -3 hours per week: Biarritz and its area, Basque, cooking... (Documentation, magazines, and brochures are available).

The courses are organized by professors who adapt their teaching according to your French level.

Internet: the school has a Computer / Internet room. 4 computers are at the disposal of students for research.

Courses and Surfing

Surfing: 4 sessions per week
(1 session = approximately 3 hours)

Transport

The participants are lodged only with families that live in BIARRITZ. Each student lives at a reasonable distance from the centre of town and school 10/15 minutes (for an idea, 40 minutes are necessary to cross the town from end to end by foot)

For those who wish, before the arrival of the student, BMA can to buy a "bus pass card" making it possible to use public transport at will. It will be necessary to provide: co-ordinates of the student: last name / first name / address / date of birth and 1 photograph + 40 €.

Host Families

Students are lodged in double rooms with another student of a different nationality. BMA will choose the host family for each student. They are very carefully selected and conscious of their role as "host parents" to the young people who they receive.

Everything is included for the participants:
Breakfast with the family.
Lunch at midday is composed of a basket meal which the student carries with him or her in the morning, The evening meal is with the family.

Linen: In general the host family takes care to provide linen when the students arrive.

Evening Excursions

BMA has no rules regarding these matters. Each minor student will have to respect the instructions of his parents in the written parental authorization form that will be sent to you, and that the parents, as well as the participant, will have to complete and sign. A copy will be sent to the host family.