F.A.Q. for Residential Immersion

NSW/VIC/ACT/NT/WA/SA: Fly to the Gold Coast Airport (Coolangatta, OOL). Coolangatta is a 45 minutes drive to Maison de Ste. Claire.
We can arrange return airport transfer for you at a competitive price. Pick-up point is opposite the AVIS Counter (veer a bit to your right after the arrival exit).
QLD: Brisbane is 1.5 hrs by car, the Gold Coast 45 - 60 minutes drive and Toowoomba 3-3.5 hrs drive.
Other options: From Murwillumbah , Prices of transfer form OOL and Ballina Airport by public transport, Public transport from Brisbane (in the north) and Byron Bay (in the south)

You should plan to arrive at Maison de St Claire at 11.15 am for the 11.30 start or at 5.30 pm for the afternoon start on your first day(NSW time), unless specified otherwise. Your first meal will be lunch at 1.15 pm and dinner at 6.30 pm, respectively or as specified on your respective programs.

Certificates will be awarded (only upon request) after your last lunch with fellow students prior to your departure.

Extra nights must be booked and paid for.

Additional nights must be booked and paid for.

All rooms are single or double occupancy for the Adult Groups in all rooms and up to 4 pax in Chambre Fleur de Lys & Annex for the School Groups; sheets, pillow cases and blankets will be supplied.
For Youth and School Groups, girls and boys will be on separate wings with shared bathroom facilities.

Yes, it is fully residential. Meals include breakfast, lunch, dinner as well as morning- and afternoon-tea.

• All tuition fees, workbooks for students (except textbooks), accommodation, all meals and all activities (excluding excursions, unless specified).
• Personalised EBook for revision and phonetic work.
• Any excursions (extra unless specified).
[liReturn transfer to/from Coolangatta Airport are also available, at an extra charge unless specified).[/li]

• Weekend (8 hrs formal tuition)
• 3-Day Course (12hrs formal tuition)
• 5-Day Course (20hrs formal tuition)
• 7-Day Course (28hrs formal tuition + 1 excursion)
• 2 weeks Intensive Course (56hrs formal tuition + 2 excursions)
• 4-weeks Intensive Course (132hrs formal tuition + 2 excursion and 1 pre-booked massage session)

Note: Youth Groups are also required to do a written task every evening from 17:00 hrs to 18:15 hrs, including on the day of the excursion. Other groups are also welcome to do so if interested.

For Adult Groups, a package for accompanying person who does not want to follow the course is also available. Please also enquire for Family Packages and children fees.

You should pack:

• Casual clothes for daily wear (sunny and warm days).
• A sweater and wind/rainproof jacket (cool evenings).
• Swimsuit and hiking/running shoes (day trips).
• Alarm clock to be on time for class.
• Towels and facecloths (for Youth and School Groups only).
• School supplies (notebook, pens, etc.).
• Hard-back A4 file (optional).
• Dictionaire personalisée (can also be purchased at Maison de St Claire $3.50).
• Pyjamas and dressing gown.
• Indoor slippers, good walking shoes and boots (optional), gloves for gardening.
• Toiletries.
• Backpack for excursions.
• IPad or Laptop (for recording your oral/speaking task / monologue for French Extension, transfer of materials etc).
• Sleeping bag (compulsory from April to August for School and Youth Groups only) and a small flashlight.

Optional items you may want to bring:

Hairdryer

BYO (AO)

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About $50 for the week should cover your expenses for personal needs, souvenirs, snacks, excursion, etc., you should be guided by your usual spending habits. There is one excursion per week. A bit more if you would like to purchase any extra French materials such as DVDs, CDs and books.

Our students tell us that they make as much progress in a week as they would otherwise have made in a few years at school. But let's be conservative about this: We guarantee twice the rate of progress than other. However, our main aim is to boost your motivation and provide materials and guideline for independent work.

• 4 to 6 pax in the Adult Group. For a group of friends, some students have requested to have more but we usually limit this to 8 maximum pax.
• Minimum of 6 and a maximum of 10 students for the Youth Group.
• Minimum of 8 and a maximum of 14 students for the School Group.

No, but you certainly improve a lot after being exposed to so much French. Also, you will go home with an interactive e-Book and guidelines for further improvement.Can I jump-start my comprehension level over a short stretch of time?

That won't present a problem. We'll have you working in your target professional vocabulary from the first session.

We recognize the special needs of very advanced language students. We will structure advanced training so that the student makes just as much progress as the less advanced student, without being held back by the group approach.