Institut Linguistique de Saint-Omer
French in Saint-Omer, Hauts-de-France
ILSO (Institut Linguistique de Saint-Omer) is a small family-run structure that has been hosting week and weekend homestays for adults since 2014. Our homestays combine language learning in the morning (2 to 3 hours), cultural visits in the afternoon, and social outings in the evening. Hosts Guests choosing the full immersion experience stay in our 19th century town-house located on a pedestrian street in the heart of Saint-Omer, others opt to dine and stay at one of our hotel and B&B and gîte partners. Whether one-to-one or in a small group, our French tuition is personalised and focused on oral communication and pronunciation.
In 2022, ILSO will expand its offerings and propose intensive GCSE, AS, A-Level, Leaving Cert, IB preparation courses during half terms. This one-week total immersion programme includes 25 hours of tuition, daily cultural and social activities, and room and board with one of our partners. Every day, students work on the 4 linguistic skills: oral comprehension, oral expression (role play, presentation, discussion), written comprehension, written expression (including vocabulary and grammar), and do practice tests. In the summer, ILSO will also offer intensive courses, comprised of 20 hours of tuition and optional cultural and social activities.
Our teaching commitments
Our courses are based on the CEFRL (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), and our pedagogy is based on a communicative and action-oriented approach. Our student-centered teaching methods rely heavily on pair and group work and are rooted in real life situations. Our courses combine the study and practice of oral and written language in all skills: listening comprehension, oral expression and interaction, written comprehension and expression. Phonetics (pronunciation, intonation and rhythm) is covered throughout the lessons. Emphasis is placed on (contemporary) French culture through the use of authentic teaching documents: current events, songs, films, novels and novellas. A placement test at the beginning of the course ensures that our students are placed in the appropriate class, and individualized feedback guarantees their progression.
Cultural visits
A mid-size town, Saint-Omer boasts a very rich historical patrimony that we are only too happy to share with our students.
- Its medieval cathedral hides many treasures: a magnificient 18th century organ, Rubens’s Descent From the Cross, beautiful sculptures, and an astronomical clock dating from the second half of the 16th century.
- Bearing witness to two centuries of Jesuit presence in Saint-Omer, one of the seats of Jesuit learning from the Renaissance to the Revolution, are the Lycée Ribot (founded by the Walloon Jesuits in 1556), the English Jesuit Chapel (1615 to 1640), and the town library with its impressive collection that includes a Gutenberg bible and a Shakespeare First Folio.
- One of the most beautiful and best-preserved examples of civil architecture from the end of the 18th century is the Musée Sandelin, the town museum. Its permanent collections include remnants of the Saint-Bertin abbey (12th century), and artefacts retracing the industrial past of Saint-Omer, including swords (Middle Ages), pipes (17th century) and ceramics (17th-19th centuries).
- Closed for nearly 50 years, The Italian-style theatre, located in the former town hall, reopened to the public in 2018, with a rich programme of music, danse and theatre.
- Le Marais audomarois, one of the last cultivated marshes, is our little piece of ecological paradise. Recently recognized as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, it provides a true change of scenery and pace as it unveils the beauty of its plant and wild life.
Social outings
Saint-Omer is the perfect place to experience “l’art de vivre à la française”! Its Saturday market is one of the largest in the region, and many local producers sell their products there. Many restaurants, including Bacôve (owned by a winner of Top Chef), are renowned for their homemade cuisine, featuring local and seasonal products. Local craft beers can be enjoyed at the many café terraces.
“Les Ch’ti” (people from the North of France) have the reputation of being very friendly, as you may have seen in the film Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis (2008). This reputation is well deserved, and it makes it easy for visitors to become a part of local life!
Ideally located
Saint-Omer is only 45 minutes away from the ferries and Eurotunnel. The regional capital, Lille, is an hour away by train. The beaches of Côte d’Opale and 1st and 2nd World Wars memorials and museums (Ypres [Belgium], Arras, Vimy) are an hour away by car.
ILSO
was founded and is directed by Annie Trégouët, who holds a Ph.D in French literature and cinema (University of Colorado at Boulder, USA) and an MA in French as a Foreign Language (Université Paul Valéry, Montpellier, France). She has an extensive teaching experience, having taught French in Ireland, the United States, England and now France.
Get in touch: [email protected]