Ideal for students who want a school specifically for preparing exams and want to stay in Montpellier on a long-term basis.
Not ideal for students who are on a budget.
The good
- Multiple social activity suggestions per day.
- Best accredited school in Montpellier
- Fantastic location (4 minutes from Place de la Comédie).
The bad
- One of the more expensive language schools in Montpellier.
Date of my inspection visit at Institut Linguistique Adenet (ILA) Montpellier: May 22, 2024
My overall take
ILA (Institut Linguistique Adenet) Montpellier is located in a desirable spot in Montpellier, a 4-minute walk from the Place de la Comédie and a 6-minute walk from the Observatoire tram stop that takes you to wider regions of the city.
ILA is the best-accredited school in Montpellier, which means the highest quality of teaching. Students can access downloadable online resources during the week before and after lessons; textbooks are only available for students studying for DELF/DALF examinations. They also have the smallest class capacity in Montpellier, at ten students; speaking is essential, so they have small classes specifically to aid in speaking more in class.
The priority at this school is to keep students at the centre of every lesson. The teachers do not lecture much but use resources from videos and audio or newspapers/magazines to make the learning relatable in a modern text. Other technological resources include smart TVs in every classroom, Padlet for sharing/downloading documents, and laptops/tablets that can be borrowed from reception. There are free extracurricular language workshops outside of class, including pronunciation, communication, etiquette, culture, etc.
If you are looking for a large school where the average age is more mature at 28 years old (20 over the summer) and for more one-on-one time with teachers during classes, this is the ideal school for you.
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ILA Montpellier at a glance
| Rating of former students | 4.3 (120 ratings) |
| Class size | Lingo Traveller rating: Very Small Max. 10 students in Standard French course |
| Diversity of nationalities | Lingo Traveller rating: Good diversity No nationality more than 10-20% Top nationality: Swiss |
| Learning intensity | Dependent on the level, lower levels get 2.5 hours and higher levels get 5 hours of homework per week |
| Number of students | 300-500 adults in July 100 adults in January |
| Minimum student age | 16 years |
| Accreditations | IALC, Eaquals, Label Qualite Fle, Groupement FLE, International House |
| Course range | Standard French Course, Standard Plus Course, Intensive Course, University Preparation Course, Intensive Plus Course, 50+ Course, Teen DELF/DALF Exam Preparation Course (16 to 18 years old), Teen One-to-One Packages (16 to 18 years old), One-to-One Packages, Standard Course + Business, DELF/DALF Exam Preparation Course, Standard Course + Cooking |
| Accommodation types | Homestay, Student Residence, Apart’hotel |
| Price | |
| Standard Group course 20 lessons/week: 45min/lesson | 1 week: €240 3 weeks: €720 |
| Additional fees | Inscription fee: €80 Course material fee: none |
| Price level – Standard Group course (based on 3 weeks incl. all fees) | €17.80 per 60 minute tuition |
My tour of the school & video review
Student voices
Unfortunately, there were no available students to interview at this school.
Questions to school director
Excerpts below from my conversation with Kathryn Harrison, Sales Team Leader of Institut Linguistique Adenet (ILA) Montpellier
Me: “What sets your school apart from others in the city?“
School: “We are the best-accredited school in Montpellier; we have a lot of quality labels. We also have very small class sizes, so ten maximum and eight on average. Basically, the students get a lot of time to talk and get a lot of attention from the teachers.“
Me: “Is there a particular type of student for whom your school is especially suitable?
School: “We get students who are 16 years old up to their 80s, but the average age year-round is 28; in summer, that drops down to about 20. We get a lot of young students in the summer. We also have senior courses on specific dates in the year. “
School inspection report
Classrooms
There are 27 classrooms split between 4 buildings, but the 2 modern buildings are regularly used. Classrooms are all spacious, especially for the maximum class size. Not every classroom has windows, but there is bright lighting in every classroom.
Facilities
There is no sizeable dedicated lounge in any of the buildings, but there are several mini seating areas, mainly in the main building. There is also a computer room in the main building and a section in the second building that students can use for individual or group projects and studies.
Surrounding area
ILA is a 4-minute walk from the Place de la Comédie, a popular plaza surrounded by several dining options, shops and street art.
Social activities
There is a fantastic variety of fun activities, cultural excursions and academic workshops. There are also multiple options provided per day. These activities are available for both ILA students and Easy French students.
Residence
ILA has its very own student house 10 minute’s walking distance from the school. This student house is similar to a hostel, where students share a kitchen and share bathrooms. The rooms are bright and airy and relatively large for the number of students sharing.
The facilities include a pay-as-you-go washing machine and dryer and a large communal kitchen area where students can chill out together. There is a community vibe at this student house.
Easy French students also have access to booking this student house.
Trusted student ratings of Institut Linguistique Adenet (ILA) Montpellier on the web
| Total | 4.3 (120 ratings) |
|---|---|
| Boa Lingua | 4.3 (112 ratings) |
| LanguageCourse.net | 4.1 (8 ratings) |
Ratings as of June 28, 2024
Why no Google or Facebook ratings? Schools may have requested Facebook, Google or Trustpilot reviews only from those students that previously gave positive after-course evaluations. I only trust ratings from independent booking platforms/agencies, that allow exclusively clients who booked via their platform to rate the schools. I have checked each of these sites above and they have no disproportional number of positive vs negative reviews.
Location of ILA Montpellier
3, Rue Joffre, Comédie, Centre, Montpellier, Hérault, Occitania, 34062, France
ILA Montpellier – Reviews & Exclusive Discounts at LanguageCourse.net »
