Ideal for introverted students that want a school with a family dynamic.
Not ideal for students looking for a large, modern building with an extroverted atmosphere.
The good
- It is a very small school so all teachers and staff know the students personally and more intimately.
- A school focussed mainly on communication and encouraging speaking
- The school is inclusive and students are free to be themselves at this school.
- No extra fees (no admin or course material fees)
The bad
- Very underdeveloped technologically.
- Very limited course range.
- They are not officially accredited.
Date of my inspection visit at L’Atelier 9 Paris: May 19, 2024
My overall take
L’Atelier 9 is most definitely a unique school. The school is in a typical French apartment, in the trendy Faubourg-Montmartre Quarter. The school, like most other Parisian language schools, is surrounded by typical cafes and restaurants and is within a 2-minute walking distance to the closest metro station (Cadet).
Although it is one of the smallest language schools in Paris, it is also one of the oldest (20+ years experience). This is probably because they have a clear target audience, and all the students who attend this school fall into a particular demographic. The student profile of this school is that of shy or introverted students who want to use the opportunity to express themselves, grow in confidence, and meet like-minded individuals. The students attending this school were genuinely happy with their experience at L’Atelier 9, and having observed the friendliness and warmth of the teachers and staff, I can understand why.
The school building is relatively old and not at all technologically advanced. They also do not have the structure of a regular language school. A typical day starts with grammar, and then they play games/exercises/roleplay to practice their oral speaking; the topics often change to keep it exciting and interactive, and they only do a little written work. However, they do focus on oral development, so students who want to focus on becoming conversational in French quickly would benefit from this teaching style.
I recommend this school to students aged 23+ who want to be in a fantastic location but also want to be in a homey, family environment with a small number of people they can get to know individually and personally.
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L’Atelier 9 Paris at a glance
| Rating of former students | 4.4 (286 ratings) |
| Class size | Lingo Traveller rating: Very Small Max. 10 students in Standard French course |
| Diversity of nationalities | Lingo Traveller rating: Excellent diversity. No nationality more than 15%. Top nationality: USA |
| Learning intensity | 2-3 hours of homework per week |
| Number of students | 40 adults in July 25 adults in January |
| Minimum student age | 17 years |
| Accreditations | N/A |
| Course range | Intensive French Course, Semi-Intensive French Course, Extensive Evening French Course |
| Accommodation types | Homestay |
| Price | |
| Standard Group course 20 lessons/week: 50min/lesson | 1 week: €350 3 weeks: €940 |
| Additional fees | Inscription fee: none Course material fee: none |
| Price level – Standard Group course (based on 3 weeks incl. all fees) | €18.80 per 60 minute tuition |
My tour of the school & video review
Student voices
Unfiltered comments from random students I met at the school and asked about their experience.
“I chose this school because it’s not as traditional in the sense of quiz or test-taking. It is more teaching by oral. All the reviews were outstanding, and it is a more affordable option.”
Lucian
from USA
Questions to school director
Excerpts below from my conversation with Annabelle Stabile, the Director and Lucian, a student at L’Atelier 9. Please note this is a rough translation given by the student.
Me: “What sets your school apart from others in the city?“
School: “The school is small, and we’re very close to the students; it’s as if you’re going to school in an apartment. It’s very homely. So you have more of an intimate experience with the students and the professors.“
Me: “Is there a particular type of student for whom your school is especially suitable?
School: “The ideal student would be someone who is a little bit shy, who benefits from having a family environment to break out of their timidness because of the close relationship between the professor and students.“
School inspection report
Classrooms
Classrooms are quite small and the furniture is outdated, but they do have balconies and colour walls to keep the place cheerful and vibrant.
Facilities
There is only one small communal kitchen, there are appliances that students can use to actually prepare food.
Surrounding area
The school is in a typical French apartment, in the trendy Faubourg-Montmartre quarter. The school, like most other Parisian language schools, is surrounded by typical cafes and restaurants and is within a 2 minute walking distance to the closest metro station (Cadet).
Social activities
There is not an extensive social activity offering. Some weeks have more activities than others. But there is usually at least one activity offered per week.
Trusted student ratings of L’Atelier 9 Paris on the web
| Total | 4.4 (286 ratings) |
|---|---|
| LanguageCourse.net | 4.4 (286 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.
