At ILCF, the Summer School brings French to life all summer long

At ILCF Lyon, summer does not mean putting French learning on hold. With the intensive CLCF summer program, June, July and August are the perfect time to make progress, discover Lyon and enjoy an international experience at the heart of UCLy.

Designed for international students from a wide range of backgrounds, the Summer School offers the opportunity to improve their French over a short period while becoming immersed in a French-speaking university and cultural environment. It can support many different plans: extending a stay in France after a semester or a full academic year, preparing to begin university, discovering the language before a longer stay, or simply making the most of the summer to progress in a structured and engaging setting.

The first group of students opened the summer season in June. Over several weeks, they combined French classes with cultural activities, guided visits, excursions and opportunities to meet and connect with others. Their session may now be over, but the program continues with new groups joining in July and August.

An intensive program, a complete experience

The ILCF Summer School gives students the opportunity to develop their French through an intensive format designed for the summer months. Classes focus on comprehension, communication, vocabulary, grammar and the cultural knowledge students need to become more confident and independent in French.

What also makes the Summer School special is its pace and variety. At ILCF, the experience does not end when students leave the classroom. It continues through everyday conversations, time spent exploring the city, shared meals, guided visits and activities organised by the team.

This connection between classes and activities gives the program its distinctive character. Students learn new words, expressions and ways of communicating, then put them into practice around the city, in museums, over a meal, during an excursion or simply while spending time with the rest of the group.

June: the first chapters of the ILCF Summer Diaries

The first group of students set the tone for the 2026 Summer School: a busy month shaped by classes, new discoveries and experiences shared with the group. These opening weeks also inspired the first chapters of the ILCF Summer Diaries, an Instagram series revisiting the highlights of the students’ stay.

The first chapter follows the students as they take their first steps at ILCF. As with the Institute’s other programmes, the June session began with a welcome breakfast: an initial opportunity to meet the other students and the ILCF team.

Located on UCLy’s Carnot campus in the heart of Lyon city centre, ILCF gives students the opportunity to discover the city throughout their stay. Guided tours, walks through the historic centre, visits to Lyon’s traboules and a cruise along the Saône were among the activities that shaped their first days on the programme.

The Summer School also took students beyond Lyon, with a trip to Pérouges, a medieval town listed among France’s most beautiful villages, followed by a day in the south of France exploring lavender, Arles, its Roman history and its artistic heritage.

More trips are planned for July and August!

Follow the ILCF Summer Diaries on Instagram

From the students’ first meetings to their excursions beyond Lyon, the ILCF Summer Diaries revisit the moments that shaped their stay through a series of photos and stories. Discover the first chapters on the ILCF Instagram account and follow the new groups throughout the summer.

Learning French through culture

Cultural activities are an important part of the ILCF Summer School. They give students the opportunity to experience and practise French in new ways.

During a guided visit, over a shared meal, on an excursion or aboard a river cruise, French becomes part of real-life experience. Students use the language to understand, communicate, connect with others and learn more about a place, its history and its traditions. For those staying for only a few weeks, these moments are especially valuable: they help students settle in, encourage conversation and allow them to quickly find their bearings in the city.

This approach also offers many different ways to discover Lyon and the surrounding region, through their heritage, food, history, natural landscapes, everyday life and intercultural encounters.

The summer continues, one chapter at a time

Following the first session in June, the Summer School continues with two new groups. At the beginning of July, a new group arrived to enjoy the same intensive experience, combining French classes, cultural discoveries and time spent together. New chapters will be added to the ILCF Summer Diaries as the weeks unfold.

Coming up at the 2026 Summer School

After following the June group, the ILCF Summer Diaries will continue with the students joining the July and August sessions.

In July, students will have the opportunity to discover Annecy, explore Roman Lyon at the Lugdunum Museum, take a cruise along the Saône, travel to Beaune to learn more about Burgundy’s history and culinary traditions, and visit Geneva through its diplomatic heritage and Swiss culture.

In August, a new group will continue the experience with a picnic in the Parc de la Tête d’Or, a visit to the Maison des Canuts, a day trip to Annecy and an excursion to Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne and the Royal Monastery of Brou. Each session will also include the welcome and farewell events that bring the group together at the beginning and end of their stay.

These are just some of the new experiences soon to be featured in the ILCF Summer Diaries.

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