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❮ All French schools in Brest
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CIELBrest, France

4.3

Rating: 4.3/5.0

19 students - overall rating
Rue du Gué Fleuri - 29480 Brest - see on map
Pay less than booking at the school
What we like about the school
  • Located in a 19th century mansion in a beautiful wooded park with views over the river Elorn.
  • The school offers French and water sports which include catamaran, drifter, stand-up-paddle, windsurfing or kayaking..
  • Excellent rating of homestay accommodation
    4.6

    Rating: 4.6/5.0


Location: CIEL Brest is located on the outskirts of the port city of Brest, in the region of Brittany, France. The school is housed in a superb 19th-century manor house, on 2 hectares of land, in the commune of Le Relecq-Kerhuon, around a 20-minute drive from Brest centre. For students who like sports, there are lots of opportunities.

Course selection: The school supplies French language courses suitable for students of all levels and many necessities. In addition to General French courses taught over several schedules and intensities, CIEL also provides Teacher Training courses, Individual Business French programmes, private tuition and General French with various additional subjects such as history, oral communication and water sports.

Social and cultural: The school has a great activity and excursion programme for students to take in many of the cultural aspects of Brest and its surrounding areas. Excursions and activities arranged by the school can include many established theatres such as the Quartz Theatre, the Cárene concert hall, the L'Alizé concert hall and several cinemas and museums. Boat trips on the Rade of Brest are also frequently organised by the school.

Getting around: The school is around a 15-minute taxi ride from Brest train station, leaving Paris within a 4-hour journey from the school.

Accommodation: The school can supply accommodation in homestay, residence and hotel and apartment facilities.

French Courses

Show details of all courses
Typical content of a language course
General Language
Intensive FormulaPopular French course
19 lessons per week
|
10 students (max)
Offer!from
325€309€
Course Details
Business Class Formula
19 lessons per week
|
10 students (max)
Offer!from
570€542€
Course Details
Premium Formula
19 lessons per week
|
10 students (max)
Offer!from
520€494€
Course Details
Beginners Intensive Formula
19 lessons per week
|
4 students (max)
Offer!from
380€361€
Course Details
Online
Online Individual General French Course
10 lessons per week
|
1 student (max)
Offer!from
600€570€
Course Details
Online Individual Specialized French
10 lessons per week
|
1 student (max)
Offer!from
730€694€
Course Details
Private
Individual Specialized French
10 lessons per week
|
1 student (max)
Offer!from
1170€1112€
Course Details
Language Plus Activity
Intensive French Course + Water Sports
19 lessons per week
|
10 students (max)
Only limited places left for the summer months!
Offer!from
520€494€
Course Details

Our prices for CIEL include

  • INCLUDED Tuition
  • INCLUDED Internet access and use of school computers
  • INCLUDED Wireless LAN zone at school
  • INCLUDED Free certificate of course attendance
  • INCLUDED Language level placement test before arrival

Videos & Photos

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Student opinions about CIEL, Brest

4.3

Rating: 4.3/5.0

Overall school rating of
CIEL, Brest
19 authentic ratings from students who reserved with us
School
Location of the school
4.0 

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Facilities
3.9 

Rating: 3.9/5.0

Social activities
3.1 

Rating: 3.1/5.0

Organisation
4.2 

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Course
Quality of teaching
4.4 

Rating: 4.4/5.0

Value for money
3.9 

Rating: 3.9/5.0

Accommodation
Homestay
4.6 

Rating: 4.6/5.0

Overall school rating by student age group
Students < 18 years (1 rating)
4.0 

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Students 18-30 years (4 ratings)
4.5 

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Students 31-49 years (2 ratings)
5.0 

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Students 50+ years (5 ratings)
4.4 

Rating: 4.4/5.0

Verified reviews only, uncensored. All student opinions from students who booked a course at the school with LanguageCourse.net.
59 years
Overall rating
4.0

Rating: 4/5.0

Liked
“The school is well organised. They are prepared for me as a newcomer. They know my name. Everyone is very polite. Classes always start on time. Very nice teachers and staff in general. My teacher was Anne. A relaxed, amusing woman and always perfectly prepared. In general, I found everything about the lessons very well organised and conducted. The location of the school is a dream. In a park on the foothills of the Atlantic. Very exceptional. Enough parking spaces are available. ....But... see under negative aspects.”
Disliked
“My comment has nothing to do with the actual lessons. It has to do with the afternoon activities and, unfortunately, with the school's location far away from the city. You might be able to book the excursions in advance. Unfortunately, I don't know, because I haven't looked into it, I have to admit. I thought it would be easy to find new things to see in a large foreign city. But here theory and reality were a bit apart. And to all of you who are travelling without a vehicle, it's really difficult to manage. The CIEL is really far outside Brest. It takes about 20-30 minutes by car via the motorway. Past the industrial harbour area and a little further. So it's really not central. The school is advertised as belonging to Brest, but it is already in another small town in the Brest area. About me: I was a single participant. So not involved in any programme, like the rest of the students in my class, who were all scholarship students and went on organised excursions almost every day. I actually don't know if it would have been possible for me to join them. It was never communicated about within the school. Maybe I should have asked? I don't know. I didn't and so I didn't find out. So I always spent my afternoons with myself and drove around the area a bit. I had travelled by car and that was very fortunate. As I said, with a car it was no problem. Without, more so. For the scholarship holders in my class, who lived in shared accommodation a little outside, it was a problem every day. They had to come by bus and were about 20 minutes late every day. This time, in turn, was missing from the overall lessons, which were only 4 hours a day. Here's a little tip for everyone under the theme: "Foreign countries, foreign customs". It happened to my classmates that the bus simply drove on without stopping. All 10 or so people were visibly standing at the bus stop. But the driver drove on. I think the journey to school took about 45 minutes. So it was a long time. The bus doesn't run often. There was no way to make it through the four hours of classes. This happened twice. We all wondered why the driver did that and couldn't find an answer at first. Not in the mood for chattering young people? :) No. Later I read on the internet that in France you always have to raise your hand to signal the driver to please stop. So the driver did everything right, but the students, who came from different countries, didn't know that. And no one had told them, because it is quite normal for French people to raise their arm when the bus is coming. ”
Insider tip: “You are recommended to arrive with your own vehicle. Otherwise it will be difficult to reach other places quickly. Look for a hotel nearby. The accommodation offered, which can be booked through the school, was described by the students as much too cramped and too far away. I have already described the problem with the bus. Look for a hotel nearby. I stayed at the Brit Hotel about 5 minutes away by car. ”
Review details
Quality of teaching / language progress: Nice staff. Well organised. Very nice teacher. Anne.
Course: Intensive French Course [Französisch] - 2 weeks
Review date: 28. Jul. 2023 by Heike Quandt
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
27 years
Overall rating
3.0

Rating: 3/5.0

Liked
“Nice teachers, nice location, though far from the city centre of Brest.”
Insider tip: “I stayed in the university halls - if you want to talk a lot, you better stay in host families! Brest is ugly, but the surrounding countryside is great. Go to St. Anne”
Review details
Other comments The library was actually quite good, I rated equipment average because the computers with internet access were never working and nobody cared! Leisure activities organized by the school were sadly non-existent (therefore bad rating!), We had a great teacher both in the course and the individual classes. In total, I liked the school. Although there were some drawbacks, teachers, classes and other people on the course were nice - and that´s what counts!
Course: Standard
Review date: 22. Mar. 2005 by
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
24 years
Overall rating
4.0

Rating: 4/5.0

Liked
“People from other countries and my - teacher, she was fantastic!!”
Review details
Other comments great school and location of the school, teacher were very good and open with everyone, very helpful - just come to CIEL!! (you won't regret this)
Course: Semi - intensive - 2 weeks
Review date: 12. Aug. 2006 by Joanna Sierpińska
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
59 years
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
“Very well organized, very nice and competent teachers!”
Review details
Course: Intensive French Course - 2 weeks
Review date: 2. Sep. 2021 by Susanne Fehrenbacher
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
36 years
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
“Nice atmosphere, great location, pleasant teachers”
Disliked
“nothing”
Review details
Course: Intensive French Course - 3 weeks
Review date: 12. Aug. 2023 by Bastian Sennholz
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
Overall rating
3.0

Rating: 3/5.0

Liked
“The energy and enthusiasm of some of the teachers”
Disliked
“most of the teachers lacked interest in their students. The lack of social activities.”
Insider tip: “Hire a car and see the countryside around. Organize your own social activities, we did and we had a great group of students hanging out together.”
Review details
Other comments Has real potential to be a good school, but let itself down in a big number of ways. First of all, the lack of social activities means little interaction between classes and little chance to practice the skills we learnt in class in a social environment. Fortunately we managed to do this for ourselves, but it would have been better if the school had done more. Second of all, some of the teachers were fantastic, but sadly not the majority. The few worked with enthusiasm and seemed to actually enjoy teaching the students. Third of all, I applied to follow a course that would lead me to the DELF examination, however this course was not offered and I ended up in general courses with students not wishing to pass this examination. There was not sufficient material in the general course to allow a comfortable attempt at the DELF examination. I am unaware at this point whether or not I have passed or failed, but I would certainly feel more confident if I had received more training in certain areas central to the DELF exam, in particular the letter writing.
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
25 years
Overall rating
5.0

Rating: 5/5.0

Liked
“Meeting people from all over the world”
Insider tip: “To go and see the countryside”
Review details
Other comments very well organised and friendly
Course: Semi-Intensive - 2 weeks
Review date: 28. Jul. 2007 by Sophia Roma Weyringer
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
19 years
Overall rating
4.0

Rating: 4/5.0

Liked
“Setting”
Review details
Course: Semi - intensive - 2 weeks
Review date: 6. Jul. 2006 by Sarah Fogarty
Verified student who booked this course with LanguageCourse.net.
See all reviews of CIEL Brest

Ratings of CIEL compared to ratings of all schools in France

 CIEL BrestAverage of all other schools in France
Overall school rating4.5

Rating: 4.5/5.0

4.3

Rating: 4.3/5.0

Location of the school4.0

Rating: 4.0/5.0

4.7

Rating: 4.7/5.0

Facilities4.1

Rating: 4.1/5.0

3.8

Rating: 3.8/5.0

Social activities3.5

Rating: 3.5/5.0

3.7

Rating: 3.7/5.0

Organisation4.3

Rating: 4.3/5.0

4.3

Rating: 4.3/5.0

Quality of teaching4.5

Rating: 4.5/5.0

4.4

Rating: 4.4/5.0

Value for money4.1

Rating: 4.1/5.0

4.1

Rating: 4.1/5.0

Homestay4.6

Rating: 4.6/5.0

4.2

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Shared flat5.0

Rating: 5.0/5.0

4.1

Rating: 4.1/5.0

CIEL

“With 32 years experience of teaching French, welcome to you in our marvellous environment and a friendly atmosphere school with efficient teaching methods”
Dominique CHATEAU
– 
Dominique CHATEAU
, 
Director of CIEL
Accreditations and Quality seals
FLEPreferential Terms in Case of Visa Refusal
French teacher qualifications
100% hold a university degree
100% hold a recognised language teaching qualification
Languages spoken by school staff (cannot be guaranteed by school)
First day of course
Students should arrive at 8:45
Student gender mix
45% male / 55% female
Offer for returning students
You will be refunded/waived the school's administration fee if you already attended previously a course at CIEL and you book here.
Payment methods accepted for payments made directly to the school
Visa - logoMastercard - logoEurocard - logoBank Transfer - logo
Year of school foundation
1987
Legal name/parent company
CCI Métropolitaine Bretagne Ouest | Tax registration ID: FR89130022932

General school facilities

  • Restaurant

  • Cafeteria

  • Drink vending machine

  • Snack vending machine

  • Computer lab

  • Library

  • Daily press

  • Lounge

  • Garden

  • Balcony / terrace

  • Free water dispenser

  • Free WIFI

  • Free parking

  • Non-smoking (all indoor areas, but not all outdoor areas of school)

  • Smoking zones (outdoors)

  • Tourist information

  • Assistance with reservations for restaurants, bars, clubs

  • Classroom equipment

    • TV in most classrooms

    • Heating in all classrooms

    • Ample natural light in all classrooms

    • Number of classrooms: 30
    • Number of public PC workstations: 4

    Facilities for disabled students

    • Disabled car park

    • Adapted for blind students

    • Wheelchair access to cafeteria

    • Wheelchair access to reception

    • Accessible Toilet

    • Wheelchair access to classroom

Student Age / Nationality

Average number of students
In summer: 60
Throughout the year: 15
Minimum age of students
16 years
16 years for specific Junior courses
Average number of levels
Adult courses In summer: 6
Adult courses Throughout the year: 3
Average age of students
In summer: 27 years
Throughout the year: 27 years
Read our recommendations for students in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Top student nationalities

Student Nationality Percentage of students
Italy 25%
Germany 19%
Switzerland 11%
USA 7%
Spain 5%
China 4%
Sweden 1%
Other nationalities 28%

Information for all courses offered by CIEL

Lesson duration
60 minutes
School's administrative fee
55.00 €
Course material
Generally course material has to be purchased by the student. The costs of course material will be approximately 55 € per course level.
Individual classes
Single individual lessons of tuition can be reserved at 65 €. The combination of group and individual lessons is highly recommended. Individual lessons will encourage you to actively speak the foreign language and will offer you the opportunity to discuss individual problems and weaknesses.
Days without class
In 2024 (including national and regional bank holidays):
01 Jan 2024, 01 Apr 2024, 08 May 2024, 20 May 2024, 15 Aug 2024, 01 Nov 2024, 25 Dec 2024, 26 Dec 2024, 31 Mar 2024, 01 May 2024, 09 May 2024, 07 May 2024, 06 May 2024, 10 May 2024.
In 2025 (including national and regional bank holidays):
01 Jan 2025 - 06 Jan 2025, 21 Apr 2025, 01 May 2025, 08 May 2025, 29 May 2025, 09 Jun 2025, 14 Jul 2025, 15 Aug 2025, 22 Dec 2025 - 31 Dec 2025.
School policy regarding bank holidays:Private classes are recuperated or refunded. Same as for nearly all language schools, group classes falling on bank holiday are not refunded and not recuperated.
Please note this school reserves the right to cancel confirmed bookings if a minimum number of students is not reached. Notification of such cancellation would happen at least 14 days before the course is due to start.
Level test
A test to assess your exact language level takes place before the start of the course via email.
Lessons needed per French language level
Level (CEFR) LESSONS needed per level WEEKS needed
(20 lessons per week)
A1 Beginner A1 to A2 80 4
A2 Elementary A2 to B1 160 8
B1 Intermediate B1 to B2 180 9
B2 Higher Intermediate B2 to C1 200 10
C1 Advanced C1 to C2 220 11
C2 Proficiency
Data above gives some guidance. For more details consult our page How long does it take to learn a language or reach a specific level.

Airport transfer

Best arrival airport is Aeroport International de Brest.
More details about airports near Brest and how to travel independently from the airport to the city on our Brest page. For flight comparisons to Brest, we recommend using skyscanner.com.

Visa Documents

Nationals from Indonesia require a visa to enter and study in France.
Check visa requirements for nationals from other countries.
Nationals from countries that require a visa will receive documents from the school, related to booking confirmation, which is required for the visa application.
Full payment of all fees required before school dispatches documents required for visa application
No
Express shipment fee (via courier)
Europe: 13 €
,
North America: 80 €
,
South America: 80 €
,
Africa: 89 €
,
Oceania: 94 €
,
Asia: 94 €
Free shipment via regular mail
Yes
Preferential cancellation terms in case of visa refusal
School agreed that students booking online on this site will benefit from preferential cancellation fees in case of visa refusal, and in this case will never exceed EUR 180.

Leisure activities

activity possibledistance from school
Basketball-
Cooking-
Diving20 km
Football (soccer)-
Golf25 km
Horse riding5 km
Ice Hockey8.5 km
Music2 km
Rugby-
Sailing0.45 km
Squash10 km
Swimming4 km
Table Tennis-
Tennis10 km
Volleyball-
Windsurfing0.45 km
Yoga-

Examples of leisure activities organized by the school

Adults - Free activities

- The school can organize activities as the request of students.
- Town tour.

Adults - Paid activities

- Excursion to Quimper: EUR 30.
- Boat Trip: EUR 25
- Food tasting: EUR 10
- Castle tour: EUR 10
- making pancakes : EUR 10
- kayaking : EUR 10
Videos about leisure activities at CIEL Brest

Accommodation

Show details of all accommodations
Tip: Type of accommodation. What is best for you?
University Residence Most Popular Accommodation
Single room, No meals
In high demand!
from
118 €
Homestay Popular Accommodation
Single room, Half board on weekdays, Full board on weekends
5.0

Rating: 5.0/5.0
2 ratings
from
245 €
Hôtel Center
Single room, No meals
from
420 €
L’Amirauté
Single room, Breakfast
from
642 €

Student Testimonial Videos

Note: The video testimonials of students from CIEL have been provided by the school and schools do not usually publish negative testimonials. For uncensored reviews read what our students report about their stay at CIEL.

Map  

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Other language schools in Brest offering French courses: 

FAQ about CIEL, Brest

  • “Unfortunately, this is not possible, the minimum age required by the school to access the courses is 16, even for junior programmes.”
    Antonio Zoppo, Language Travel Consultant from LanguageCourse.Net - Jan 17, 2023
  • The accommodation University Residence is the most popular among all our clients of CIEL
  • Yes. The following courses can be attended as an absolute beginner: Beginners Intensive Formula
  • Depending on the chosen course, the maximum number of students at CIEL varies from 1 students (Online Individual General French Course) to 10 students (Intensive Formula)
  • 100% of teachers at CIEL hold a university degree. 100% hold a recognized language teaching certificate.
  • The highest Nationality percentage at CIEL comes from Italy with a 25% representation, followed by students from Germany (19%) and Switzerland (11%).
  • Yes, there is an exclusive discount that only applies when booking online here.
  • CIEL offers courses from 6 years to 99. Average age is 27 during the summer and 27 for the rest of the year.

PDF brochure / price list of CIEL

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Academic Preparation (PDF)
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Brest
Brest city attractiveness rated by our students:
3.7 

Rating: 3.7/5.0

More information about Brest including climate data and events on our Brest page with a list of all 1 French schools in Brest.
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