Centre Caribéen de Langues

It's very hard to determine the quality of a school when you're not familiar with the area or you don't know anyone who has been to the school. There are several language schools in Guadeloupe so I was concerned about picking the right one. I decided on the Centre Caribbeen de Langues for a number of reasons and was very happy that I did so. I already had a good grasp on French grammar, verb conjugation, etc., so what I really needed was to just get into conversations and simply SPEAK French. The teaching staff at CCDL picked up on this right away and the four weeks I spent there were filled with challenging conversations on all types of subjects. By the end of the four weeks, I was thinking almost entirely in French. On top of that, the teaching staff was very friendly and patient. As far as the location of the school goes, the town of Sainte-Anne is a great place to be with some of the best beaches on the island with all the beach-related sports like kite surfing, snorkeling, windsurfing, etc. On land, there are tons of great boulangeries, restaurants, patisseries, etc., in the area.

I very much liked the classes. The teachers are very friendly and flexible and they will make you speak; they will adapt to your level and needs. Since the classes are small, there will be possibilities to accommodate individual needs, be it grammar, vocabulary or other. If you choose home stay you can increase your opportunities for interaction with locals.

The very small group class format, led by an excellent instructor, provided immediate opportunity to develop facility with French.

Discussion was the primary vehicle used for teaching and learning. The school was very close to the excellent housing that we requested.

I came to the school knowing zero french. Both Stephanie and Joel were amazing and worked with my needs! They are both understanding,patient and intelligent teachers! I have learned so much from both of them and now I can understand and speak French on a certain level. Thank you very much!

The school facilities were decent. Facilities can always be better. If the school were located 100 feet from one of Guadeloupe's beautiful beaches (Club Med) then off course, this would have been super! As it turns out, the school is about a 20 minute walk to the nearest beach so was quite ok. Now for the important stuff - What really makes any learning experience is the quality of the instruction. I have to say that the quality of the instruction was great! We had two instructors who both immediately recognized our individual challenges and they focused on these. They were also very dynamic and fun. Two weeks is not a long time, however, after the two week period I know exactly what I must focus on to quickly take my learning experience to the next level. I highly recommend this school to anyone serious about improving their French.

The teachers were very patient and nice. We had fun and at the same time we learned a LOT!! I started as a beginner with some knowledge from college, and after 2 days I was able to join the next level :-))

I studied for four weeks in Guadeloupe. The school was small school, but to learn French the best school. My classes were face to face with the teachers. They call each other Joel and Lucie and are friendly nice and very good teachers. My French level was beginner and pares a month I understand and I speak a skin of French.
I lived in a house with a Guadeloupian family, and my experience at cocoa family was beautiful. The incredible cuisine and the atmosphere was comfortable and calm.
Thank you very much Joel and Stefanie and Lucie the most beautiful teacher.

I spent six weeks in Guadeloupe and had an amazing experience. The school is located a short walk from the beach and the city center. I was more than happy with the lessons. The teachers were all very competent and supportive. Classes were tiny (2 to 3 students) which meant that they were perfectly tailored to everybody's needs.

It's definitely a wonderful place to learn French and relax at the same time :)

I was in Guadeloupe for two months by myself when I was 20 years old. It was an amazing experience. I had most of my classes with Joel, and he made sure we focused on the areas of the language that I needed help with. We were never more than three people in the class room, so you never felt overlooked and always felt like your learning was extremely important. We also went on excursions around the island, to places I wouldn´t have known to visit otherwise. I was there partially during the carnivale-season, something I really recommend experiencing.

I am from Spain and I had a low intermediate level of French before going to Guadeloupe. It was my first immersion experience in a French-speaking region. I had a very competent teacher who adapted perfectly to my needs and helped me gain fluency in French quickly. He was also absolutely helpful regarding transportation from the airport, housing and he gave me very useful tips for restaurants and places to visit. We also had two tours together and that was also very useful both to discover places on the island and to practice French.

The school found me accommodation in an apartment attached to a bigger house owned by a very nice local woman for a reasonable price. I could chat with her in the Guadeloupean French which is hard to get used to at first but it makes you feel good when you manage to understand what local people say.

Public means of transport practically do not exist in Sainte-Anne so, renting a car is absolutely recommended to get to know the island. Sainte-Anne is however not so big and you can walk to the beaches from the school (around 2 kms). My house was 2 kms away from the school and the teacher would pick me up every day to get to it. That was very supportive.

Overall, I had a very nice experience. I would do it again and I absolutely recommend it to everyone.

Hello everybody!

I was a student in the school of the Caribbean Centre for Languages for a month, and it was really nice! I wanted to learn French for work in the human rights field. It was very nice and motivating to speak with the teacher on the Francophone world, the political world and life in the Caribbean. He was always with a hot coffee in hand and a big smile. Now I work in the office of the High Commissioner for human rights at the United Nations, and my basic French became very useful! I use it every day.

In addition, I found Guadeloupe paradise, with beautiful beaches. So, I also learned windsurfing.

Marte Skogsrud of Norway

The first week I was at Guadeloupe, I wondered how people could live without culture. Of course there was the beauty of the strands, and all those different bays and the ocean. After I accepted the Carribean way of living, I saw the calmness, the serenity, the colorfulness, the beauty and the variety of the vegetation. It was wonderful.

The school was good, it was a pity that there was only 1 other student during the time I was there, so I got private lessons.

I learned a lot. I had a nice intelligent teacher and he organized nice trips.

I stayed at a charming studio, but towels were hard to get. It was about a 20-minute walk from school, but if you want, you easily could get a ride from one of the car drivers.

If you decide to go to the Centre Caribbean, you definitely should choose to stay with a host family. I had a beautiful time at family Coco's house! It was close to the school and the beach.

We loved learning French at the Centre Caribéen de Langues! Joel (the owner) tailors the courses to your needs, uses a lot of different methods, keeps the class size small, and lets you meet a lot of interesting people.

The school is close to one of the most beautiful beaches of the island, and there are small excursions planned to get to know better the island history and life.

French is not an easy language, but it was the first experience for us that made us realize that it can be fun to learn, and that we can start using it in real life situations. :)

The school has an easy-going environment, is in a good location, and has tailor-made teaching. It's a wonderful place to learn French. You also get to enjoy the beaches and the Caribbean atmosphere.

I arrived in the beginning of February and the owner helped me with accommodations, as well as all the stuff needed when you arrive at a new place.

The teacher was really good and the classes were enjoyable. The school is near the Caravelle beach, so once I finish my classes, I go there to relax - and it is priceless. We have also done some excursions to different places in the island and we learned about local culture.

To sum everything up: It is a very interesting place for learning while you are on holiday.

The Centre Caribéen de Langues is a school located in the center of St. Anne, one of the most beautiful villages in Guadeloupe. It is attended by international students from all over the world, has well-prepared teachers, uses interactive study methods (e.g. songs, movies), and holds plenty of activities (e.g. barbecues, "promenades", board games, etc.). These are the most important features of the school.

It was a really nice experience! I enjoyed myself while improving my knowledge of French. ;)

Joel is an extraordinarily gifted teacher. Despite his many years of experience (which would permit him to "wing it"), he prepares carefully for each class, designing exercises according to the level of each student. Since I not only took lessons, but lived in the building as well, I was able to discreetly observe his other classes aside from mine. Students were engaged and active. After my first experience, I came back for a second year, and I anticipate attending a third. I have worked as a college professor for almost 45 years, with plenty of opportunity to see other styles of teaching, and I can recognize talent when I see it; Joel's is extraordinary.

I stayed in a room in the school building, which was perfectly adequate, and a tremendous bargain. The Centre is a short walk from the beach where the Club Méditerranée is located, so one has the opportunity to go under the sun and swim every day. Surfing is available for those who are interested; I did not take advantage of this.

Social activities are informal. One becomes friendly with one's classmates, and with others associated with the school. Students have the opportunity to arrange excursions across the sea or to other parts of Guadeloupe.

The classes were tiny, with 1 or 2 other students. My professor was responsive. If I wanted to talk about politics, we talked about politics. If I wanted to talk about surfing, we talked about surfing. If I wanted homework, I got it. If not, it was no problem. It was an amazing tailor-made service; I felt they really cared about me. My hostess family and I were also a wonderful match. I was greatly taken care of — they made sure my need for a vegetarian diet was respected even though this was outside their cooking experience.

All concerned had a relaxed attitude, but they got the job done. My French improved by an entire level in just 3 weeks. The classroom was great: bright, airy, and breezy. It was sort of like studying at the beach with technology. St. Anne has 2 lovely beaches within easy walking distance of the classroom and my home.

When I asked for extra class hours, it was no problem, and I got a very good rate. My professor was very smart, well-educated, and teaches as a passion. The student teacher from Cambridge was very cool and also very smart. This shows what kind of top-flight talent gets attracted here.

This is not a business that relies on tourists, so it has integrity in the community as a place where local people come to learn another language. Everyone speaks French so speaking in English is hard. I also had a great 24/7 immersion experience.

I have been here twice. I will try to go again!

I really enjoyed my experience in Saint-Anne. I learned French as I was expecting. The lessons were pleasant and the teacher (Joel) was very friendly. The Centre is well-located, close to nice beaches, village center and at the same time it is quiet and restful. I was lodged at the school. The facilities were sufficient to make my stay pleasant. I stayed for four weeks and we had two group excursions to visit the island.(Basse-Terre and Grand-Terre). I would like to thank once more the Centre for a wonderful lifetime experience. :)

The classes were always interesting, challenging, but fun. The teaching material varied. We used video, songs, poetry as well as more traditional materials. The teaching was supportive and encouraging.
I stayed at a bungalow close to the school and to the beach, arranged by the school. It was basic, but fine. All in all, the experience was perfect: classes in the morning, a little homework, a beautiful beach, and time to explore the island in the afternoon.

The experience was very much positive. The classes were small and very individualized so that you could focus on your personal weaknesses in the language. The classes varied from 1 to 6-7 depending on the timing, which was fine. The teachers were very welcoming and qualified.

The location was a small walk from the city center or the beach, where you'd spend most of your time. Here you'd find activities like surfing, jet-skiing, scuba diving etc. The island was just big enough to offer a range of destinations with beautiful beaches (white and black), a volcano, the jungle, cliffs at the edge of the atlantic ocean with wild waves, or completely calm oceans at the other side (the caribbean ocean), several of which were visited by school-trips.
The school also offered a wide range of different housing options.

I liked the beautiful location and climate very much. I did not like as much walking to and from the store to buy groceries, it felt a bit long some times. I would recommend renting a car more often than I did (a couple weeks out of 3 months).

The school had a bit few pupils at times, but there were other schools in the area as well were I made a lot of new friends. All in all, it was a very good experience.