COURS DE CIVILISATION
FRANÇAISE DE LA SORBONNE
Excellence in teaching French as a foreign language
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Discover the CCFS
The Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne (CCFS) depend on the Robert-de-Sorbon Foundation, recognized as being of public utility since 2009. Its main mission is to contribute to the influence of French culture around the world through the teaching of civilization and French as a foreign language. Created in 1919, the CCFS today have century-old expertise and constitute a renowned institution dedicated to French as a foreign language (France langue Etrangère, FLE).
Mainly attended initially by an American public, the CCFS today brings together nearly 160 nationalities with a strong presence of the Chinese, American, German, English, Brazilian, Korean, Spanish, Japanese, Polish, Russian and Swedish nations. Around 1,500 students attend the establishment annually.
Testimonials
Louis-Jean Fesquet
Professor of practical courses and French civilization…
Liliana Forero
Student at CCFS
“I like the courses offered by the Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne…”
Vester Smith
Vester, a student from Arkansas, USA, tells us more about his experience with the Cours de civilisation française de la Sorbonne.
A Reference Institution since 1919
FLE quality label
Français Langue Etrangère – French as a Foreign Language – Quality label awarded 3 stars to the CCFS (maximum score)
A century-old expertise
The CCFS rely on an original and rigorous pedagogy, combining French language courses, phonetics and civilization conferences.
A modern and adapted study environment
Starting in January 2025, the CCFS will welcome students in modern, modular facilities tailored for learning French, located in the 17th arrondissement of Paris.
State-of-the-art educational equipment
The institution is equipped with the latest technologies (interactive boards, latest generation LMS, connected phonetics laboratory, etc.).
Optimal class numbers
Based on language structures and interactivity, CCFS pedagogy requires small numbers.
Indicative average numbers:
Intensive and phonetics courses: 12
Language courses: 16
+160 nationalities
Since 1919, the CCFS have trained nearly 500,000 students from more than 160 different nationalities.
Academic Expertise
All lessons taught within the Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne meet the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
Language courses take place in small groups led by qualified and experienced teachers. They allow you to acquire progressive mastery of French in all its components, both written and spoken. An approach to literary texts is also proposed.
Phonetics courses taking place in laboratories are specific to different mother tongues, their goal being to improve pronunciation, comprehension and oral expression. Teachers specializing in applied linguistics have students work individually in a language laboratory.
Conferences related to French civilization conferences designed by eminent specialists allow students to deepen their knowledge of French society and culture, while perfecting their oral understanding of the French language.
Prestigious Academic Partnerships
The institution offers several partnerships with other higher education establishments, as well as preparatory classes that enable students to join these partner establishments. These prestigious agreements stand out for the quality of their education and correspond to a unique offering in the FLE (French as a Foreign Language) market.
The CCFS also have agreements with numerous international universities and welcome hundreds of international students from these partnerships each year. The institution also maintains close relations with cultural offices or education departments of foreign embassies in France, a joint work which reinforces the effectiveness of the linguistic and cultural lessons offered within the framework of the CCFS.
Live in Paris
Discovering Paris as an international student is often an unforgettable experience. The City of Lights, with its rich history, vibrant culture and delicious cuisine, offers an exciting adventure for students from all over the world.
Blog & News
Phèdre by Racine: Summary, Famous Lines and Fate
First performed in 1677, Phèdre is Racine’s masterpiece: summary, the Pradon cabal, immortal lines and the duel with Corneille.
Kavinsky (1975-2026): A Tribute to the French Touch Hero
Nightcall, Drive, the Paris Olympics: a tribute to Kavinsky, who died on 28 July 2026, and to the French Touch, France’s global electronic culture.
The Song of Roland: the epic that founded French literature
French literature begins with a defeat. Around 1100, a poet of whom we may know only the name, Turoldus, set into verse the disaster of Roncevaux: a rearguard crushed in a Pyrenean pass, a hero who refuses to call for help, an emperor who arrives too late. The Song of
Le Cid by Corneille: the play that shook seventeenth-century France
“We set out five hundred, and saw ourselves five thousand on reaching the port”: that is how collective memory quotes the most famous line of Le Cid. It gets it wrong, fittingly. Corneille wrote “three thousand”, but the play is so large that everyone enlarges it again in quoting it.
“Where are the snows of yesteryear?”: Villon’s Ballad of the Ladies of Times Past
“But where are the snows of yesteryear?” This line is probably the most famous in all of French poetry. It comes from the Ballad of the Ladies of Times Past, which Villon set into his Testament around 1461. In three stanzas, the poet lists admirable women of antiquity, legend and
Villon’s Ballad against the Enemies of France: defending the kingdom
Villon is known for his confessions about his own poverty, his irony and his regrets. The Ballad against the Enemies of France shows another side of the poet: a man who steps outside himself to curse, line after line, anyone who would harm the kingdom. Three stanzas, an envoi, a
