Learn French in Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence is a university town about 30 km north of Marseille, known for Cézanne, its fountains and the Cours Mirabeau. Students, retirees and families come for the light and the pace of life, and quickly hear a French that sounds different from Paris. French Ultimate is an online course you can follow from Aix at your own pace.
French in Aix-en-Provence
French is the official language in Aix-en-Provence, and it is what you need for the university, the town hall and the market. The town had about 150,000 residents in 2023 according to INSEE, and it has a long academic history: a university charter was granted in 1409. Aix was once the capital of Provence, and the regional language, Provençal, a form of Occitan, still appears in local culture. Each September a mass in French and Provençal blesses the town's calissons. Day to day, people speak French with a southern accent rather than Provençal, but Provençal words have slipped into local speech.
Why people in Aix-en-Provence learn French
Many people come to Aix to study. Aix-Marseille Université has taught French as a foreign language in Aix since 1953, and the town also has a Sciences Po. Students taking French-taught degrees are often asked for B2 or C1, and the DALF C1 is a common target. Others move here to retire or work remotely, and find that the prefecture, the doctor and the neighbours expect French. Aix is also a gateway to the villages and markets of Provence, where English is rarely the default and a few good sentences make a real difference.
The French you'll hear
Southern French is the biggest adjustment. Many speakers pronounce the final e that northern speakers drop, so une petite table can have an extra beat in each word. Provençal and Occitan words are common in casual speech: a minot is a child, fada means a bit crazy, and peuchère expresses sympathy, a little like saying poor thing. The mistral is the cold, strong north wind that blows down the Rhône valley. And a calisson is the town's almond sweet, sold everywhere in the old town.
- Une boîte de calissons, s'il vous plaît.A box of calissons, please.
- Le mistral souffle fort aujourd'hui.The mistral is blowing hard today.
- Les minots sont encore à l'école.The kids are still at school.
- Il y a un bus pour Marseille ?Is there a bus to Marseille?
- On se retrouve sur le cours Mirabeau ?Shall we meet on the Cours Mirabeau?
French exams in Aix-en-Provence
Aix-Marseille Université's language service (Service Universitaire des Langues), whose French-as-a-foreign-language department is based in Aix-en-Provence, organises the DALF and the TCF. Its DALF offer centres on the C1 level, with sessions held only once a year, so plan well ahead. For the DELF, look up approved centres in the Aix and Marseille area on France Éducation International's official centre finder.
Check dates and fees with the exam centre directly; they change every session.
Where to start in the course
French Ultimate is an online course, so you can follow it from Aix-en-Provence or anywhere else. These topics are the most useful here:
Questions about learning French in Aix-en-Provence
Will the southern accent make Aix harder for learners?
At first it can. Final syllables are pronounced more fully and some vowels sound different from the French in most courses. Most learners adjust within weeks, and many find the slower rhythm easier to follow. French Ultimate teaches standard French, which everyone in Aix understands, and its listening practice helps you tune your ear to different speakers.
Can I prepare for the DALF C1 in Aix?
Yes. Aix-Marseille Université's language service organises the DALF, focusing on C1, with one session a year, so it is worth preparing early. French Ultimate is not a school in Aix, but its DALF C1 unit explains every paper and its mock exams let you practise the synthesis and the oral at home.
I am retiring to Provence. How much French do I need?
Enough to deal with the prefecture, a doctor, tradespeople and neighbours, which in practice means at least A2 and ideally B1. Long-term residence cards and nationality now have formal French requirements too. French Ultimate is online, so you can start before you move and keep going once you have settled in Aix.
Learn French from Aix-en-Provence, at your own pace
Animated video lessons that stop for your answers, speaking practice, graded stories and DELF/DALF mock exams, from A1 to C2. Start with the free placement test to see where you are.
Take the placement test