Learn French in Besançon, near the Swiss border
Besançon sits in a loop of the Doubs river, close to the Jura mountains and the Swiss border. It is Victor Hugo's birthplace, the historic capital of French watchmaking and, for many learners, the home of a well-known university French centre. French Ultimate is an online course you can follow from Besançon.
French in Besançon
French is the official language in Besançon, the capital of the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. The city had about 118,000 residents in 2023 according to INSEE. Its university was founded in 1423 and is now called the Université Marie et Louis Pasteur. Its Centre de linguistique appliquée (CLA), which has trained students and teachers since 1958, receives around 4,000 students and trainees a year, many of them learning French. The historic regional language is Franc-comtois, a langue d'oïl now kept alive mainly by small groups and associations. The city's Vauban fortifications have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008.
Why people in Besançon learn French
Many people come to Besançon specifically to study French at the CLA, whether for a summer, a semester or a university diploma. Others arrive for the city's microtechnology and watchmaking industries, where good French matters for working with engineers and suppliers. The Swiss border is close, and French is the language of neighbouring Swiss areas such as Neuchâtel, so French serves you on both sides. For anyone settling for good, a residence card or French nationality now comes with formal language requirements, B2 for naturalisation.
The French you'll hear
The French of Besançon is close to the standard and easy to follow. A few regional words are worth knowing, mostly from the kitchen. In Franche-Comté, Savoie and Switzerland, a pochon is a ladle, while elsewhere in France the same word can mean a small bag. Cancoillotte is a runny local cheese spread, often served warm. Saucisse de Morteau is the region's smoked sausage, protected since 2010. And comté, the hard cheese named after the region, is sold everywhere.
- Passe-moi le pochon, s'il te plaît.Pass me the ladle, please.
- Un peu de cancoillotte chaude ?A little warm cancoillotte?
- Je voudrais une saucisse de Morteau.I would like a Morteau sausage.
- On monte à la citadelle cet après-midi ?Shall we go up to the citadel this afternoon?
- Je travaille dans l'horlogerie.I work in watchmaking.
French exams in Besançon
The CLA (Centre de linguistique appliquée) of the Université Marie et Louis Pasteur in Besançon is an official TCF test centre and a DELF and DALF exam centre. It also runs DELF and DALF preparation courses and TCF preparation, including for the TCF versions used for residence and nationality applications. Its own university diploma, the DUEF, is another option for students. Check the CLA's pages for which tests suit your purpose before registering.
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 Besançon or anywhere else. These topics are the most useful here:
Questions about learning French in Besançon
Is French Ultimate part of the CLA in Besançon?
No. French Ultimate is an independent online course with no school or teachers in Besançon. If you want classroom lessons, the CLA is the city's university French centre. Some learners use an online course before or after a stay there, to build vocabulary and listening at their own pace and keep their French going once they leave.
Can I take the TCF in Besançon for a residence card or nationality?
The CLA is an official TCF centre and offers preparation for the TCF versions used in residence and nationality procedures. Naturalisation requires at least B2, shown by a diploma or a TCF or TEF result less than two years old. French Ultimate can help you reach that level, but it does not issue certificates.
Is Besançon French different from Swiss French?
Only slightly. Both are close to standard French, and people understand each other without trouble. Swiss French has some well-known differences, such as septante and nonante for seventy and ninety, which you will not usually hear in Besançon. French Ultimate's unit on French around the world explains the main regional variants.
Learn French from Besançon, 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.
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