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Language Training and Self-Study Center - CFAL

About the CFAL

Welcome to the website of the Center for Language Training and Self-Study (CFAL)!

Open to all students and staff of the ALLSH Faculty, our center supports you in discovering and improving your skills in more than 20 languages taught on our campus.

Our center is also a welcoming space for interaction: tutors are available in Room C115, and numerous activities facilitate linguistic and intercultural exchanges between local and international students.

Come join us!

CFAL Hours of Operation

Every day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Room C115, Egger Building
Phone: 04 13 55 36 15
Email: allsh-cfal@univ-amu.fr

News


2026–2027 School Year: Let’s kick off a new season at CFAL!

The CFAL team is thrilled to see you again and to launch its program of activities for the 2026–2027 school year.

Mark your calendars:

  • September 14–28, 2026: Registration opens
  • Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.: Launch of the Language Café at the Espace Amphi Guyon. Come chat in the language you’d like to practice and meet new people!

 Check out our two new offerings for the start of the school year:

  • Multilingual Writing Workshop: A creative space to play with languages
  • English Workshop Tailored for Students with DYS Disorders: Support designed to make learning the language easier.

We’ll be at the Pre-Semester Orientation Days.

Contacts

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Sandrine
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CADDEO
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Directrice
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Ji-Ah
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Responsable pédagogique
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Patrick
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CASTILLO
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Technicien informatique
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Bonus.jpg

Registration for the BONUS Languages program at CFAL for the first semester of the 2026–2027 academic year will take place between September 14 and 25, 2026
Four activities are available through the BONUS Languages program: Guided Self-StudyMultilingual Writing WorkshopIntercomprehensionTandem

To register:

  • Visit the CFAL reception desk (C.115, Egger Building) to sign up for one of the activities offered as part of the BONUS Languages program.
  • Tutoring

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    Need a little help with one of the languages you’d like to learn more about? Our tutors are here to answer your questions—whether they’re about language or culture—or simply to help you practice speaking the language of your choice.

  • English Conversation Workshops

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    Already comfortable with English, but want to take your speaking skills to the next level? Join our workshops led by native speakers and discuss selected topics. 

  • Guided Self-Study Course

    Want to learn a language at your own pace? Set your goals with a tutor for a personalized learning experience, study independently using our resources, and participate in in-person conversation workshops.

    You may be eligible for a bonus. Registration is required.

    Eligibility Requirements for the Language Bonus (0.5 points)

  • Tandem Program

    Affiche de présentation
    • Vous êtes étudiants internationaux et souhaitez rencontrer des étudiants locaux ?
    • Vous chercher à pratiquer une langue avec des étudiants natifs de cette langue ?
    • Vous préparez une mobilité internationale ?

    Tandem est fait pour vous !

    Inscription au CFAL (C.115 - Bât Egger - Campus Schuman) en début de chaque semestre.

    Team up with a native-speaking student: spend half the time speaking your language and the other half speaking theirs. In person or via video conference with our partner universities. Immersion guaranteed!

    Eligibility Requirements for the Language Bonus (0.5 points)

  • Language Café

    Practice a language in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere! Run by students, it’s the perfect place to meet new people, break down language barriers, and build connections between local and international students.

    The language cafés take place every Tuesday and Thursday from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at the CFAL (Room C.115, Egger Building).

    Launch of the Language Café

    Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 12:00 p.m., at the Espace Amphi Guyon (across from Guyon Auditorium, Egger Building)

  • Language Cafe (Online Language Cafe)

    “Language Cafe” is a project led by Stockholm University as part of the CIVIS initiative. For one hour each week, you’ll discuss a given topic with students from various universities (CIVIS partners and UNAM in Mexico, HUFS in South Korea, Osaka University, and the University of Leipzig). The activity takes place online via the Zoom platform.

    If you would like to participate in the Language Cafe workshops, please fill out the registration form.

  • English Boost

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    Ready to take your English to the next level? Join English Boost! A program tailored to levels A1 and A2 that combines guided self-study with conversation workshops. It’s the perfect way to build the confidence to speak and make progress step by step, without stress.

  • Intercomprehension

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    Are you curious? Join this workshop, which will teach you how to understand texts in various Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Provençal, etc.) even if you don’t know them. 

    Schedule: Six Thursdays, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.: Oct. 8, Oct. 15, Oct. 22, Nov. 5, Nov. 12, and Nov. 19
    Location: CFAL, Room C.105, Egger Building

    For more information, please contact the CFAL (C.115)

    Sandrine CADDEO is an associate professor of Language Sciences at Aix-Marseille University and a researcher at the Speech and Language Laboratory (LPL, UMR 7309, AMU, CNRS)

    In this interview, she discusses intercomprehension, a method that enables learners to understand several new foreign languages—both in writing and orally—within a very short period of time. The success of this approach depends on several factors, the main ones being the degree of similarity between the target languages (language families), the transfer of skills already acquired (reading and listening skills), and the type of learning materials used (whose content is based on shared knowledge).

    Pedagogy: Intercomprehension—Pedagogy by Sandrine CADDEO
    Further Reading: Intercomprehension: A Practical Guide by Sandrine CADDEO
  • Multilingual Writing Workshop

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    Write texts in multiple languages: your native language, a language you’ve learned, an unfamiliar language, and an imaginary language. We’ll explore how sounds and the shapes of characters can become powerful catalysts for imagination and creativity, and challenge our perceptions of words and things. 

    Upcoming Dates

  • Preparing for Mobility

    Come discover the essential steps for preparing for your study abroad experience.

    Led by students who have already had international experience, this workshop is designed to give you all the tools you need for a successful study abroad experience. Who better to advise you than peers who have taken the plunge themselves? 

  • Feeling a little "Erasmus Blues"?

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    Just back from a study abroad program? Here’s a workshop to help you navigate this transition period, get plenty of advice, and discover all the support services available on your campus while continuing to build on your international experience.

    Date: Tuesday , October 13, 2026
    Time: 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
    Location: CFAL, Room C.105, Egger Building

  • Movie Night and Discussion in English

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    Travel through languages and cultures with the help of film! Attend a film screening followed by a discussion with a native speaker. An excellent opportunity to discover other cultures while practicing languages.

    • Location: Room B007, Egger Building or Le Cube, Plateau Room (depending on the date)
    • Times: 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Film screening in the original language with French subtitles, followed by a discussion in English
    • Dates and featured films: TBA
  • Meetings and Discussions in French Sign Language

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    Meetings and Discussions in French Sign Language
    Organized by students in the professional bachelor’s degree program in “Social Work and Sign Language”

    At the Center for Language Training and Self-Study

    ALLSH Faculty, Egger Building, 1st floor—Room C.121
    29 Robert Schuman Avenue
    13621 Aix-en-Provence Cedex 01