You only have to walk into the nearest store and be asked "Can I help you…est-ce que je peux vous aider?" to realise just how bilingual, and bicultural, Montreal is. Situated in Canada's eastern province of Quebec, this is the largest French-speaking city outside Paris and there's no doubt it's stolen a certain joie de vivre from across the water.

Yet despite being locked in an English-French duel for some three centuries, it today exudes a friendly, almost romantic ambiance where the interaction of cultures only adds to the charm. A stylish blend of European and North American, with the great Canadian outdoors on its doorstep and the mighty St Lawrence River running through it, Montreal is a fast, fun and fascinating city.

The school is one of a highly succesful chain of schools across Canada, established in 1962 and priding itself on its exceptional facilities and activity programmes for students. The school has an extensive Student Resource Centre with a multimedia facility containing computers (with free internet and email access), CD-Roms, audio materials, and a reading room.

The classrooms in turn are light and bright, with ample space for each student. All teachers are university graduates with training in second-language instruction, and they employ both proven traditional techniques and the latest teaching innovations to make classes practical, informative and enjoyable.

”The holiday was amazing - I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Montreal and the surrounding areas. Montreal is very beautiful and has an incredible vivacity that is infectious. My host family were lovely and I put on a stone in weight with the superb food that was dished up each evening! At the end of the two weeks I was sad to leave and have come back to reality with a bump.”
Sally Ebsworth