Alpadia Language Schools, Montreux, Switzerland

With over 20 years of experience helping students progress their language skills to the next level, Swiss-based Alpadia is known for excellence in language education. Inspired by the multilingual and multicultural communities across Switzerland, Alpadia offers 16 year-round language programs in addition to various summer camps around the European continent. Students at each campus leave with a firmer understanding of their studied language, as well as with a tight-knit group of international friends thanks to small class sizes. Students are also given the opportunity to participate in a university placement or internship thanks to the school’s efforts to combine practical application with language-learning prestige. For young students who want to spend a summer studying French in a more rustic location than Paris or Marseilles, the Swiss town of Montreaux, located on Lake Geneva, is the perfect spot. This town, about which Freddie Mercury said, "If you want peace of soul, come to Montreux," is home to fewer than 25,000 people and boasts lakeside castles and views of the snow-capped Alps. Alpadia arranges activities for its students that revolve around the lake, including beach volleyball, boating, and water skiing. Other excursions include trips to Swiss chocolate or cheese factories or an outing to the famous Montreaux Jazz Fesitval. The summer camp at Montreaux is specifically designed for students ages 13-17, and all students are placed with a French host family who will help them adjust to life on Lake Geneva as well as sharpen their French skills outside of class.