Institute De Francais Association

The Merovingian, of Matrix fame, calls French a fantastic language, especially to caress with. And what better way to sample the delectable lingua franca than to learn it yourself? To know if you are being seduced or asked to "excuse someone's French", you'd need a distilled course of French by your side. The Institut de Francais is in just that business ? a made-to-order knight in shining armor, you might say.

Started in 2000, the IDFA (as the self-styled association calls itself now) is into taking French, German and Spanish cultures to the masses. Their approach is at once exciting and innovative. Their extensive use of IT has immensely endeared them to such diverse institutions as ISB, Infosys and NALSAR where they conduct in-house language courses. Where else would you have a chance to send your homework through e-mail or be taught by a French national herself?

The center itself isn't very big, but still accommodates close to 1,400 students every year, taking various levels of its language courses. They also have a Bureau d'Education that helps students going to Europe for their higher studies in their preparation. With a director who is into opera-singing, costume-designing and continental-cooking besides other things, you'd end up learning a lot more than just French here.

"Bonding Cultures" they say is their motto, and they live up to it, without using too much Fevicol in the process. If you're still apprehensive about their course, go rub your bottom with silk.