As our two future professors, Wang Jingyi and Liu Dong, arrived in France in June, they immediately started working on their French language skills, in order to be ready to follow their intensive French bakery and pastry training, starting in August. And obviously, knowing French language makes learning about bakery and pastry all the more exciting!

Seven months prior to their departure, Liu Dong and Wang Jingyi picked up French from scratch. Thanks to the support of the Alliance Francaise in Shanghai, they took classes on a weekly basis, which helped them quickly get up to speed. This initial training was essential in helping the students prepare for their upcoming journey. We are extremely grateful for the Alliance Francaise letting them to follow classes, free of charge.

Upon their arrival in France, Liu Dong and Wang Jingyi’s headed to Vichy where they joined an intensive French language program at the CAVILAM school. The Cavilam School is the Alliance Francaise’s sister school in France, also specialized in teaching French to foreigners. After welcoming Jin Huizi and Zhang Shuai – our current bakery and pastry teachers – in 2014, CAVILAM chose to renew the experience by offering our two future professors free tuition. At CAVILAM, Liu Dong and Wang Jingyi were in different classes, considerably improving their language skills.  Throughout their stay, the School helped them both adjust to the new setting and organized a range of activities for students to discover the region.

Wang Jingyi and Liu Dong’s full immersion in a native environment also helped them make significant progress. While in Vichy, both lived in respective French families. This enabled them put their language skills to practice as they conversed with native French speakers. They also gained a better understanding of French culture, while adapting to their families’ daily routines. Wang Jingyi and Liu Dong really enjoyed living with their host families, who made a huge effort to make them feel at home. We really appreciate their generosity.

Once their program at CAVILAM ended, Wang Jingyi and Liu Dong were ready to start their bakery and pastry training in Aurillac. In August, they started their program, instructed solely in French. Thanks to CAVILAM and its fantastic teachers, both students felt comfortable moving to a new environment and were confident about following classes taught in French.

We are immensely appreciative of CAVILAM’s dedication to make this journey so enjoyable for our future professors. Warm thanks to CAVILAM’s teachers and staff who accompanied the students throughout their training.

Emma Louise Blondes

Partnership Manager