Vieux-Port · Notre-Dame de la Garde · Marseille 
French classes for your au pair in Marseille, with Wednesdays free
Alliance Française Aix-Marseille Provence teaches French at its Marseille campus on rue Saint-Suffren. Its au pair course runs 16 hours a week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with Wednesdays and school holidays free, from A1 to C1.
Photo credits:Jiròni Picas (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Quick answer
Looking for French classes for your au pair in Marseille? Alliance Française Aix-Marseille Provence offers its au pair course at its Marseille campus (rue Saint-Suffren, 6th arrondissement): 16 hours a week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, Wednesdays and school holidays free, from A1 to C1. B1–B2–C1 classes run in the morning (9 am–1 pm); A1–A2 classes run in the afternoon (1 pm–5 pm), with an early departure accepted at 4.30 pm for school pick-up and catch-up work on Apolearn. Au pair rate: €448 for one month, or €800 to €1,110 per term, plus an €80 registration fee. Your au pair brings ID or passport, a copy of their visa, and a copy of the signed au pair contract.
Rates and formats from the school website and the details provided on 5 November 2026. The partnership does not change what you pay the school.
Alliance Française Aix-Marseille Provence, the Marseille campus
Alliance Française Aix-Marseille Provence is a non-profit association founded in 1889, part of the Alliances Françaises network. It teaches French and shares Francophone cultures, with a campus in Marseille’s 6th arrondissement near place Castellane. Its Aix-en-Provence campus is a separate site with its own address.
- Non-profit association founded in 1889, part of the Alliances Françaises network.
- Marseille campus at 72-76 rue Saint-Suffren, five minutes from place Castellane.
- Qualiopi certified for training, with access to CPF, France Travail and OPCO/AKTO funding.
- Official DELF, DALF and TCF exam centre.
Network
Founded in 1889
A non-profit association created at the initiative of the Marseille Chamber of Commerce, within the Alliances Françaises network.
Quality
Qualiopi certified
Qualiopi certified for training programmes: eligible for CPF, France Travail and OPCO/AKTO funding.
Exams
DELF · DALF · TCF
Official exam centre, with sessions throughout the year.
Premises
The Marseille campus
In the heart of the 6th arrondissement, 72-76 rue Saint-Suffren, five minutes from place Castellane.
Access
Metro · bus · tram
Metro M1 Estrangin or M2 Castellane (5 minutes on foot), bus and tram: easy access for the school run.
Culture
Trips and activities
One to three cultural and sports outings a week: kayaking or paddleboarding in the calanques, pétanque, the Mucem and local heritage.
“Learning French isn’t just about attending classes! Through our cultural and sports activities, students can practise French differently, discover the region and share good times together. It’s also a great way to improve while having fun!”
Culture, outings and Marseille
Learning French here is more than a class: the school organises outings and cultural activities, and Marseille does the rest, with its old port, markets and the calanques at the end of the metro line.
- Mon–Tue–Thu–Fri 16 hours of French a week
- A1 → C1 Five levels, with a placement test
- Every Monday Start dates from A1.2 to C1
- DELF · DALF · TCF Official exam centre
Figures, certification and activities from the school and its website, checked on 5 November 2026. The photos of the premises were supplied by the school for this page.
Why Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with Wednesday free
A host family relies on its au pair around the school day, and Wednesday is the day many French children are at home. This course leaves that day free, and school holidays too.
Wednesday stays free
No class on Wednesday, when many French children are not at school: the day belongs to the family, and so does the market.
No classes during school holidays
The course follows the school calendar: when the children are at home, so is your au pair (Toussaint, Christmas, winter, spring).
A full week, agreed first
Sixteen hours is a real commitment, and class time is not childcare time: choose morning or afternoon with your au pair, within the 25-hour weekly limit for family tasks.
- 8 am School, commute
- 9 am–1 pm Au pair class
- 1 pm Lunch
- 2 pm Free time, a coffee, a walk
- 4.30 pm School pick-up, snack, homework
- 8 am School, commute
- 9 am Free time or childcare at home
- 1–4.30 pm Au pair class
- 4.30 pm Early departure accepted: school pick-up
- Evening Catch-up on Apolearn
Morning classes, 9 am–1 pm (B1–B2–C1)
Four mornings of class, childcare from 4.30 pm. Wednesday: no class.
Afternoon classes, 1 pm–5 pm (A1–A2)
Early departure at 4.30 pm accepted for school pick-up; the class is caught up on Apolearn.
Good to knowIndicative timetables. Hours are agreed in the au pair contract, within the limit of 5 hours a day and 25 hours a week. Class time is not childcare time.
Wednesday: the market, with the children
No class, so a free morning: the Capucins market and the Vieux-Port are one metro ride away, with the traders as teachers.
Photo credits:Carl Ha (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Your au pair’s French, from A1 to C1
From a first box of navettes to a conversation about the Mediterranean and the mistral. Next to each level, a sentence your au pair could really say in Marseille, and how to start.
At the Four des Navettes, the city’s oldest bakery
« Bonjour ! Une boîte de navettes, s’il vous plaît. »
Everyday words, simple requests
A1.2: every Monday · A1.1: fixed dates
At Castellane metro, on the way to the Vieux-Port
« Excusez-moi, c’est bien la ligne 1 pour aller au Vieux-Port ? »
Routine tasks, direct exchanges
Start every Monday
At the Capucins market, with the children
« Je prends un kilo d’oranges et du poisson pour ce soir : on sera quatre à table. »
Most everyday situations
Start every Monday · morning class
At the Mucem, a Wednesday with the family
« Le Mucem raconte la Méditerranée : je comprends pourquoi Marseille a toujours été une ville de passage. »
Explain and defend a point of view
Start every Monday · morning class
A Saturday with the host family
« Si le mistral se calme, on ira à Sormiou samedi, à moins que les enfants ne préfèrent le Vieux-Port. »
Express yourself with ease and nuance
Start every Monday · morning class
Common European Framework levels. On the right: the CEFR descriptor for each level and how to start. A placement test decides the group. The sentences are examples written by AuPair Connect, not the school’s material, and the school may correct them.
One course, five levels
The au pair course is a single programme, taught by level: A1, A2, B1, B2 and C1. Complete beginners (A1.1) start on fixed dates. Everyone else can join on any Monday.
| A1 Beginner | A2 Elementary | B1 Intermediate | B2 Upper intermediate | C1 Advanced | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | A1.2: every Monday. A1.1: fixed dates | Every Monday | Every Monday | Every Monday | Every Monday |
| When | 1–5 pm | 1–5 pm | 9 am–1 pm | 9 am–1 pm | 9 am–1 pm |
| Wednesday | No class, in any group | ||||
| Price | €448 a month, or €800–€1,110 a term, plus €80 registration | ||||
| For you if… | Your au pair knows a few words. | Your au pair wants to talk with the family. | Your au pair wants to chat at the market. | Your au pair wants to argue a point and prepare a diploma. | Your au pair is confident and wants nuance. |
The slot depends on the level: A1–A2 in the afternoon (1–5 pm), B1–B2–C1 in the morning (9 am–1 pm). A placement test confirms the group.
What the course costs
€448 for one month, or a full term from €800 to €1,110. An €80 registration fee is added, covering teaching materials and access to the Apolearn platform.
1 month
€448
Au pair rate
Term 1
€1,110
September → December
Term 2
€800
January → March
Term 3
€880
April → July
Example: a first term comes to €1,190
Rates from the school’s au pair course page, checked on 5 November 2026. All prices include VAT. The €80 registration fee is retained by the school. The monthly rate (€448, i.e. €112/week) and term rates (€800–€1,110, i.e. €80/week) are those published by the school: confirm the format you choose at enrolment. This partnership does not change what you pay the school.
An official qualification?
The school is an official DELF, DALF and TCF exam centre. Au pair placement rules do not require any test: a diploma is a bonus, not an obligation. For those who want one, the school offers a 20-hour preparation module.
DELF · DALF · TCF
Official exam centre. The session calendar is on the school website.
20-hour module
Self-study on the Apolearn platform plus private lessons with a teacher, one month before the exam.
Self-study path
5, 10 or 30 hours of online practice, with 1, 2 or 3 months of access, from A1 to B2.
DELF · DALF
Lifelong diplomas awarded by the French Ministry of Education. A bonus, not an obligation for the au pair.
- Qualiopi
- Certified training, eligible for CPF, France Travail and OPCO/AKTO funding.
- Exam centre
- DELF, DALF and TCF, with sessions all year round.
- Preparation
- 20-hour module: Apolearn and private lessons.
- Diplomas
- DELF and DALF valid for life; a bonus, not an obligation.
From the school website, checked on 5 November 2026. The school sets the dates of the written exams; oral exams may follow within 7 days, and no refund is given for absence from an exam. Exam fees are on the school website.
Before you pay
Three documents
ID or passport, a copy of a visa valid for the whole course, and a copy of the au pair contract signed with the host family.
Registration fee: €80
It covers registration, teaching materials and the Apolearn platform. It is retained by the school.
Pay by the first day at the latest
Any course started is due: no deferral or refund after the start, for any reason.
Monthly or termly payment
Au pairs can pay monthly (€448, €112/week) or use the term rate (€800–€1,110, €80/week). A copy of the signed au pair contract is required.
Public holidays and closures
Public holidays are neither made up nor refunded. The school closes for two weeks at the end of the year, and that time is not charged.
Class size
A class needs 7 students to open or stay open; below that, the school may reduce hours. A level change costs €30 (new textbook and new e-learning access).
Summary of the au pair course page and the school’s terms and conditions, which prevail. Checked on 5 November 2026.
After class, the Vieux-Port
The campus is five minutes from place Castellane: the Vieux-Port, the quays and the terraces are one metro ride away for a free late afternoon.
Photo credits:Clément Bardot (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Which papers before the first Monday?
The au pair visa (VLS-TS “jeune au pair”) is based on the au pair contract with the family. The school asks to see three things: ID, a visa valid for the whole course, and the signed contract.
- Au pair contract You and your au pair sign the au pair contract (host agreement). It states whether the family contributes to the course. The school keeps a copy.
- Visa The au pair visa (VLS-TS) is requested on France-Visas, at most 3 months before departure. A course does not grant a visa.
- Copy of the visa The school asks for a copy of a visa valid for the whole course, plus ID or passport.
- Copy of the contract A copy of the au pair contract signed by all parties is required to apply the reduced rate. The school issues an official enrolment certificate for your visa process.
Keep in mindDocuments from the au pair course page and the school’s terms and conditions, checked on 5 November 2026. The student must be legally resident in France; the minimum age is 18 (16 with parental authorisation). A course does not grant a visa: the French consular authorities decide.
Three terms, a start every Monday
The school year runs in three terms, from September to early July. There are no classes during Zone B school holidays, which cover Aix-Marseille, or on Wednesdays.
Term No class: school holidays Complete beginners start
Term 1
7 Sept – 18 Dec
€1,110
Term 2
4 Jan – 26 Mar
€800
Term 3
29 Mar – 2 Jul
€880
Choosing when to arrive
-
Planned arrival in Jan 2027
- Start at the school
- Term 2: Monday 4 January to Friday 26 March. From A1.2 to C1, you can also join on any Monday.
- Good to know
- Complete beginners (A1.1) also start on 4 January, according to the school calendar.
-
Planned arrival in Mar–Apr 2027
- Start at the school
- Term 3: Monday 29 March to Friday 2 July. No classes during the spring holidays (17 April to 3 May).
- Good to know
- Complete beginners (A1.1) start on 29 March.
-
Planned arrival in Sept 2027
- Start at the school
- The 2027-2028 terms are not yet published. The 2025-2026 terms began on 1 September.
- Good to know
- The usual start of an au pair year: three terms from September to July.
- Reception : Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8.30 am–5.30 pm, and Wednesday 8.30 am–1.30 pm.
- Closure : two weeks at the end of the year (19 December to 3 January) and public holidays not made up.
Term dates confirmed by the school: 7 September to 18 December 2026, 4 January to 26 March 2027, 29 March to early July 2027. Zone B holidays: Toussaint 17 October–2 November; Christmas 19 December–4 January; winter 20 February–8 March; spring 17 April–3 May. Checked on 5 November 2026.
How to enrol
- Agree the slot with the family Classes run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 9 am–1 pm for B1–B2–C1, 1 pm–5 pm for A1–A2. Your au pair shows you the timetable before enrolling.
- Take the placement test A placement test takes place before enrolment to put your au pair in the right group. Complete beginners do not need one.
- Bring the three documents ID or passport, a copy of the visa valid for the whole course, and a copy of the au pair contract signed with you.
- Pay, then start on a Monday The €80 registration fee and the course are paid by the first day at the latest. Your au pair then joins their group on a Monday.
Contact and access
Alliance Française Aix-Marseille Provence — Marseille campus
72-76 rue Saint-Suffren, 13006 Marseille
Phone: +33 (0)4 96 10 24 60
Email: [email protected]
Metro M1 Estrangin or M2 Castellane (5 minutes on foot); bus and tram nearby.
Marseille, a Wednesday
Four places for the free day, from the school’s neighbourhood to the hill above the port. They show the city, not the school.
Photo credits:Studio Frédéric Blanc (CC BY-SA 4.0),Clément Bardot (CC BY-SA 4.0),kallerna (CC BY-SA 4.0),kallerna (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Why AuPair Connect recommends this school
- A 16-hour week over four days, with Wednesdays and school holidays free.
- A validated arrangement: B1–B2–C1 in the morning (9 am–1 pm), A1–A2 in the afternoon (1 pm–5 pm), with early departure at 4.30 pm for school pick-up and catch-up on Apolearn.
- Levels from A1 to C1, a placement test and a start every Monday from A1.2.
- A non-profit school founded in 1889, Qualiopi certified (CPF, France Travail, OPCO/AKTO) and an official DELF, DALF and TCF exam centre.
- Clear prices: €448 a month, €800–€1,110 a term, €80 registration, and paperwork requested upfront.
Partnership disclosure: AuPair Connect and Alliance Française Aix-Marseille Provence are partners. The “Recommended Partner” badge is provided to the school for its website. This page is editorial: prices, dates and terms are those published by the school and may change. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
Which course suits an au pair in Marseille?
The au pair course: 16 hours a week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from A1 to C1, with Wednesdays and school holidays free. The school’s intensive courses (20 hours, including Wednesday) are not an au pair’s rhythm.
I live in Marseille: which campus will my au pair attend?
The Marseille campus, 72-76 rue Saint-Suffren, a stone’s throw from place Castellane. The Aix-en-Provence campus is a separate site with its own address and access: do not confuse them.
Does the course provide a student visa?
No. Your au pair keeps the au pair visa (VLS-TS “jeune au pair”), based on the contract with the family; a course does not grant a visa or change status. With another visa, ask the school first.
How much does it cost?
€448 for one month, or €1,110, €800 and €880 for the three terms, plus an €80 registration fee (teaching materials and Apolearn included). These are the school’s rates: AuPair Connect adds nothing and this partnership does not change them.
Morning or afternoon?
The school groups students by level: beginners and elementary learners (A1–A2) have afternoon classes (1 pm–5 pm), while intermediate and advanced learners (B1–B2–C1) have morning classes (9 am–1 pm). If your au pair needs to leave around 4.30 pm for school pick-up, the school is happy to accept: just tell the teacher and check Apolearn in the evening.
Monthly payment and joining mid-year?
Yes. Au pairs can pay monthly (€448, i.e. €112/week) or termly (€800–€1,110, i.e. €80/week, the best value). From A1.2 to C1, you can start on any Monday. A1.1 beginners start on fixed dates (for example 4 January 2027) and can follow the 16-hour course with self-study on Apolearn.
Does the host family have to pay for the course?
No: the family has no legal obligation to fund French classes, but many contribute, and the au pair must be able to attend. Agree it in the au pair contract.
French rules: Service-Public F13348 and F15813, checked on 5 November 2026. Fees and terms: school website, checked on 5 November 2026.
Ready for the first Monday?
Timetables, current prices and the placement test are on the Alliance Française Aix-Marseille Provence website.
See the au pair course on the school website ↗Keep going
City photos: Vieux-Port and Notre-Dame de la Garde, Jiròni Picas (CC BY-SA 4.0); place Castellane, Studio Frédéric Blanc (CC BY-SA 4.0); Palais Longchamp, kallerna (CC BY-SA 4.0); Capucins market, Carl Ha (CC BY-SA 4.0); Sormiou calanque, Benh LIEU SONG (CC BY-SA 3.0). Full credits above.