École PEG

École PEG: fifty years teaching French in Geneva

École PEG is a family-run French language school in Geneva. The school was created in 1968 and has specialized in teaching French as a foreign language to international learners. That founding date places the school at fifty-plus years of continuous operation in one city, which suggests deep roots in the Geneva expat and student community. The site describes itself as known for a warm welcome and a quality trainer team with many years of experience. The organization emphasizes three strengths: expertise, method, and a stated 100% success rate on the exams students prepare for. That success claim is worth noting, though it likely applies only to students who complete the full exam-prep course rather than everyone who ever attends.

The course structure: pace and format

École PEG offers day classes in two time slots: morning (9am to 12pm) or afternoon (2pm to 5pm). You choose based on your schedule. For absolute beginners through intermediate learners, the day classes run as intensive courses. For more advanced learners (C1 level), they run as semi-intensive programs. If you cannot attend daytime sessions, the school runs evening classes in General French at several levels (A0, A1, A2-B1) and a dedicated evening French for Integration course. A0 is the absolute-beginner track for people with low literacy in any language. A1 is the standard beginner level. All classes address the four language skills: written comprehension, oral comprehension, writing and speaking. The curriculum includes targeted work on phonetics, vocabulary, grammar, orthography and conjugation, plus activities grounded in authentic documents (newspaper articles, literature, internet resources) at higher levels.

Special offerings and pathways

École PEG operates in several specialized tracks. Private lessons are available at the school, in your office or at home, with a program tailored to your needs and availability. Small group classes accommodate three to five participants and are customized to specific requirements, available day or evening. The school is an official test centre for DELF and DALF exams, the official French proficiency certificates recognized across Europe. You can prepare and test in the same location. Separately, the school offers French for Integration (fide preparation), which is the French-language equivalent of the fide exam for German speakers. This course is described as intended for people with some basic French knowledge who still have difficulty communicating. The key distinction: French for Integration with the CAF (the government training allowance) is free. That means if you qualify for CAF funding, your French for Integration course costs nothing. Medical French is offered as well, targeted at foreign healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, hospital staff) working or planning to work in French-speaking Switzerland.

Getting started and the enrolment process

The site provides a straightforward enrollment option: you can book an appointment or enrol in a course directly through the website. To choose a course, you need to find one that matches your level and schedule (day or evening) and check the course calendar. The site publishes upcoming courses with their details. You can also reach out for pre-registration. The organization makes the process intentionally accessible: the website emphasizes that students come from many countries and that École PEG creates a place of learning where learners feel welcome. The testimonials on the site, from students in Cuba, Vietnam, Brazil and Russia, reinforce this international student base and suggest the school is accustomed to teaching people who have just arrived. One student from Russia noted that upon arrival in Geneva, she had no French knowledge and came to École PEG; she is now finishing her B2 level and credits her teachers with patience and professionalism. That progression from zero to B2 represents genuine language competence and the ability to work and interact at a professional level.

What the site leaves unclear

Pricing is not published on the pages shown. The site does mention that the French for Integration course is free with CAF funding, which helpfully signals that funding may cover some offerings, but it does not say what the standard paid courses cost or what payment options exist. It does not specify how long a typical course runs before you progress to the next level, or how many hours per week the intensive courses require. The site does not clarify whether the school offers a trial lesson or a placement test to verify your level before you enrol. The medical French track is mentioned but not detailed: there is no explanation of the career field it targets beyond healthcare, or whether it assumes prior medical knowledge. The site does not explain the timeline for DELF/DALF exam registration and testing beyond noting that exams are coming up in 2026, nor does it specify the exam fees or whether those are covered by the course price. The small-group class format (three to five people, as mentioned for private groups) is not specified for standard group classes, so you do not know whether morning intensive classes are five people or fifteen. Someone considering École PEG will need to contact the school to confirm pricing, course duration, class size, and funding eligibility.

Who École PEG suits and who it might not

École PEG suits anyone relocating to French-speaking Switzerland who wants intensive, classroom-based French instruction with a welcoming atmosphere and experienced teachers. The wide range of levels (A0 through C1) means you can start at zero and progress to advanced fluency. The day, evening and private options accommodate people with different work and family schedules. The government-funded French for Integration pathway is invaluable if you qualify for CAF support, as it removes the cost barrier. The presence of a test centre for DELF/DALF and fide exams means you can prepare and demonstrate your level in one place. The international student community and the school's explicit emphasis on warmth appeal to someone who is newly arrived and building a social circle.

École PEG is less suited to someone who needs immediate, full-time intensive instruction from day one, as the course schedules are structured around class timetables. It is less suited to someone who prefers online or hybrid learning, as the site emphasizes in-person classroom instruction. It is less suited to someone with a very limited budget and no access to CAF funding, since standard course prices are not published and may not be low. The school's strength is in group and semi-intensive instruction; someone needing highly specialized training in a specific field might find the curriculum oriented toward general proficiency rather than niche expertise.