Toulouse – FLE.fr

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Welcome to Toulouse

Discover Toulouse and its French as a foreign language centres.

French language centres in Toulouse

Toulouse Alliance Française de Toulouse

Toulouse Horizon linguistique

Toulouse Institut Universitaire de Langue et de Culture Françaises

Toulouse Langue Onze Toulouse

The City of Space

Toulouse, daughter of the sky. For over a hundred years, the “pink city” where Clément Ader, one of the pioneers of aviation, was born, has been looking towards space. After World War II, the government decided to establish the design offices and assembly workshops for the Ariane rockets there, with the 6th generation currently in preparation; launch scheduled for July 2024. It was necessary to pay tribute to this epic journey. This has been accomplished with the creation of a scientific museum that allows both young and old to familiarize themselves with the secrets of Earth and the universe. Educational and entertaining, the impressive scenography was developed in partnership with the European Space Agency and the French National Centre for Space Studies. You will learn everything about weather forecasting, exploration of the Solar System, or the Mir space station! A current events room provides the latest information relayed by satellites. All this aims to inspire future careers. We walked on the Moon, and perhaps Mars is next…

Ariane 5 rocket ©NASA/Flickr

2. Claude Nougaro

Poet, singer, and French jazz musician, he is the author and performer of the popular hits from the 1970s such as “Cécile, ma fille,” “Le Cinéma,” and the Brazilian-inspired “Tu verras.” He inspires today’s local artists, like the rappers from the group Zebda who come from the same working-class neighborhood as him. Nougaro, like Charles Trenet before him, revitalized French music with rhythms of jazz and java, bringing them to radio waves. Initially overlooked by the public, he made a comeback in 1987 with “Nougayork,” a vengeful rock recorded in… New York, which achieved great success. A global troubadour, but first and foremost a Toulousian, he passionately honored his hometown in a song that still echoes through the alleys of the “pink city.” “Ô Toulouse” is an anthem, a declaration of love. The city recognized this, and his poem “C’est une Garonne” is inscribed on a plaque under the Pont Neuf, where his ashes were scattered in 2004.

The International Piano Festival at the Jacobins

Every September, for the past 45 years, Toulouse hosts a piano festival cherished by music lovers. A renowned event, it welcomes internationally acclaimed performers and places significant emphasis on young artists from around the world. All genres are celebrated—classical and contemporary, jazz—the music reigns supreme. Recitals take place in the cloister of the Jacobins Church, a jewel of medieval art with a rich and eventful history. Globally recognized, the festival also extends its reach to China, with performances in Beijing at the Forbidden City, in Shanghai, and in Japan, providing young international pianists the opportunity to establish or advance their international careers.