Academic Training

COFRAS and training : from trainee hosting to sharing cultures/coaching foreign military trainees.

Countries wishing to establish closer relationships with France choose to send their young officers to Saint Cyr military school or our specialty schools. In contact with Army Headquarters, COFRAS organizes this type of courses within French schools in French batches.

As support, an original and optimal solution is proposed through an offer adapted to training requirements in French. COFRAS operates in close partnership with CIEL which is officially recognized by the French State, and specialized in teaching French as a foreign language. This center also operates in partnership with the University of Western Brittany (UBO) at Brest and prepares trainees for the following examinations :

• le DELF/DALF (French language diplomas),
• le TCF (French language knowledge test) : 80-item MCQ.

The purpose is to allow trainees to enter and follow a military training curriculum entirely taught in French. The language courses' duration varies from seven to ten months, depending on the initial level. They require a strong personal commitment from the trainees and a real will to succeed. Moreover, the system which consists of integrating trainees in host families offers them a home where they can share discussions, everyday life activities and find poles of interest, etc. This system gives excellent results for learning French.

Additionally, to help the trainees reach their objectives, a suitable coaching structure and organization can be set up. Thus, COFRAS and its dedicated personnel provide coaching services to the trainees ; beyond the initial reception of the trainees upon their arrival in France, such services aim at facilitating their stay in France, relieving them from small everyday life problems, and making sure - in relation with the teachers - that they attend lessons assiduously. Coaching can be implemented for each training phase : linguistic and military. Coaching allows trainees to better concentrate on their training since it facilitates their acquisition of French know-how and provides them with a better approach of the French method.

New : Training officers, the "French way"

Since late 2010 and following its experience feedback from previous missions, COFRAS has designed a new training offer for non French-speaking foreign cadets. This offer is formatted so as to better meet the objective, i.e. to obtain a diploma from the Saint Cyr military school. The cadets will now attend :

• 2 years of French language learning at CIEL (French international language school) in Brest, to reach the required French language level ;
• 2 years of preparation in a defense military school, like their French colleagues ;
• 3 years of academic and military training at Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan within the French batch.

Throughout these 7 years, DCI-COFRAS provides extra and continuous coaching to its trainees. DCI-COFRAS also guarantees contract management while ensuring the interface between schools, the embassy and governmental authorities.