About l’Office
L’Office national de garantie des séjours linguistiques et éducatifs (L’Office) gathers more than 40 organizations committed to offering high standard quality language programs. Members of L’Office are selected on the basis of a number of strict criteria, which they are bound to respect.
Created in 1997, L’Office is supported by the French Ministry of Youth, by parent’s and consumer’s associations. These organizations work closely with L’Office to make sure the necessary quality requirements are met by members offering inguistic trips for people of all ages.
This can be achieved thanks to a quality charter named “Contrat Qualité” as well as a set of controls applied to various aspects of linguistic programs including travels, host family placement, collective accommodation, courses, activities and excursions, procedures during and following the stays. L’Office’s affiliated members have then to select their partner organizations on the same basis. To make sure the “Contrat Qualité” is enforced by the partners of our members, L’Office organizes controls every year, with the support of the French Ministry of Youth
L’Office advises parents, students, adults and teachers and helps them select a linguistic and educational trip offering high standards of quality and the respect of the French legislation.
Here are the various types of programs covered by L’Office’s members:
- short time language placements abroad
- long time language placements in high schools abroad and in France
- language schools
- educational school trips abroad and in France
- jobs and internships placement abroad
- au pair stays abroad and in France
- cultural tours abroad
As an expert in the field, L’Office took part in the creation of the European Standard for language tours and language courses NF 14804.
L’Office acts for the development and the improvement of the profession by defending its interests and staying in touch with Government bodies, Embassies, tourist information offices, parent’s and teacher’s organizations, consumer’s organizations and all organizations in the educational and touristic field.
