In reply to Doug:
Can't recommend the UCPA enough, I've been on two of their courses; an intro to off piste in Les Deux Alpes and an intro to ski touring in Chamonix and they were both great.
They have a UK booking agent (Action Outdoors -
http://www.action-outdoors.co.uk/ ) and most of the courses have a mixture of English and French speaking participants, with Guides or instructors generally able to instruct in both (there's normally a big enough group of English speakers to make sure there's a fluent instructor).
Food (all you can eat buffet style, decent quality), accommodation (hostel style, most have a bar), ski pass, hire and instruction is all included, a week on the off piste course cost me around £600 (without travel), and 4 days in Chamonix with a IFGMA Guide, including a night in the Argentiere hut with food, was £400.
Their prices don't tend to change as you get closer to the dates so is a good one to wait on, and they've got venues in pretty much all the high French resorts.
Kieran
Post edited at 13:54