Our Fall 2024 class schedule is now live!

A1 101 (True Beginners) Both sections are now full!

Have you always wanted to learn French but don’t know where to start? Designed for true beginners, this course offers students the chance to lay a solid foundation based on the key concepts found in the first three units of the Édito A1 textbook. These include communication skills such as greetings, interactions, likes and dislikes, and hobbies. Basic grammatical concepts include the conjugation of frequently used verbs, asking questions, negation, syntax, and gender. Emphasis is also placed on learning proper pronunciation and exploring francophone culture. Class time is used primarily to practice speaking and listening and is supported by exercises assigned as homework. If you’re not a true beginner—if you’re trying to recover French you studied years ago—please consider enrolling in the A1 101 for False Beginners.

A1 101 (False Beginners) Class is full!

This class is for students who have previously studied French, either in high school or at the college level (two years). While we cover units 1-3 of the Édito A1 text series, the class is conducted mostly in French, and students should feel comfortable asking and answering basic questions after some practice. We will review how to introduce ourselves and communicate in real-world scenarios: talking about our personal preferences, family, food shopping, and dining in restaurants. Grammar points include adjective agreement and the present tense of most common regular and irregular verbs. Correct pronunciation and various cultural topics are also included. Have fun recalling your earlier French in this engaging and immersive class!

A1 103 Class is full!

Continue mastering French with the key concepts and skills taught in units 5 and 6 of the Édito A1 textbook. With an emphasis on conversation, pronunciation, and practical application, this course will prepare you to shop for clothing and discuss the weather and your daily activities in French! Key grammatical concepts covered include adjectives, the use of two verbs to express past and future, and reflexive and IR verbs in the present tense. Have fun learning French with your classmates through speaking exercises, games, and more!

A1 104

This class will cover units 7 and 8 in the Édito A1 text series. Vocabulary themes include the home and furnishings, general health, and exercise. Students will learn the past tense and how to use object pronouns, prepositions of place, and the pronoun y (there). Numerous communication activities and exercises help students sharpen their reading and listening skills and improve their pronunciation and provide many chances to speak. We cover expressions that allow people to ask everyday questions and otherwise express their needs or points of view. Lastly, the book’s authentic resources also present francophone cultural practices and perspectives.

Click here to register online. Or contact our Education Director to pay via check.

A2 101

Welcome to the A2 level! Keep building your skills in French this fall, as we cover the first two units of the updated Édito book series. We will focus first on mastering the two basic past tenses and cover two themes: “New Lives” and “I remember…” Target vocabulary includes talking about one’s life and favorite cultural pursuits, memories, landscapes, and other life circumstances. Specific real-world scenarios, cultural asides, and emphasis on correct pronunciation round out the program. Édito’s numerous listening and speaking activities keep students engaged and also working independently.

Click here to register online. Or contact our Education Director to pay via check.

A2 102

This class will cover units 2 and 3 of the Édito A2 curriculum: Je me souviens and Comme à la maison. Students will learn to use the passé composé and the imperfect tense together to describe the past and then begin to focus on different types of pronouns and comparisons. The themes of memory and the home will serve as the backdrop for numerous activities, and students will also have opportunities to talk one-on-one with different classmates. Pronunciation and cultural practices are also covered in addition to the vocabulary associated with places, the weather, types of lodging, and home furnishings. 

Click here to register online. Or contact our Education Director to pay via check.

A2 103

This class will cover units 7 and 8 in the Édito A2 textbook series. The themes of health and the media will cover vocabulary including sickness, injuries, the body and medicine, and, later, the press, television, and new forms of communication. New grammar concepts include different types of pronouns and an introduction to the subjunctive mood. Numerous book and workbook resources and exercises help students practice the material in practical and authentic contexts. Emphasis is placed on speaking and aural comprehension, but we also cover some writing, correct pronunciation, and associated cultural topics.

Click here to register online. Or contact our Education Director to pay via check.

Cinéma: Le Film Noir

This class has been moved to our Winter 2024-25 session.

Wafts of swirling smoke, a hat, an earring, a shadow, something out of place, une femme fatale, un homme fatal! Questions, all these questions… Mon dieu, qu’est-ce qui se passe ?  Delon ! Gabin ! Signoret ! Deneuve ! Belmondo ! Welcome to the darker side of le cinema français. Why do we love these films so much? Let’s talk about it! We will explore this genre born in the 1930s when German Expressionism was making its way through France, on its way to Hollywood. During the week we will view one such classic, then discuss it in class. You will see that there is quite a range within this style, so we’ll discuss this aspect as well. Participants will be provided with vocabulary and resources to help with discussions. Films will be mostly from the 1930s-1960s, but there are some interesting modern takes too. So, let’s get cynical! Get under a blanket, turn off the lights, and be thrilled, chilled…

B1 103

This course will cover unités 11 through 13 in the Vite et Bien 2 text series. Themes included are nature and the environment, gastronomy, and the performing arts. The conditional mood is covered in its many practical applications along with the imperfect and pluperfect tenses. Students practice and converse intensively, thanks to the book’s many prompts and exercises. They also ask and answer questions designed to reuse the target lexicons and can also present to the class (optionally) on associated topics of cultural interest. Emphasis is placed on practical everyday language while also encouraging the use of more advanced structures and idioms.

Click here to register online. Or contact our Education Director to pay via check.

Histoires du Québec: Kukum par Michel Jean

Kukum, a moving novel set in the wilderness of early Quebec, traces the life of Almanda as she falls in love with an Inuit man and forges a new existence for herself halfway between her European origins and his culture. Students should be able to read between 25-30 pages per week on their own. During class, we will reread more closely what we can and discuss la forme et le fond, considering the author’s style and the themes he evokes. Kukum was Michel Jean’s first novel published in France, where it received much critical acclaim.

Be sure to order your book several weeks in advance as it may ship from France.

Click here to register online. Or contact our Education Director to pay via check.

Advanced Conversation

Designed for high-intermediate and advanced students, this interactive class is an opportunity for students to practice their reading comprehension, listening comprehension, and spoken skills through a variety of sources. Class activities are based on authentic materials borrowed from current events in francophone cultures (news articles, video clips, song lyrics), as well as the personal interests of the students.

Click here to register online. Or contact our Education Director to pay via check.

B2 103

This advanced-intermediate-level course will focus on societal issues including health and emotional well-being as well as economics, the natural world, and advertising. Grammar structures include the passive voice, use of the subjunctive to express opinions or alternative actions, the conditional past, and agreement in the past tense.  The Cosmopolite 4 text and Cahier d’activités are filled with audio, video, and written resources that carefully re-emphasize the target vocabulary and structures. Paired and group conversations are a major focus, and students are also encouraged to present short exposés on associated cultural practices, products, or perspectives. The workbook helps to revisit interesting and difficult notions. Its answer key is especially useful for students who wish to work more independently to achieve mastery at the B2 level.

Click here to register online. Or contact our Education Director to pay via check.