Spring Classes Are Underway!

A1 101 – Both sections 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 have studied French before and feel you would like to refresh these concepts and more, please consider A1 102.

A1 102

On avance! This class moves students beyond the basics and onto the new material of Units 3 and 4 in the new edition of the Édito A1 text series. Topics include how to find your way around in a city and how to order in a restaurant. You’ll discover new verb forms, important connecting words, encouraged by our emphasis on speaking. Cultural topics include top Parisian tourist sites, cities in the French-speaking world, and famous French dishes.

Anchor learning in real-world scenarios that are practical and motivating! Meet back up with your classmates and continue having fun learning the key words and phrases that make survival communication possible in French!

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

A1 102 B – Class is full!

This class will cover Units 4 through 5 of the Edito A1 text series. Topics include how to find your way around in a city, talking about the weather, and vocabulary for clothing and other everyday objects. Emphasis is still placed on proper learning techniques and organization, and class time is devoted to learning new concepts and practicing these with the target vocabulary. Grammar points include the imperative and the near future tenses, key infinitive constructions and essential verbs. Cultural topics include top Parisian tourist sites, cities in the French-speaking world, and fashion trends. Rejoin your classmates and engage in the fun of learning collaboratively!

A1 104

In this course we will work on a review of prior chapters along with a focus on chapters 8 and 9 of the Édito book. Communication topics will include talking about travel and emotions. Structures will include -ir verbs, continued practice with the passé composé, introduction to the imperfect tense, the passé composé with reflexive verbs, and indirect object pronouns. An emphasis will be placed on answering questions orally along with learning how to talk about ourselves in increasingly nuanced ways.

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

A1 105

This class will cover most of the final units in the Edito A1 textbook (2016 edition). The topics covered include the school and work worlds, comparing life in the country and the city and learning strategies for continuing in French. The book and workbook offer numerous fun sources and exercises to practice new concepts and expressions. With an emphasis on basic communication and asking/answering questions with classmates, this course gets you primed for success at tackling the A2 level.

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

A2 102

This course moves on in the Edito A2 curriculum (2022 edition) covering Units 4 and 5. Focus is on describing people and character, then science and technology. Grammar points include making comparisons, using possessive pronouns, forming the future tense and first conditional sentences. Students will also practice pronunciation and read about various francophone cultures and personalities. Keep moving toward conversational proficiency with your fun-loving classmates and the engaging resources and activities of this textbook series!

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

B1 102

This class continues in the Vite et Bien 2 textbook (2nd edition) and will cover Units 6-8: History and Politics, Everyday Objects and Science and Technology. The one text provides written and audio sources which places new vocabulary into meaningful contexts, in addition to multiple exercises to practice and reinforce grammar and specific communication skills. Students are encouraged, but not required, to present briefly on the topics covered, and special emphasis is placed on conversation, vocabulary building and useful grammatical structures.

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Littérature: Sept histoires qui reviennent de loin

Jean-Christophe Rufin is a doctor, historian, novelist, former French diplomat, and a member of the Académie Française. Rufin has traveled extensively. In “Sept histoires qui reviennent de loin” he takes us on seven journeys to different places, often exotic, where we will share a moment in the lives of the characters. Each story has its own plot, intrigue and outcome. All the stories are an invitation to travel and meet different cultures.

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

B2 102

This class continues onto Dossiers 3 & 4 in the Cosmopolite 4 text series: “Building a common culture” and “Living with new technology.” Students engage with a number of interesting audio, video and written resources to delve into these topics, all while gaining new vocabulary and insights into grammar. Emphasis is placed on discussing cultural topics and differences in group and paired sessions. Students can present on a related subject of their choice, and also work in the Cahier d’activités should they want more intensive practice or wish to prepare for the DELF B2-level assessment in the future. Purchase of the Cahier is optional, but highly recommended.

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

Discussion: Le Bureau

No, it’s not “The Office” in French. Director/Actor Matthieu Kassovitz shines in this series about the DGSE (“French CIA”) prior to, and during the Syrian conflict. How do these agencies scout out and protect their sources? How do these agents live under a few assumed identities at a time? The power of this remarkable series cannot be overstated, especially now with hindsight and as a parallel to current events. Fascinating! Le Bureau. On AMC+ through Amazon prime ($4.99/mo).

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

Conversation: “Code 612: Qui a tué le Petit Prince?”

This spring session we will discuss the poetic book “Qui a tué le Petit Prince?” (Michel Bussi, 2021), which will have you, Petit Prince lovers, discovering new theories about the mysterious disappearance of St Exupéry and the clues he may have hidden in his masterpiece to this end (pun intended ;-)! Bussi makes historical, geographical and philosophical connections which will keep our heads spinning! (This will be a serious read, so be prepared for some “homework”!)

For a deeper experience, it is recommended that you read the book before the session starts.

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