Learning French without spending a fortune
1932
I think we all agree on the fact that while many Parisians do indeed speak some English we should not rely solely on their kindness and generosity of spirit. Failing to say the rudimentary Bonjour Monsieur, Madame, Merci, Au Revoir, Pardon, etc will get you, at best a questionable cup of coffee, no service to speak of and lots of cold looks. So, what do you do after you feel reasonably comfortable in asking for une baguette, Madame and un café au lait, s’il vous plait? You move on and learn more, of course. Yet, in my eagerness to embrace Parisian life, I am completely incapable of shelling out big bucks in order to immerse myself in intensive language courses at one of the fancy schools for business executives and ambassadors’ spouses. Did I mention that I am cheap?! Said another way, I am a normally intelligent human being who, with a little bit of hard work and discipline, should be able to teach myself the necessary verbs, grammar and vocabulary. And so can you if you follow three cost-effective steps. As for finding a good language schools or conversation group, I’ve put together a little list to get you started in your search (see list below). As a fully fledged adult who had the usual rows with my mother when I was a teen, I can rarely find an occasion now when I can point a finger and say, "See, Mom, you were wrong." However, on the subject of choosing between studying French vs. Spanish during my high school years, I get to firmly and loudly (Can you hear me across the Atlantic, Mom??) say, "Hah! You were wrong." After years of studying Español, I am sitting on the floor of my apartment in the middle of Paris, thinking that if my survival here depends on my mastery of passé composé, imparfait and subjonctif, then Air France better hold the plane. I confess that I have already tried this–the cd-roms, audio cassettes, workbooks, dictionaries, the Wicked French Phrasebook (definitely the most helpful), etc., and I’m making slow progress. But I have learned a lot of things along the way. If you want to speak excellent French then you’re going to have to roll up your sleeves and do some excellent work. It won’t necessarily cost you a fortune but you’re going to have to invest some time and effort. Most language schools will tell you that it takes from 30 to 60 hours to increase one level. To go from beginner to intermediate will take less time than to move up from intermediate to advanced. Basically, learning a language comes down to three things: you must be willing to invest in some good reference material and study on your own; you must get and maximize expert critiques; and you must put yourself in situations, free or dirt cheap, where you’ll use the language in interactions with native speakers. Studying on your own doesn’t have to be as pedantic as the traditional repeat-after-me audio cassettes. This is the Internet age, so get connected with the Francophone world on-line, where you’ll find everything from news reports and broadcasts to interactive lessons. If you are serious about learning French then you should definitely be checking these sites out and it won’t cost you anything. Visit Le Monde newspaper at www.lemonde.fr or the international French radio station RFI at www.rfi.fr. A public radio station that offers excellent programs is France Inter at www.franceinter.com. To supplement your studies make sure your library is stocked with the basics. For starters, you should have a good French-English dictionary. I am a big fan of Harrap’s. My poor Giant Paperback seems to follow me around the apartment like a puppy. It’s always at the foot of my bed, or next to the sofa or on my favorite reading chair whenever I need it. If you’re in a field with highly specific jargon then get a supplemental professional dictionary as well. Also, the authors of 501 French Verbs should win some sort of prize; it’s nearly impossible to master the language without this 600-plus-paged tome that will lead you through those hellish conjugations. Basically, the idea is not to waste good money by walking into a language school and paying someone to tell you how to say, Bonjour Madame, Bonsoir Monsieur. However, you’re going to probably need to invest some money in a teacher at some point but there are definitely tricks to this. There are hundreds of schools in Paris where you can learn French. The fact that there are so many keeps the pricing competitive but it still tends to vary wildly. You can find classes for as little as 7 euros an hour to as much as 75euros. (See the listing of schools and conversation groups below.) It’s up to you to call and visit each school to get a feel for the atmosphere. You need to be confident that your teacher or teachers will help you perfect your accent, understand the principles and application of the grammar, and develop a strong sense for sentence structure. Don’t be shy about grilling the folks to make sure you’ll get your specific needs met. How to do this? I’ll leave you with a list of "The10 Questions That You Must Ask" before you fork over a centime: 1.) What’s the maximum student to teacher ratio and what is the average class size? You want to spend as much time talking during class as possible. The more students then the less time for you. This one is a no-brainer. 2.) What’s the average age of the students and what’s the breakdown of nationalities? You don’t really want to be stuck at a school that caters to teenagers on summer holiday (unless you are a teenager on summer holiday) nor do you want to be 1…
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I think we all agree on the fact that while many Parisians do indeed speak some English we should not rely solely on their kindness and generosity of spirit. Failing to say the rudimentary Bonjour Monsieur, Madame, Merci, Au Revoir, Pardon, etc will get you, at best a questionable cup of coffee, no service to speak of and lots of cold looks. So, what do you do after you feel reasonably comfortable in asking for une baguette, Madame and un café au lait, s’il vous plait?
You move on and learn more, of course. Yet, in my eagerness to embrace Parisian life, I am completely incapable of shelling out big bucks in order to immerse myself in intensive language courses at one of the fancy schools for business executives and ambassadors’ spouses. Did I mention that I am cheap?! Said another way, I am a normally intelligent human being who, with a little bit of hard work and discipline, should be able to teach myself the necessary verbs, grammar and vocabulary. And so can you if you follow three cost-effective steps. As for finding a good language schools or conversation group, I’ve put together a little list to get you started in your search (see list below).
As a fully fledged adult who had the usual rows with my mother when I was a teen, I can rarely find an occasion now when I can point a finger and say, "See, Mom, you were wrong." However, on the subject of choosing between studying French vs. Spanish during my high school years, I get to firmly and loudly (Can you hear me across the Atlantic, Mom??) say, "Hah! You were wrong."
After years of studying Español, I am sitting on the floor of my apartment in the middle of Paris, thinking that if my survival here depends on my mastery of passé composé, imparfait and subjonctif, then Air France better hold the plane.
I confess that I have already tried this–the cd-roms, audio cassettes, workbooks, dictionaries, the Wicked French Phrasebook (definitely the most helpful), etc., and I’m making slow progress. But I have learned a lot of things along the way. If you want to speak excellent French then you’re going to have to roll up your sleeves and do some excellent work. It won’t necessarily cost you a fortune but you’re going to have to invest some time and effort. Most language schools will tell you that it takes from 30 to 60 hours to increase one level. To go from beginner to intermediate will take less time than to move up from intermediate to advanced. Basically, learning a language comes down to three things: you must be willing to invest in some good reference material and study on your own; you must get and maximize expert critiques; and you must put yourself in situations, free or dirt cheap, where you’ll use the language in interactions with native speakers.
Studying on your own doesn’t have to be as pedantic as the traditional repeat-after-me audio cassettes. This is the Internet age, so get connected with the Francophone world on-line, where you’ll find everything from news reports and broadcasts to interactive lessons. If you are serious about learning French then you should definitely be checking these sites out and it won’t cost you anything. Visit Le Monde newspaper at www.lemonde.fr or the international French radio station RFI at www.rfi.fr. A public radio station that offers excellent programs is France Inter at www.franceinter.com.
To supplement your studies make sure your library is stocked with the basics. For starters, you should have a good French-English dictionary. I am a big fan of Harrap’s. My poor Giant Paperback seems to follow me around the apartment like a puppy. It’s always at the foot of my bed, or next to the sofa or on my favorite reading chair whenever I need it. If you’re in a field with highly specific jargon then get a supplemental professional dictionary as well. Also, the authors of 501 French Verbs should win some sort of prize; it’s nearly impossible to master the language without this 600-plus-paged tome that will lead you through those hellish conjugations. Basically, the idea is not to waste good money by walking into a language school and paying someone to tell you how to say, Bonjour Madame, Bonsoir Monsieur.
However, you’re going to probably need to invest some money in a teacher at some point but there are definitely tricks to this. There are hundreds of schools in Paris where you can learn French. The fact that there are so many keeps the pricing competitive but it still tends to vary wildly. You can find classes for as little as 7 euros an hour to as much as 75euros. (See the listing of schools and conversation groups below.) It’s up to you to call and visit each school to get a feel for the atmosphere. You need to be confident that your teacher or teachers will help you perfect your accent, understand the principles and application of the grammar, and develop a strong sense for sentence structure. Don’t be shy about grilling the folks to make sure you’ll get your specific needs met.
How to do this? I’ll leave you with a list of "The10 Questions That You Must Ask" before you fork over a centime:
1.) What’s the maximum student to teacher ratio and what is the average class size? You want to spend as much time talking during class as possible. The more students then the less time for you. This one is a no-brainer.
2.) What’s the average age of the students and what’s the breakdown of nationalities? You don’t really want to be stuck at a school that caters to teenagers on summer holiday (unless you are a teenager on summer holiday) nor do you want to be 1 of 13 Americans from Fort Collins, Colorado, because of course you’ll spend all of your non-class time talking in English about the particular smell of the cows over the town when the wind is blowing from the east. Whereas if you are in a class with people from all over the world with French as your only common language then you’re more likely to get in some extra time practicing all that you have learned.
3.) Do the teachers follow a set curriculum or is it adapted to the needs of the class? Both have their advantages. A set curriculum will mean you’re covering standard and appropriate material for your level and, even if you have an awful teacher, you should be able to progress. Adapted lessons mean that if there’s something you really want to spend time on or if you are at the "not quite a beginner but not quite intermediate" level the lessons can be adjusted accordingly. The downside to this is that you have to have a teacher who knows what they’re doing in order for this to work.
4.) How’s the class time divided? Do you spend all of your time on conversational French? How much time is dedicated to grammar? Do you have the chance to do any writing exercises? You want to spend as much time as possible with a teacher doing "heads-up" activities, where the two of you are interacting. "Heads-down" activities such as reading articles, writing and doing exercises in a workbook should be saved for homework. Also, while you do want to spend most of your time improving your conversational skills, some attention should be paid to all of the components of language–speaking, listening, reading and writing.
5.) What are the minimum training qualifications for the teachers? All teachers should have a university degree and at least a certificate indicating that they’re qualified to teach French.
6.) Will you have just one instructor or will they rotate and will you have the option of switching to another teacher if you’re not satisfied? This can be important being that sometimes you find someone that completely gets you, your needs and your warped sense of humor, and sometimes you get stuck with someone less gentil.
7.) What type of learning material is used? Is there video viewing equipment in each room? Schools should use a range of books, magazines, printed material, videos and cassettes, so lessons can be tailored to your learning style, level and needs.
8.) Are books or worksheets provided as part of your tuition or will you have to buy your own materials? If you’re working from teacher-selected or created material, that means it’s handpicked for the course, but you might end up with a jumble of papers at the end. On the other hand, books are created by the experts but won’t always have the supplemental explanations that you may need.
9.) Is there a resource center that you have access to outside of class hours? It will enhance your learning if you can borrow books, watch movies, listen to cassettes, play interactive computer games and peruse French newspapers and journals.
10.) Lastly, what kind of pre- and post-assessment do they offer, and will you get some sort of certificate indicating your level? This is basically so you’ll have some tangible proof of your achievement; such things could be useful if you will be looking for work in France.
Your final decision about which school to sign up with will probably be influenced by the location and your budget. Keep in mind also that lessons will only take you so far. You need to put yourself in situations where you interact with native French speakers, beyond just asking for the price of a t-shirt in a tourist shop. In order to practice what you have worked so hard to learn (and paid good money for), you can either sign up to participate in conversation groups or look for something more imaginative, such as joining a community association or volunteering with a neighborhood organization.
Below is a list of schools and groups in a range of prices to get you started. Be sure to visit their websites to compare tuition, registration fees and schedules.
Boutique school near Opera that caters to French business people but also offers some of the most affordable 1 to 1 lessons at only 54 euros per hour. Be sure to mention Bonjour Paris when you contact them.
They have a reputation for being reasonably priced and offering fun workshops like "Theater, texts and improvisations".
Classic Francophone institution that offers a wide variety of courses for all levels. Especially good if you’re looking to prepare for a language exam. Classes can have 20 students.
Berlitz
15 rue Louis Le Grand ,75002 (main office)
Phone: 01 44 94 50 50.
15 rue Louis Le Grand ,75002 (main office)
Phone: 01 44 94 50 50.
Specializing in increasing student level in 30-hour increments, they have a proven method and work only on a one-to-one basis but at a steep price of more than 2,000 euros (includes all materials).
You have to register for at least two weeks at this school and the annual fee to sign up is 55 euros but the cost for classes is about 10 euros an hour.
Institut de Langue Française
3, avenue Bertie-Albrecht, 75008
Phone: 01-45-63-24-00
Fax: 01-45-63-07-09
3, avenue Bertie-Albrecht, 75008
Phone: 01-45-63-24-00
Fax: 01-45-63-07-09
This school is good if you’re looking for a flexible program. They tend to have no more than 15 students per class.
Institut Parisien
87 Bd de Grenelle, 75015
Phone: 01.40.56.09.53
Fax: 01-43-0-46-30
87 Bd de Grenelle, 75015
Phone: 01.40.56.09.53
Fax: 01-43-0-46-30
They have classes at 9 different levels, which is helpful when it comes to finding something that fits your precise needs. The basic program consists of 15 hours and they offer weekly workshops in written expression and phonetics.
Langue Onze
15 rue Gambey, 75011
Phone: 01 43 38 22 87
Fax: 01 43 38 36 01
15 rue Gambey, 75011
Phone: 01 43 38 22 87
Fax: 01 43 38 36 01
One of the most affordable language schools with classes as low as 7 euros per hour.
Sorbonne
Registration takes place in early September but if you need to get a visa then you should start this process months in advance. There can be 20 or so students per class, so not much conversation time. The price for a semester is a little more than 1,000 and at the end you get either a Certificat de langue francaise or Certificat de presence.
Registration takes place in early September but if you need to get a visa then you should start this process months in advance. There can be 20 or so students per class, so not much conversation time. The price for a semester is a little more than 1,000 and at the end you get either a Certificat de langue francaise or Certificat de presence.
CONVERSATION GROUPS
Conversation groups are generally in 3s. First session is free but you should make a reservation in advance. They are a little pricey but they have paid animators to keep the conversations lively. Check out their website to get the latest information.
Monday and Wednesday at 8PM
Saturdays at 11
Saturdays at 11
This group is associated with some language schools, and meets in two locations so you can choose the one that’s most convenient for you. Like many other conversation groups, they spend 45 minutes in French and 45 minutes in English. However instead of paying by the month you get a card valid for 3 or 6 months, allowing you more flexibility.
Tuesdays 6:30 to 8:30PM
Wednesdays 2:30 to 4PM
Saturdays 11 to 12:30PM
Wednesdays 2:30 to 4PM
Saturdays 11 to 12:30PM
Teatime = Talktime
Phone: 01 43 25 86 55
(Call for address)
Phone: 01 43 25 86 55
(Call for address)
Casual get to know you conversations in the casual setting of Michael and Véronique’s home. Usually around 40 to 60 people mingling and nibbling as they make new friends.
5pm to 8pm on Saturdays
WICE
20 boulevard du Montparnasse, 75015
Phone: 01.45.66.75.50
Fax: 01.40.65.96.5320
20 boulevard du Montparnasse, 75015
Phone: 01.45.66.75.50
Fax: 01.40.65.96.5320
WICE is a resource organization for women that provides courses, services and information for its Anglophone members. So if you’re a member (65 euros annually) the conversation group is free. It meets three times a week except for holidays, July and August.
Monday at 7:00 p.m.,
Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., and
Friday at 12:00 noon
Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., and
Friday at 12:00 noon
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