Learn French Your Way!
Whether you’re just beginning your French journey or looking to refine advanced language skills, the French Library offers classes designed to fit your goals, schedule, and learning style.
Choose from in-person and online courses held mornings, afternoons, evenings, and Saturdays. Our programs combine expert instruction, engaging conversation, and authentic cultural exploration to help you build confidence in French every step of the way.
Why Learn with the French Library?
– Experienced native and near-native instructors
– Small, interactive classes
– In-person and online options
– A welcoming community of learners
– Access to French and Francophone culture beyond the classroom
– Programs designed for both personal enrichment and professional development
Join us and discover that learning French is more than studying a language. It’s opening the door to a global culture, new perspectives, and meaningful connections.
Explore Our Adult Programs
Language Classes:
Progress through the CEFR levels (A1 to C1) in a supportive and interactive environment. Develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills while gaining practical confidence for real-life communication.
Conversation Classes:
Practice French in a relaxed setting through guided discussions, current events, cultural topics, and meaningful exchanges with fellow learners.
Theme Classes:
Discover the richness of the Francophone world through courses focused on literature, art, history, film, society, language, and culture.
Intensive Programs:
Need faster progress? Our immersive intensive courses are designed to help you accelerate your learning in a concentrated format. Perfect for students with busy schedules or specific goals.
New to the French Library?
Bienvenue! We’re delighted to welcome new students to our community of language learners and Francophiles.
Getting Started:
Complete beginner? –> You can enroll directly in A1.1 Beginner French.
Already know some French? –> Take our free placement test to identify the class that best matches your level and ensures a successful learning experience.
You can also explore our level guide to better understand the CEFR framework and the progression from beginner to advanced proficiency.
Need Help?
Our Education Team is here to assist you with placement, registration, and course selection.
adultprograms@frenchlibrary.org or call 617.865.2314
Find Your Class
B1+/B2 | Comment les Français pensent-ils ?: Valeurs, débats et art de vivre à la française | In Person
Why do the French love to debate? Why are meals so important? How do the French view work, happiness, politics, education, and personal freedom? Through articles, videos, surveys, cultural documents, and lively discussions, students will explore some of the values and habits that shape contemporary France. This course goes beyond stereotypes to examine how history, culture, and everyday life influence the way many French people think and interact. Participants will develop their speaking skills while gaining a deeper understanding of French society.
A1+ | Prononciation en Action! | In Person
Master French sounds with flair! TV5MONDE’s Prononciation en action series is your go-to toolkit for leveling up your French pronunciation. Through fun, interactive videos led by phonetics expert Magali Boureux, you'll explore the rhythms and sounds of French using the verbo-tonal method. Whether you're in class or learning solo, these bite-sized lessons blend visuals, repetition, and real-life examples to help you speak more clearly and confidently. Say goodbye to tricky nasal vowels and hello to smooth, natural French!
A2 | Lunch Break | In Person
Come join us for this casual conversation class! Learn French in a relaxed environment during your lunch break. Sharpen your skills and discuss everything from daily activities to social issues. No homework and no required textbook.
B1+ | Listen Up! | In Person
Strengthen your listening skills while improving your vocabulary and grammar by engaging with a variety of fascinating audio media, including podcasts, readings, and mini role plays!
B1+/B2 | Comment les Français pensent-ils ?: Valeurs, débats et art de vivre à la française | In Person
Why do the French love to debate? Why are meals so important? How do the French view work, happiness, politics, education, and personal freedom? Through articles, videos, surveys, cultural documents, and lively discussions, students will explore some of the values and habits that shape contemporary France. This course goes beyond stereotypes to examine how history, culture, and everyday life influence the way many French people think and interact. Participants will develop their speaking skills while gaining a deeper understanding of French society.
B1+ | French Game Club: Learn through Play
Learn French while having fun! In this interactive game club, participants practice speaking French through a variety of engaging board games, card games, word games, and collaborative challenges. Each session encourages spontaneous conversation, vocabulary building, strategic thinking, and authentic communication in a relaxed, supportive atmosphere. Games are carefully selected and adapted to match participants' language level, making this workshop a fun way to gain confidence, improve fluency, and connect with other French learners.
A2 | Les petites joies françaises : the art of savoring daily life | In Person
What makes a simple cup of coffee, a walk through a market, or an afternoon in a park so special? Discover the French art of finding joy in everyday moments while building your language skills. Through conversation, culture, and authentic materials, you'll explore cafés, markets, traditions, and simple pleasures from across the Francophone world. A warm and inspiring course for A2 learners who want to practice French while celebrating the beauty of everyday life.
A2 | Discover France through songs | In Person
Learn French through some of the country's most beloved songs. In this five-week course, students will discover French culture, everyday vocabulary, and pronunciation through accessible songs from different eras. Each session combines listening activities, vocabulary building, cultural exploration, and conversation practice. No musical knowledge is required, only curiosity and a desire to sing, listen, and speak French.
B1+/B2 | René Goscinni: l'humour au service de la société
Meet René Goscinny, one of France's most beloved writers and storytellers. Through his iconic characters and humorous writing, students will discover French culture, society, and everyday life while strengthening their language skills through discussion, analysis, and creative activities.
B1+ | The Language of Emotions | In Person
Amour, empathie, joie, affection, honte, nostalgie, surprise, colère, fierté, gratitude, compassion, jalousie, tendresse, tristesse, dégoût, peur, confiance, admiration... And the list goes on and on. This course invites participants to explore how emotions, thoughts, and inner experiences are expressed in French through some of the greatest works of French literature. Through themes such as consciousness, memory, desire, and nostalgia, we will discover how renowned authors have pushed the boundaries of the French language to capture the complexities of inner life, while helping to shape a distinctive vision of the “French soul.”
B1+ | Grammar: Tackling Difficult Tenses with Emma Bovary| In Person
This course offers a systematic introduction to, or more in-depth practice with, several distinctly literary French tenses and moods, including the subjunctive (present and imperfect), the pluperfect, the past anterior, the future perfect, the various conditional tenses, and the passé simple. Particular emphasis will be placed on the passé simple and the present and imperfect subjunctive, which are commonplace and essential features of French literature but are often treated only briefly as grammatical curiosities in most language-learning programs.
B2+/C1 | Literature: Mother Figures - l'image de la mère à travers des œuvres majeures du 20ème siècle
Join Tony in a 5- or 10-week exploration of how the figure of the mother has served as a fundamental pillar of both human experience and literary history. This course traces the growing awareness of this crucial relationship in French culture, examining how shifting social dynamics and the rise of 20th-century psychoanalysis revolutionized the way we understand family ties. Through the lens of modern French literature, you will discover how iconic authors such as Proust, Camus, Duras, Ernaux, and Colette, navigate the full spectrum of maternal relationships, from deep, fusional bonds to psychological conflict, emotional distance, and tragic disconnect. Œuvres étudiées (all reading materials will be provided): Proust : À la recherche du temps perdu Camus : L'Étranger Marguerite Duras : L'Amant ; Un barrage contre le Pacifique Annie Ernaux : Une femme Colette : Sido
B2 | L'art français dans les collections du Massachusetts | In Person
Ce cours vous propose un voyage à travers l’histoire de l’art français à partir des œuvres conservées dans le Massachusetts. Du classicisme au néoclassicisme, du réalisme à l’impressionnisme et au postimpressionnisme, nous explorerons les grands mouvements artistiques, leurs contextes historiques et les artistes qui les ont façonnés.
B2 | Les Impressionnistes français au MFA | In Person
À l’occasion du 250ᵉ anniversaire des États-Unis, découvrez la remarquable collection impressionniste du Museum of Fine Arts de Boston. À travers les œuvres de Monet, Renoir, Degas, Pissarro, Sisley et Cassatt, ce cours explore l’histoire de l’impressionnisme, ses grands artistes et le rôle essentiel des collectionneurs américains dans la reconnaissance et la préservation de ce mouvement artistique.
B2 | Bartholdi et la Statue de la Liberté | In Person
Découvrez l’histoire française derrière la Statue de la Liberté tout en perfectionnant votre français. À travers des documents authentiques, des images, des vidéos et des échanges interactifs, vous développerez vos compétences linguistiques tout en explorant la vie d’Auguste Bartholdi et les liens historiques, culturels et artistiques entre la France et les États-Unis, à l’occasion du 250ᵉ anniversaire de l’indépendance américaine.
B2 | À la découverte du modernisme : parler d’art en français | In Person
Discover modern art while strengthening your French communication skills. Through paintings, sculptures, photography, archival materials, and engaging discussions, participants will explore the artistic revolutions that transformed the 20th century. Along the way, they will learn how to describe, interpret, and discuss works of art in French, while expanding their cultural knowledge and vocabulary.
B1 | Dictées d'automne
An essential component of primary education in France, Dictée (dictation) is an excellent exercise to improve vocabulary, spelling, and memory for native French speakers and learners alike. In the French Library’s take on classic Dictées, you will work with a variety of interesting and entertaining texts ranging from science to culture, history and society that will challenge you and build your confidence as a French speaker and writer.
B1+/ B2 | Mystères de Paris | In Person
Can you solve a mystery in French? In this interactive conversation course, students become detectives, examining clues, questioning suspects, analyzing evidence, and proposing theories on actual 5 great mysteries that happened in France. Each week features a new investigation inspired by mysteries, crime fiction, and French culture. Through collaborative problem-solving, learners develop speaking confidence while practicing narration, hypothesis, description, and argumentation.
B1 | Listen Up!
Are you strong on the page but weak when it comes to oral comprehension? Do you find you are constantly asking your teacher to repeat herself? Then this class is for you! Learn to capture those words the first time around in this class that emphasizes oral comprehension while at the same time building the fundamental skills for success in French.
B1+/ B2 | Mystères français : enquêter sur l'histoire | In Person
Can you solve a mystery in French? In this interactive conversation course, students become detectives, examining clues, questioning suspects, analyzing evidence, and proposing theories on actual 5 great mysteries that happened in France. Each week features a new investigation inspired by mysteries, crime fiction, and French culture. Through collaborative problem-solving, learners develop speaking confidence while practicing narration, hypothesis, description, and argumentation.
A2 | La Grammaire en A2
Learn elements of grammar through structured practice. Topics vary based on class needs.
B2+/C1 | Literature
Améliorez votre expression orale et votre compréhension tout en lisant et en analysant des œuvres littéraires françaises issues d’une grande variété de genres. Ce cours vous invite à explorer la richesse de la littérature francophone — romans, poésie, théâtre, nouvelles — tout en développant vos compétences linguistiques. À travers des discussions guidées, des lectures approfondies et des activités interactives, vous renforcerez votre aisance à l’oral, enrichirez votre vocabulaire et affinerez votre compréhension des structures grammaticales, le tout dans un contexte culturel stimulant.
B1+/B2 | René Goscinni: l'humour au service de la société
Meet René Goscinny, one of France's most beloved writers and storytellers. Through his iconic characters and humorous writing, students will discover French culture, society, and everyday life while strengthening their language skills through discussion, analysis, and creative activities.
B1+/ B2 | Mystères français : enquêter sur l'histoire
Can you solve a mystery in French? In this interactive conversation course, students become detectives, examining clues, questioning suspects, analyzing evidence, and proposing theories on actual 5 great mysteries that happened in France. Each week features a new investigation inspired by mysteries, crime fiction, and French culture. Through collaborative problem-solving, learners develop speaking confidence while practicing narration, hypothesis, description, and argumentation.
B1 | Key Figures in French History
In this B1-level course, participants will discover five major historical figures through authentic materials, guided discussions, collaborative activities, and debates. Each session is designed to develop both listening and speaking skills while expanding participants’ cultural and historical knowledge.
A2+/B1 | Between Memories and New Discoveries: Conversation for Seniors
Suitable for senior learners at the A2+/B1 level, this class offers a relaxed and engaging space to expand vocabulary, improve conversational skills, and gain greater confidence speaking French. Whether sharing personal anecdotes, exchanging opinions, or discovering the experiences of others, you will enjoy meaningful interactions while continuing your language-learning journey.
A2 | Listen Up!
Are you strong on the page but weak when it comes to oral comprehension? Do you find you are constantly asking your teacher to repeat herself? Then this class is for you! Learn to capture those words the first time around in this class that emphasizes oral comprehension while at the same time building the fundamental skills for success in French.
B2+/C1 | Marie Curie: science, persévérance et place des femmes dans la recherche
Découvrez le parcours exceptionnel de Marie Curie, pionnière de la recherche scientifique et figure emblématique de la persévérance. À travers l'étude de sa vie, de ses découvertes révolutionnaires et de son héritage, ce cours B2+/C1 invite les participants à réfléchir aux avancées scientifiques, à la place des femmes dans la recherche et aux enjeux de l'égalité. Discussions, documents authentiques et débats permettront d'améliorer son français tout en explorant l'actualité d'une personnalité qui continue d'inspirer le monde entier.
B2+/C1 | Je t'aime — moi non plus ! 250 ans de relations passionnées entre la France et les États-Unis
Embark with Tony on a thrilling adventure through 250 years of Franco-American history, culture, and mutual influence. From the American and French Revolutions to the present day, this course delves into the major events, fascinating personalities, and groundbreaking ideas that have shaped one of the most enduring international relationships of our time. Along the way, you’ll meet legendary figures like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexis de Tocqueville, Ernest Hemingway, Josephine Baker, and many more. We’ll revisit pivotal moments like the Louisiana Purchase, the gift of the Statue of Liberty, and the Allied fight against fascism during World War II. But that’s not all! This either 5- or 10-week course also explores two centuries of cultural and technological exchanges, rivalries, and fascinations, from aviation and cinema to fashion and public transportation. Through historical documents, photographs, film excerpts, anecdotes, and lively discussions, this course offers an easy-to-understand introduction to the rich dialogue between France and the United States, two nations whose histories have been closely intertwined for over two centuries.
B1+/ B2 | Founding Myths: Why Do We Still Need Heroes?
If you love stories, history, culture, and big ideas, this class is for you. Join us for an engaging exploration of founding myths and heroic figures, from ancient legends to modern icons. As you strengthen your French through lively discussions and authentic cultural content, you'll reflect on the role heroes play in shaping societies, inspiring individuals, and helping us make sense of the world. A rewarding blend of language learning and cultural discovery, this course examines one timeless question: Why do we still need heroes?