Education Policies

Do I have to be a member to take courses?

No. Students are not required to be members in order to take a class. However, membership entitles you to the following benefits:

  • Full access to our Library and Culturethèque
  • Exclusive, members-only events
  • Preferred rates for all our cultural events
  • Preferred rates for all our group classes

Do I have to be a member to take private lessons?

No. You do not have to be a member to take private lessons.

Refunds, Credits and Course Changes

Refunds are not issued except in the case of class cancellation by the Education Department due to low enrollment (minimum enrollment is four students per class). If a class closes due to low enrollment, our administrator will contact you two days prior to the first course to offer several options. No course changes will be permitted after the first full week of classes. Make-up classes (for both adults and children) are not permitted in any circumstances. For more details on our class cancellation policies, please see below:

Adults

  • A class with 4 or more students enrolled will open for the full 5, 6, 7 or 10 weeks.
  • A core language class with less than 4 students will be cancelled. Students will be offered either to take the class as a semi-private lesson (at the semi-private lesson rate), to switch into another course or get a refund or credit.

Children

  • A class with 4 children enrolled will open for the full 5 or 10 weeks.
  • A class with less than 4 children enrolled will be cancelled. Students will be offered either to take the class as a semi-private lesson (at the semi-private lesson rate), to switch into another course or get a refund or credit.
New or returning students may take a trial class for $30. Books are non-refundable once they’ve been sent or purchased at Reception. Please contact the Education Department at 617.912.0415 for advice and options.

For private lessons, students must notify the Department as well as the teacher at least 24 hours in advance to cancel a lesson. Students will be charged the full fee for lessons cancelled less than 24 hours in advance.

Textbooks for Adult Classes

Textbooks may be purchased via MEP for online classes or at the French Library Reception for in-person classes. Books are non-refundable once they've been sent/purchased. Digital textbooks are non-refundable. Purchased lessons and credits are valid for seven years.

Books and Materials for Children and Teen Classes

Books are required to be purchased for Summer in French for Teens. For other books and materials for themed courses and classes for children and teens, contact the Education Department at 617.912.0415.

Class cancelation due to weather

For online learning, classes will continue to be in session during a projected storm.  Unless we announce otherwise, please assume classes are in session. In the event of power and/or internet outages, here are some general tips:
- If you experience a power outage or a Zoom interruption at your home, please contact the Education Dept. via email: adultprograms@frenchlibrary.org or at (617) 912-0415.  You might also want to be in touch with the teacher directly, to make arrangements to review any missed material.
- If a teacher loses connection during a class, please stay in your virtual classroom for a few minutes while the teacher logs back in.  If your teacher is unable to make it back quickly, please check your e-mail for further instructions from your teacher or a member of the education team.
Please refer to the French Library website to know the status of in-person classes in case of a projected storm.