It's winter in Massachusetts! So please note the following:
For online learning, classes will continue to be in session during a projected storm. Unless we announce otherwise, please assume classes are in session. For in-person learning, adults' and teens' classes will be switched to an online format. Kids' classes will be canceled and rescheduled. Please look for an email from your teacher or the Education Department for guidance and zoom links.
Please note that the best way to contact the Education Department is via email: adultprograms@frenchlibrary.org. You can also call our Reception at: 617.912.0400 Tuesday through Saturday.
ABOUT OUR CLASSES AND WAYS OF TEACHING
Join us at the French Library and immerse yourself in French learning! Our immersion method and curriculum target systematic acquisition of grammar skills as a means of acquiring and using the language with immediate results.
The French Library offers a wide variety of classes to accommodate your needs, schedule and budget. You can chose to attend classes online via Zoom or in person at the French Library. Our teachers benefit from the expertise of the Alliance Française for the most effective methods of French language instruction. Our class sizes are small (10 students max online; 12 in-person) providing more opportunities for you to communicate in French, creating a lively classroom atmosphere.
Here are your options:
Language courses:
Regular track: 3h per week for 10 weeks (classes meet twice a week for 1h30)
Slow-paced track: 1h30 per week for 10 weeks (classes meet once a week for 1h30)
Short track: 3h per week for 6 or 7 weeks depending on the level (classes meet twice a week for 1h30)
Theme courses:
Classes meet 1h30 or 2h per week for 5 or 10 weeks.
Please contact us at adultprograms@frenchlibrary.org if you have any questions!
How to purchase your book:
In person classes: on site at the French Library OR online at MEP Education.
Online classes: online with MEP Education. Please look for your class here. All your class material can be purchased at a preferential rate on the mepeducation.net website.
A1? A2? B1? What’s my level?
All our classes are structured according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEF). The CEF is the language and fluency level scale used in the European Union. It goes from A1 to C2 and serves as the guideline for describing the level of fluency achieved by a foreign language learner. The chart below details our courses’ codification, the level progression and what a learner can do after completing a whole section. Each level requires 30h of teaching time. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!
If you have never taken a class with us, we ask that you please complete the written and oral sections of our placement test for the upcoming session to ensure you enroll in the right course level.
A1 Absolute/Beginners (4 levels: A1.1 to A1.4)
A1.1 to A1.4: can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
Class material for language courses: L'Atelier + 1 for short track and Edito A1 for regular track
A2 Advanced Beginners (4 levels: A2.1 to A2.4)
Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
Class material for language courses: L'Atelier + 2 for short track and Edito A2 for regular track
B1 Intermediate (5 levels: B1.1 to B1.5)
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise while traveling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
Class material for language classes: Edito B1
B2 Independent (4 levels: B2.1 to B2.4)
Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
Class material for language courses: Edito B2
C1 Proficient (2 levels: C1.1 to C1.2)
Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarize information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.
Class material for language courses: Tendances C1+/C2
C2 Proficient (1 level: C2.1)
Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
Class material for language courses: Tendances C1+/C2
Found 37 Results
A1 French Express (Absolute to early beginners) | In-Person
Don't have the time to attend a full session this fall? Not a problem! Join us for our French Express program! 15h of French in one week. Are you ready for the challenge? French Express is designed to connect language structures directly to real-world use, ensuring fast progress, high engagement, and immediate results in an immersive, supportive environment. PLEASE NOTE THAT REGISTRATION FOR THE FALL FRENCH EXPRESS WILL CLOSE ON NOVEMBER 20.
Read MoreA1-1 | Beginner French 1 | In-Person
Are you ready to kick-start your French education? Learn to Ask for and give directions, understand an itinerary, get around using public transportation, and much more! This class is for students with limited prior experience in French.
Read MoreA1-2 | Beginner French 2 | In-Person
Give an opinion on an outfit, analyze a weather app, talk about the weather, ask for and give your clothing and shoe size, ask for the price, describe an object—all in French!
Read MoreA1-3 | Beginner French 3 | In Person
Are you ready to kick-start your French education? Learn how to look for an apartment, understand a room inspection, learn about lodging regulations, draft a set of rules for shared living, and much more!
Read MoreA1-4 | Beginner French 4 | In Person
Are you ready to kick-start your French education? Learn to understand an exchange program, describe positive experiences, express purpose, describe a professional goal, indicate a wish or desire, talk about an ability or skill, understand professional tasks. and much more!
Read MoreA1+ French Express (mid to advanced beginners) | In-Person
Don't have the time to attend a full session this fall? Not a problem! Join us for our French Express program! 15h of French in one week. Are you ready for the challenge? French Express is designed to connect language structures directly to real-world use, ensuring fast progress, high engagement, and immediate results in an immersive, supportive environment. PLEASE NOTE THAT REGISTRATION FOR THE FALL FRENCH EXPRESS WILL CLOSE ON NOVEMBER 20.
Read MoreA2 | 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.
Read MoreA2 | 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.
Read MoreA2 | French Express (Intensive Week) | In-Person
Don't have the time to attend a full session this fall? Not a problem! Join us for our French Express program! 15h of French in one week. Are you ready for the challenge? French Express is designed to connect language structures directly to real-world use, ensuring fast progress, high engagement, and immediate results in an immersive, supportive environment. PLEASE NOTE THAT REGISTRATION FOR THE FALL FRENCH EXPRESS WILL CLOSE ON NOVEMBER 20.
Read MoreA2 | 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.
Read MoreA2-1 | Advanced Beginner French 1 - Slow-Paced - Part 2 | In Person
Do you like to take your time learning? Not a problem! This class will cover the first half of our A2-1 class over 10 weeks.
Read MoreA2-1 | Advanced Beginner French 1 | In-Person
Time to go beyond the basics! Gain the grammar, vocabulary, and confidence you'll need to comprehend an excerpt from a piece of literature, describe a photograph, share a memory (happy or otherwise), read a tourist manual, and much more.
Read MoreA2-2 | Advanced Beginner French 2 | In Person
Do you want to discuss jobs of the future, describe the future, highlight the utility of an object, express intent or remind someone of something? Do you want to do all of that in French? You can! Plus you'll improve your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation skills at the same time.
Read MoreA2-3 | Advanced Beginner French 3 | In-Person
Keep building your language skills and awareness. In this class, you will learn how to interpret a chart about names, speak to someone’s character, describe someone, talk about your emotions and much more!
Read MoreA2-4 | Advanced Beginner French 4 | In-Person
This class will give you the skills to understand a tourist brochure, reserve a stay somewhere, research a destination online, express your indifference towards a situation and more!
Read MoreA2/A2+ | Advanced Beginner Conversation | In-Person
Develop your conversational and communication skills through role-play, discussion of French media and other speaking activities adapted to your level.
Read MoreB1 | French Express (Intensive Week) | In-Person
Don't have the time to attend a full session this fall? Not a problem! Join us for our French Express program! 15h of French in one week. Are you ready for the challenge? French Express is designed to connect language structures directly to real-world use, ensuring fast progress, high engagement, and immediate results in an immersive, supportive environment. PLEASE NOTE THAT REGISTRATION FOR THE FALL FRENCH EXPRESS WILL CLOSE ON NOVEMBER 20.
Read MoreB1-1 | Intermediate French 1 | In Person
Identify criteria for something, be cautious or aware of something, express your wishes and intentions, ask politely for something, talk over the phone, give advice, outline a hypothetical situation, describe a memory, a place, a visit to a foreign city and more!
Read MoreB1-4 | Intermediate French 4 | In Person
Delve deeper into the Francophone cultures around the globe while honing your language skills: understand a scientific documentary, learn about young, francophone thinkers, explain a scientific discovery, present the pros and cons of an innovation in technology, give your opinion, imagine the future. and more!
Read MoreB1+ | 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.
Read MoreB1+ | 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!
Read MoreB1+ | 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.”
Read MoreB1+/ B2 | Mystères de Paris | In Person
Discover the stories behind Paris's iconic monuments, hidden streets, and legendary figures. Through discussions, authentic media, and cultural exploration, this five-week course helps students strengthen their French while uncovering the mysteries that continue to shape the Parisian imagination.
Read MoreB1+/ 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.
Read MoreB1+/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.
Read MoreB1+/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.
Read MoreB1+/B2 | René Goscinny: l'humour au service de la société | In-Person
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.
Read MoreB2 | 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.
Read MoreB2 | 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.
Read MoreB2 | 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.
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