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
Start or continue your journey into the French language without the hassle of leaving home. Our online classes offer the same high-quality instruction and teachers as our in-person classes. 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!
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. For our 10 week regular track, 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
B2 / C1 | L'affaire des poisons: rivalités et sorcellerie à la Cour du Roi-Soleil | Online
La seule évocation de la cour de Louis XIV évoque aussitôt un univers de faste, d’étiquette et de pouvoir absolu. Pourtant, derrière le éclat de Versailles se dissimule l’un des scandales les plus troublants de l’Ancien Régime : l’Affaire des Poisons. Dans les années 1670–1680, un réseau de devineresses, alchimistes et prétendues sorcières est accusé de vendre des poisons, pratiquer des messes noires et commettre des crimes jusque dans les cercles les plus élevés. Ce qui commence comme une simple enquête devient une crise politique majeure, touchant la noblesse et l’entourage du roi. Ce cours propose d’examiner cette affaire à la fois comme réseau criminel, scandale politique et moment clé dans la naissance de la police judiciaire moderne en France.
Read MoreB2 | Literature: Easy Reading - La Symphonie Pastorale | Online
You don't have to be at the proficient level to enjoy reading in French! Develop speaking and comprehension while reading and analyzing simple literary works from a wide variety of genres. For this edition, discover La Symphonie Pastorale.
Read MoreB2 | Paris-Boston: la révolution américaine vue de France | Online
Ce cours vous invite à explorer les liens profonds et durables entre la France et les États-Unis, depuis les Lumières jusqu’à nos jours. En retraçant les pas de figures révolutionnaires comme Lafayette, vous découvrirez comment ces deux villes ont inspiré et influencé les grands mouvements sociaux et politiques de leur temps. À travers des textes, des documents historiques, des cartes et des récits de voyage, développez votre maîtrise du français tout en voyageant dans le temps… et dans l’amitié franco-américaine.
Read MoreB2 | Summer Review | Online
Before the fall session starts, revisit the key concepts, grammatical structures, and vocabulary that you would like to master so that you can feel comfortable and confident enough to move on to the next level of your French studies!
Read MoreB2+/ C1 | Advanced Conversation | Online
Vous maîtrisez le français et vous avez envie de participer à des conversations amusantes, réelles et intellectuellement stimulantes ? Ce cours est fait pour vous ! Chaque leçon est conçue sur mesure en fonction de thèmes qui reflètent vos propres intérêts, en utilisant divers médias et activités interactives et ludiques. Vous gagnerez en confiance, améliorerez votre compréhension orale et écrite, élargirez votre vocabulaire et perfectionnerez votre grammaire en contexte, grâce aux retours personnalisés d'un enseignant natif francophone expérimenté.
Read MoreB2+/C1 | Literature | Online
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.
Read MoreC1-2 | Proficient French 2 SLOW Part 1 | Online
In this class, you will learn how to make intercultural comparisons, analyze a provocative article, and analyze classic theater. Culturally, you will explore new technologies, family, education, and life expectancy.
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