Learning French in Paris

Home
>
Language
>
Learning French in Paris

Learning French in Paris

Nothing can be more frustrating than to be in France and not been able to speak their language. For, I remember the days when I was among people chanting around in a language totally alien to me, and me, trying to bring a smile in my face while shaking my head from north to south doing as if I am getting everything what they are speaking about, and waiting impatiently for my French wife to do the translation - and I can't deny, that that was not the most comfortable period of my life.

One of the most important thing thus becomes, once you land in this country, is to grasp their language as fast as possible. Unless, of course, you are planning a real short trip to this country and you have enough local French speaking acquaintances who can swim you through your brief visit.

If you are a brand eater, I think nothing stands even nearby the Alliance Française, at least so far as their international reputation is concerned. That's one of the biggest single French teaching institute, if not the biggest. But then, their course fees may not suit everybody's budget. That hovers around 10 Euros an hour + an enrolment fee of 55 Euros. If you still think to go ahead, and if the price suits you (after all, we can't forget the assurance of quality that they offer), you can speak directly to them for additional information at 01 42 84 90 00 or can send them a mail at info@alliancefr.org.

On the other end, there is a cheaper way of learning French as well, if you prefer keeping your money for some other cause, and that is to approach the local 'La Mairie' (Town hall). There are several 'La Mairie's in Paris, one in each arrondissement to be more precise, and you can simply approach the one that is found in the arrondissement where you are putting up, and they will be glad to give you details of their next session. The good thing here is that they are quite cheap, may be about 100 euros a year, and we can be sure about their quality (as it is state sponsored and it is in their interest to teach us good French), their sessions are not as often as the former one and depending on in which center you are going, chances are that their teachers don't speak English at all. Thus, if you don't have even the basics of French, Alliance Française would probably be a better bet for you. However, the best of course, is to take information personally by knocking door of the 'La Mairie' of your neighborhood.

Between these two, where you can be sure about the quality of teaching, there are plenty of others who offer French courses to foreigners. Fees and quality vary largely in those, and I would like suggesting you before getting into any of those, to try speaking with the existing students about the quality / price issue. In case you decide to carry on with this type, try taking information about the number of students per class. A bigger group is better to meet more people, but that also limits the one to one contact between you and your teacher.

Last but not the least, if you are the 'only me' type, and if your wallet is heavy enough, you also have the possibility to go for those so called private tutors. The basic principle remains the same ... you need to speak before with a student who is having experience with the same teacher.

One way to go for taking more information is to be a part of a local forum where people speaks about local issues. And a nice place for the english speaking community in Paris is the English speaking community forum where you will get a lot of information, not only about this but also a lot of other practical aspects of life in Paris as an expat.

Author is having a Master in Biological Anthropology, by hobby and profession, is the owner of a Paris based web design company 'Kigoobe'.

Anybody interested to put authors article in their site are requested to give a link back to Création site internet Paris: http://www.Kigoobe.com

In The News:

Priest apologizes for unholy language on Facebook
Fox News
LONDON – A British priest has apologized for some unholy language on his Facebook page, his bishop says. Canon Paul Shackerley, Vicar of the Minster Church of St. George in Doncaster in northern England, raised eyebrows by using the f--- word and ...

and more »

Irish Times
Ukrainian Opposition Blocks Parliament on Russian Language Bill
BusinessWeek
“Parliamentarism in Ukraine has been ruined,” Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn said in televised remarks today on the Kiev- based Parliament's Rada channel after failing to sponsor a compromise over the state language bill. Tymoshenko, who was sentenced to ...
Ukraine Parliament Brawl: Opposition Blocks Parliament Over Russian Language BillHuffington Post
Language no barrier to violenceSydney Morning Herald
Fight in Ukraine's parliament over language billDayton Daily News
Irish Times
all 717 news articles »

China Daily
What China's Talking About Today: Is Chinese Soft Power Working?
The Atlantic
(AP) When the Chinese government, riding the increasing global interest in learning Mandarin, started to open up language and cultural centers abroad by the hundreds, worried murmuring spread among foreign critics. Confucius Institutes and Confucius ...
US clampdown on visas for Confucius Institute's teachers draws indignation in ...Washington Post
US action self-defeatingChina Daily

all 159 news articles »

Huntsman: Romney's language on China is campaign rhetoric
CNN (blog)
Huntsman was critical of Romney during the Republican primary, arguing his opponent's language on China could lead to a "trade war." On Thursday, Huntsman did not back down from his earlier criticism, saying the ties between the US and China makes for ...

and more »

CBC.ca
'Winter's Tale' by Shakespeare gets African reboot
Fox News
The unified voice of a choir rises above the beats, singing in the Yoruba language of Nigeria's southwest at the start of a play that begins in its middle. This isn't the William Shakespeare you know. Instead, this is an African reboot of "The Winter's ...
Shakespeare's 'Winter's Tale' engulfed by African fire as part of language ...Washington Post

all 93 news articles »

Kiwibox.com Enters Spanish and Latin Markets -- Launches Spanish Language ...
MarketWatch (press release)
NEW YORK, May 25, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The Kiwibox network proudly announces the integration of Spanish language versions on its social networking websites. The US based platform Kiwibox and the European KWICK! now each support Spanish ...

and more »

Sign Language: Funny displays from the road
Washington Post
You can also send high-resolution JPEG or TIFF images to travel@washpost.com with “Sign Language” in the subject line. Winners receive a Travel tote bag. Photos become property of The Washington Post, which may edit, publish, distribute or republish ...

Service dog learns English, sign language
Houston Chronicle
Nick is a 3-year old goldendoodle service dog who understands English and International Sign Language. / HC Three-year-old goldendoodle Nickolas Scott is a service dog that understands English and International Sign Language.

and more »

eWeek
Microsoft`s F#: 10 Reasons Why It`sa Hot Programming Language for Developers
eWeek
By Darryl K. Taft on 2012-05-25 F# is a strongly typed, functional-first programming language for writing simple code to solve complex problems. From the business perspective, the primary role of F#, pronounced F sharp, is to reduce the ...

Houston Chronicle (blog)
Channel 13 leads local English-language stations in May sweeps, but ...
Houston Chronicle (blog)
KTRK (Channel 13) led its English-language competitors across virtually every newscast window during the May Nielsen sweeps period, although the other stations, characteristically, also found things to like among the monthly data. In the closest race, ...

Google News