Spring 2023
Classes start the week of April 11, 2023
Absolute Beginners (A1)
With Michael Klimov
8 week session
Tuesdays - 6 - 7:30 pm on Zoom
Are you ready to kick-start your French education? First time learning French? Planning a trip to France, to Québec, Africa? Maybe you would like to read “Les Misérables” as it was written? Or perhaps hoping to watch a film in French? Maybe looking forward to talking to your mémère or pépère in their own language. Get an introduction to the basics of the French language and the Francophone world in a fun environment! Learn basic vocabulary and French sentences to introduce yourself and interact in everyday situations. Focus on real-life conversation from the start! There are as many reasons to learn French as there are students of this beautiful language. Students will also learn some French grammar and structures as well as discover aspects of French culture.
We will use “Saison 1 A1” - Textbook - Éditions Didier - ISBN 978-2-278-08265-0 (Available on Amazon. Not included in registration).
Advanced Beginners
(A2)
With Charlie Hicks
8 week session
Thursdays - 6:30 - 8 pm on Zoom
This course is a continuation of the first session (Grand Beginners). It will also be suitable for students who have some basic knowledge of French.
Students will need to contact the teacher at à AFDUME@GMAIL.COM, in order to complete a placement test.
Here are the skills required to attend the course:
- You can greet someone and respond to greetings.
- You can ask how someone is and tell how you are.
- You can spell your first name, last name and other words.
- You can ask questions about the day and date such as "What's the date today?" or "What's your birthday?"
- You can introduce yourself and talk briefly about your family and pets, what you like to do or what you don't like to do.
- You can ask someone questions about their family, pets, or ask what they like to do.
We will review these concepts in our first class and continue to learn French (grammar, conjugation and culture) focusing on oral communication in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
We will continue to use the French method Saison 1 A1 - Editions Didier - ISBN 978-2-278-08265-0 (Available on Amazon. Not included in registration).
Conversation on a French Film
With Karen Girondel
B1 level
7 week session
Tuesdays - 7 - 8:30 pm
(Class in presence at IWC, 24 Prebble st, 3rd floor, Portland)
Film transports us to another place, another time and another life; it provides language learners with rich audio-visual context, along with dynamic vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, authentic dialogue, in addition to cultural and historical references. This course will feature presentation of vocabulary and some key grammatical structures which students will practice in the context of the film, as well as open-ended exercises, activities, discussions, and role-playing designed to help improve proficiency. Listening and speaking skills will be emphasized in this class rather than reading and writing. This course is for you if you know some basic French, understand some of what you hear when spoken at normal rate of speed, and want the opportunity to speak in a context that will encourage increased vocabulary and grammatical accuracy without lists of words and tedious written exercises. We will study one film during the 7-week course.
Cinema- focus on the history of France
With Mary Okin
(B2/C1/C2)
10 week session
Thursdays - 1:00 - 2:30 pm on Zoom
French film discussion with a focus on French history
For this French film session we will continue our discussion of French history, literature, language and culture through film. In this ten-week course, we will watch ten films that relate to an important aspect of French history. We will watch one film each week before class, and then we will discuss it together in French through Zoom. Our discussions will be based on important issues raised in the films that relate to French society, culture, and especially history.
Let’s discover Francophone Africa!
With Willy Tshibangu and Alexis Kanamugire
Both native from the Democratic Republic of Congo
(B1/B2/C1)
8 week session
Thursdays - 6:00 - 7:30 pm on Zoom
This advanced intermediate French course will help students refine their French language skills. This conversational course is designed to help students improve their oral expression in French as well as their comprehension of written texts in French.
Also, this course includes a strong cultural content whose main objective is the discovery and understanding of the African Francophonie. We invite you to take a virtual trip to French-speaking Africa and to deepen your knowledge of the French-speaking world through films, reading, music and cartography.
We advise you to purchase: “La culture francophone- Le monde à l'écoute" (Hackett Publishing Co.) - (Available on Amazon. Not included in registration).
