Early Registration (5/1-6/3): $420

Reg. Registration (6/4-8/14): $440

Late Registration (8/15-9/30):$460

Thursdays 5:30pm-6:55pm

Course Description: 

This class builds upon the foundations established in Level 1. The goal of the class is to enable students to achieve a higher level of understanding and ability to communicate in French while covering some of the more intricate aspects of French grammar. Comprehension and communication are achieved through in-class work and dialogue as well as at-home preparation. Cultural and social aspects of French society are an integrated part of this course.

Course Outline:  We will study Leçons 9-14 in the required textbook.  Lessons will include these concepts of French grammar and culture :

Irregular verbs including venir, prendre, mettre, sortir, partir, dormir,vouloir, pouvoir, devoir, suivre,  voir, connaître, savoir, ouvrir, lire, dire, écrire

« Depuis » and the present tense

Distinction among the definite (le, la, les, l’), indefinite (un, une, des) and partitive articles (du, de la, de l’, des)

Expressions of quantity

Idiomatic expressions with être, avoir, aller, faire

Use of “il faut”

Direct / Indirect object pronouns (le, la, les, lui, leur, me, te, nous, vous)

Pronouns « y » and « en »

Affirmative and negative expressions ( souvent, encore, deja, ne… jamais, ne… plus, ne… rien, ne… pas encore)

Passé composé with être and avoir

The imperfect tense

Use of the passé composé and imperfect in past narrative

Reflexive verbs

Irregular adjectives

Tourism and entertainment in France

Eating habits and shopping for food

University studies

Attitudes and values of the French people

By the end of this class members will be able . . .

to converse more easily using the concepts reinforced from French 1

to narrate events in the past—a vacation, one’s childhood, last weekend, an accident

to communicate in a variety of situations such as buying food in the supermarket, ordering in a restaurant, talking about themselves and family, making introductions, making appropriate responses in social situations, describing where one lives, discussing various forms of entertainment.

Prerequisites: French 1A and 1B at La Causerie or equivalent.

Required Books and Materials Used: Voila! An Introduction to French, 6th Edition, by L. Kathy Heilenman, ISBN: 1133950124

Optional Reference Books (not required): 

A French-English dictionary such as Harper Collins Robert French College Dictionary (Paperback), Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN: 0004707117 (or any HarperCollins French-English dictionaries)

Bescherelle: L’Art de conjuguer 12,000 verbes (Verb Conjugation), Publisher: Hatier, ISBN: 2218717166

Early Registration (5/1-6/3): $420

Reg. Registration (6/4-8/14): $440

Late Registration (8/15-9/30):$460

Thursdays 7:00pm-8:25pm

Class Description:  This is a combination of French 1A and French 1B.  It is an introductory course designed for students who have never studied French before, those that are repeating French 1 and want to solidify their learning, and those who studied it many years ago. The goal of this class is to provide members with a basic knowledge of French, to facilitate comprehension and to encourage communication through in-class work, dialogue, and at-home preparation. Cultural aspects of French society are an integrated part of this course.

Course Outline: Lessons will include these aspects of French grammar:

Alphabet

Accents and pronunciation

Numbers

Time

Date

Formality and levels of language (vous and tu) 

Noun gender

Use of present tense and immediate future 

Negative sentence structures 

-er verbs, -ir verbs such as dormir

Etre, aller and avoir verbs 

Pronoun “on” 

Stress pronouns (moi, toi, lui, etc) 

Indefinite and definite articles (un, une, des, le, la, l’, les)

The expression « Il y a »

Placement and agreement of adjectives 

Asking and responding to questions (est-ce que)

Irregular descriptive adjectives

By the end of this class members will be able to:

Greet people appropriately and conduct basic introductory conversations

Tell time and ask about dates 

Describe everyday objects, basic activities and likes/dislikes

Describe oneself and others

Converse about work, home and leisure activities 

Engage in register-appropriate basic conversations 

Depending on the classes prior experience, the curriculum may advance to items below:

Expressions of possession (possessive adjectives, possession with de, être à)

Irregular descriptive adjectives

Interrogative adjectives (quel, quelle, quels, quelles) 

Demonstrative adjectives (ce, cet, cette, ces) 

Prepositions of place

Asking and responding to questions (inversion)

Comparatives and superlatives

Introduction to -re verbs 

Introduction to imperative verb form

Past tense (passé compose)

Prerequisite: The typical French 1 student has never before studied French, is repeating French 1, or has not used or studied the language for so long that it’s necessary to start over.

Early Registration (5/1-6/3): $420

Reg. Registration (6/4-8/14): $440

Late Registration (8/15-9/30):$460

Fridays 9:00am-10:25am

Course Description: 

This class builds upon the foundations established in Level 1. The goal of the class is to enable students to achieve a higher level of understanding and ability to communicate in French while covering some of the more intricate aspects of French grammar. Comprehension and communication are achieved through in-class work and dialogue as well as at-home preparation. Cultural and social aspects of French society are an integrated part of this course.

Course Outline:  We will study Leçons 9-14 in the required textbook.  Lessons will include these concepts of French grammar and culture :

Irregular verbs including venir, prendre, mettre, sortir, partir, dormir,vouloir, pouvoir, devoir, suivre,  voir, connaître, savoir, ouvrir, lire, dire, écrire

« Depuis » and the present tense

Distinction among the definite (le, la, les, l’), indefinite (un, une, des) and partitive articles (du, de la, de l’, des)

Expressions of quantity

Idiomatic expressions with être, avoir, aller, faire

Use of “il faut”

Direct / Indirect object pronouns (le, la, les, lui, leur, me, te, nous, vous)

Pronouns « y » and « en »

Affirmative and negative expressions ( souvent, encore, deja, ne… jamais, ne… plus, ne… rien, ne… pas encore)

Passé composé with être and avoir

The imperfect tense

Use of the passé composé and imperfect in past narrative

Reflexive verbs

Irregular adjectives

Tourism and entertainment in France

Eating habits and shopping for food

University studies

Attitudes and values of the French people

By the end of this class members will be able . . .

to converse more easily using the concepts reinforced from French 1

to narrate events in the past—a vacation, one’s childhood, last weekend, an accident

to communicate in a variety of situations such as buying food in the supermarket, ordering in a restaurant, talking about themselves and family, making introductions, making appropriate responses in social situations, describing where one lives, discussing various forms of entertainment.

Prerequisites: French 1A and 1B at La Causerie or equivalent.

Required Books and Materials Used: Voila! An Introduction to French, 6th Edition, by L. Kathy Heilenman, ISBN: 1133950124

Optional Reference Books (not required): 

A French-English dictionary such as Harper Collins Robert French College Dictionary (Paperback), Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN: 0004707117 (or any HarperCollins French-English dictionaries)

Bescherelle: L’Art de conjuguer 12,000 verbes (Verb Conjugation), Publisher: Hatier, ISBN: 2218717166

Early Registration (5/1-6/3): $420

Reg. Registration (6/4-8/14): $440

Late Registration (8/15-9/30):$460

Fridays 9:00am-10:25am

Course Description: 

French 3 is an introduction to more advanced grammar and conversation.  Students will build on grammar concepts learned in French 2 and use a variety of cultural reading texts in the textbook as a basis for discussion in French.  The course is taught entirely in French with the exception of several new grammar concepts such as use of the subjunctive and conditional sentences.  Written and oral preparation outside of class is required.

Course Outline:  We will study Leçons 15-20 in the required textbook. Lessons will include these concepts of French grammar and culture:

Review of all object pronouns (me, te, nous, vous, le, la, les, y, en)

Parts of the body and expressions of health and illness

Review of reflexive and reciprocal verbs (present and passé composé)

Irregular adjective formation

Adverb formation and position

Verb + infinitive construction

Formation and idiomatic use of the future tense

Formation and use of the conditional tense

Introduction to conjugation and use of the subjunctive mood

Professions and the professional life

French influence throughout the world

Developing a world economy

By the end of this class members will be able . . .

to talk about lodging and living conditions

to discuss personal and family relationships using reflexive verbs

to react to judgements about world politics

to express opinions and feelings about certain situations using the subjunctive

to talk about hypothetical situations using the conditional (If ...  then...)

to discuss future plans using a variety of conjunctions (when, as soon as, after)

to converse about jobs and job responsibilities

to describe physical ailments (for a doctor’s visit, calling in sick to work, conversation)

Prerequisites: French 2 at La Causerie or equivalent

Required Books and Materials Used: Voila! An Introduction to French, 6th Edition, by L. Kathy Heilenman, ISBN: 1133950124.

Recommended Reference Books (not required): 

A French-English dictionary such as Harper Collins Robert French College Dictionary (Paperback), Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN: 0-00-470711-7 (or any HarperCollins French-English dictionaries) 

Bescherelle: L’Art de conjuguer 12,000 verbes (Verb Conjugation), Publisher: Hatier, ISBN: 2218717166 

Early Registration (5/1-6/3): $420

Reg. Registration (6/4-8/14): $440

Late Registration (8/15-9/30):$460

Fridays 9:00-10:25

Class Description: This intermediate-level course builds upon the foundations established in previous levels and is conducted entirely in French. Selected reading and study materials serve as the primary catalyst for guided in-class dialogue. Prior to class, participants prepare by engaging with assigned materials and completing written exercises. During our sessions, we review these assignments and engage in active, relevant dialogue. The curriculum is also enriched with a variety of authentic cultural and oral resources presented in class.

Prerequisite: French 5 is designed for participants who have successfully completed French 1A–4 at La Causerie or possess an equivalent level of proficiency from other pathways. Individuals should have the linguistic confidence to engage fully in a French-speaking environment and the skills necessary to complete the coursework.

Book/Materials: The instructor provides copies of reading materials and exercises. Throughout the year, the class may also choose to purchase one or two paperbacks, selected collaboratively to reflect the interests of the group.

Recommended Reference Books:

A good recent monolingual French dictionary, for example:

On paper: Le Nouveau Petit Robert: dictionnaire alphabétique et analogique de la langue française and Le Petit Larousse illustré.

Online: https://dictionnaire.lerobert.com and https://www.larousse.fr

A good recent bilingual dictionary (French/English - English/French):

On paper: Collins Robert French College Dictionary.

Online: https://www.wordreference.com and https://www.deepl.com

A book on French conjugation:

On paper: Bescherelle: L’Art de conjuguer or La conjugaison pour tous.

Online: https://bescherelle.com/le-conjugueur-bescherelle

Early Registration (5/1-6/3): $420

Reg. Registration (6/4-8/14): $440

Late Registration (8/15-9/30):$460

Fridays 9:00am-10:25am

Class Description: 

This course is an advanced level class. All communication will be in French. The goal of this course is dynamic dialogue on a variety of topics chosen either by the professor or the class members. Topics of conversation will be given by the professor in advance thereby providing members with adequate time to do any necessary research or other homework in order to come to class fully prepared to be engaged in conversation. Members are welcome to suggest topics to be discussed at a future date. Any handouts are to be given out in advance of the day of discussion to avoid the reading of materials in class thus ensuring lively conversation. 

Prerequisite: French 7 students should have completed French 1A - 6 at La Causerie or possess equivalent levels of proficiency from other pathways. Students should be quite fluent in French and be prepared to participate in dynamic class discussions. 

Student Description: Students at this level should have a good level of fluency in French. 

Required Books and Materials: Two to three full French & Francophone novels are read and studied each year. Books as well as movies are chosen in consultation with class members. 

Recommended Reference Books: 

A good mono-lingual French dictionary, either on-line or hardcopy, is much preferred at this level over a bilingual French-English dictionary; Le Nouveau petit Robert dictionnaire de la langue française (French-French), Publisher: Le Robert, ISBN: 2850368261. 

A mono-lingual French dictionary of synonyms would also be useful; consider a Larousse Dictionnaire des Synonymes(Paperback), Publisher: Éditions Larousse, ISBN 978-2-03-592894-8. 

Bescherelle: L’Art deConjuguer 12,000 Verbes, Publisher: Hatier, ISBN: 2218717166. 

Early Registration (5/1-6/3): $285

Reg. Registration (6/4-8/14): $300

Late Registration (8/15-9/30):$315

Fridays 10:30am-11:25am

Class Description: 

This is a multilevel class designed to enhance and reinforce learning from the leveled classes. It is not a prerequisite to advance to the next level.

This is a conversation focused class. The instructor may use reading, writing, and other means to provide opportunities to build conversation skills. This class also includes two end-of-semester celebrations where students will sit together and get an opportunity to practice their language skills in a social, food-filled setting.

**This class is only an enhancement to the leveled language classes. Registering for a leveled language class is highly recommended.

Early Registration (5/1-6/3): $285

Reg. Registration (6/4-8/14): $300

Late Registration (8/15-9/30):$315

Fridays 10:30am-11:25am

Class Description: 

This is a multilevel class designed to enhance and reinforce learning from the leveled classes. It is not a prerequisite to advance to the next level.

This is a conversation focused class. The instructor may use reading, writing, and other means to provide opportunities to build conversation skills. This class also includes two end-of-semester celebrations where students will sit together and get an opportunity to practice their language skills in a social, food-filled setting.

**This class is only an enhancement to the leveled language classes. Registering for a leveled language class is highly recommended.