Our next 8-week session: 
starting the week of May 7, 2018.

Please call us at (415) 362-3666 to enroll in the class of your choice.

Visit us at www.frenchclass.com 

Student Quote of the Month

“I hadn’t spoken French in 10 years, so I was weary being placed in level 5. However, my teacher is great and the curriculum is exactly what I needed to pick it back up again.” Joan V.

Dites-le parfaitement / Say it perfectly

Je trouve ça très intéressant.
I find this very interesting.

A mon avis, c’est le meilleur film de l’année.
In my opinion, it’s the best movie of the year.

SIGN UP EARLY...
for our next PRONUNCIATION INTENSIVE! INTERMEDIATE and ADVANCED LEVELS

Presented by Dominique Brémond.
SATURDAY, MARCH 17^th From 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
$99 includes book, cheese and wine.
 

A unique approach to French pronunciation.This course will change your understanding of French sounds forever and will definitely improve your pronunciation and subsequently, your comprehension. It is particularly beneficial to people with auditory deficiencies.

Levels 2 to 3 may take the first 2 hours of the course for $50, if space is available. Levels 4 and 5 may take the entire course upon level assessment. This intensive fills very quickly.
This is a great intensive to repeat as a tune-up or to absorb another layer of if you have previously attended.

Please call us at 415.362.3666 to reserve a seat. 

RENT OUR LARGE CONFERENCE ROOM

Great rates. Up to 25 people. Very convenient downtown location.

DO YOU SPEAK FROMAGE? – Part 2

When it comes to eating fromage, the proper etiquette is a mix of common sense and communion with nature. The universe is curved and natural shapes have no sharp angles. The same goes with cheese. Most of the time, it comes in the shape of a pie, or a log, because it was originally made by hand. Pressed in a cloth to drain the whey, the curd comes out as a ball, then, the ball would be flattened by hand before being placed on a bed of straw where it would age gracefully. After a few weeks or a few months, depending on the temperature and humidity of the lieu d’affinage (place of ripening) and your taste --the longer it sits, the dryer it gets-- the cheese is ready to be shared with friends. No fork please! Stabbing the cheese will damage its appearance for the next person and gradually destroy it. Unless it is gruyère (swiss cheese), only mice will drill holes in a cheese. Simply place the tip of the cheese knife in the middle of the pie and cut yourself a small slice just like you would a pie. Nice! Like a pie, if you cut the cheese across, two people will end up with a piece of crust. Not nice!

A cheese platter with very different types of cheese: soft goat, hard goat, brie, époisse, bleu ... should have more than one knife, so the strong taste of a cheese doesn’t transfer to the mild one. Once you’ve got a nice assortment on your plate, start eating the mildest cheese and slowly make your way to the sharpest one. Again, no fork necessary to eat your cheese. Use your knife to put a small piece of cheese on a piece of bread. At home, your fingers will do just fine. There is probably more bacteria in your cheese than on your fingers. 

While soft, shredded or crumbled cheese should be tossed if moldy, most cheeses are safe to consume when green spots appear on the surface. The moldy part can be cut away and the rest of the cheese is just as good as new, ready to be enjoyed. When in doubt, ask an expert at your local cheese store how long a cheese will keep (one to four months, in the fridge) and what kinds can be eaten if mold appears.

Vegetarians should know that not all cheeses are vegetarian. For example, Camembert, Emmenthaler, Gorgonzola, Gruyère, Manchego, Mimolette, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, to name only a few, contain animal rennet. Rennet is an enzyme, used as a coagulant and it comes from the stomach of cows and goats. Other types of cheese use a vegetable-based rennet. Again, ask your fromager which cheese is actually vegetarian since a cow or a goat need to be killed in order to get the rennet.

Bon appétit!

LES COTES D’ARMOR EN BRETAGNE

Presented in French by Laurence Delahaye.
Best for levels 5 to 8 - $25

This conference is offered twice at The French Class:

Wednesday, April 4^th from 12:30 to 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 7^th from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.

Learn (more) about Brittany, and especially about les Côtes d’Armor, its traditions, its food and its beautiful natural and historical sites.

Please REGISTER AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE (415) 362-3666

GAUGUIN’S COLORS: 
A DRAWING WORKSHOP

Presented in English and in French by Marine Futin
at The French Class
All levels, $65

Thursday March 22^nd from 2 to 3:30 PM.

Discover or learn more about Gauguin by learning how to draw with dry pastels using one of his paintings as a model. No special skills are necessary and you will be guided through the whole process. This is a fun and creative workshop, in English with some French. Immerse yourself in the favorite colors of this artist. $65 includes the material.

Please REGISTER AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE (415) 362-3666

NOUVEAU COURS DE RENEE MOREL:
LES FRANÇAIS AUJOURD’HUI

Every Wednesday morning from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
from March 7^th to April 25^th at The French Class 
Drop in: $42 per class / 8 weeks: $299

Qu’en est-il de la fameuse “écriture inclusive” ou langage non sexiste destiné à éviter toute discrimination, que ce soit à l’écrit ou à l'oral? Ou bien de la consommation de sucre, ce “poison si désirable” dont la consommation a explosé? De la confiture artisanale “haute couture” à l’admirable service d’enlèvement des objets encombrants de la capitale, venez discuter, à travers des articles récents du Monde, le mode de vie toujours mouvant des Français.

A PARIS,
AVEC CATHERINE AUBALE EPSTEIN

Paris…toujours à découvrir…

J’ai déjeuné dernièrement dans un petit restaurant fort sympathique, dans le fameux quartier latin. Il s'appelle « Gaudeamus » ("Soyons heureux") et se trouve au 47 Rue de la Montagne Sainte Geneviève, Paris 5ème - tout près du Panthéon. La cuisine est franco-géorgienne. Quand on y va, on peut en profiter pour visiter les belles ruelles de la Montagne Sainte Geneviève qui est en lui-même un petit village au milieu de Paris.

Vous aimez les beaux endroits parisiens?  Copiez et suivez ce lien :

https://.youtube.com/watch?v=JVSwiQ0NLM

Vous serez emmené dans un rêve par ces photos et vidéos.

Un mot sur l’immobilier à Paris, d’après la Chambre des Notaires : La croissance des ventes reste forte mais perd en intensité. La hausse des prix se modère, sauf à Paris. Le prix au mètre carré des appartements anciens a atteint 9,040 Euros en Novembre 2017 dans la capitale et devrait atteindre 9,260 Euros en Mars 2018 avec une nouvelle accélération de la hausse annuelle à 9.5%. 

Rent an apartment in Paris

Great locations, rates and management. The French Class students get a discount.
Contact: rothray@rothray.com

Un verbe à la fois!

One verb at a time!

See what you can say with a very simple verb…

LEARN FRENCH AT HOME
WITH THE FRENCH CLASS

You can learn or practice your French face to face with one of our teachers on SKYPE or FACETIME, just like in our classroom. Skype is FREE and VERY easy to install and use. 
Visit www.frenchclass.com for more details and rates, or call us at
(415) 362-3666 to schedule a free session on Skype or Facetime.

Trouvez la préposition correcte 

1. Léa est complètement différente _____  sa soeur.

2. Je n’ai pas l’habitude ______ être en retard.

3. Je viens _____ commencer ______ suivre un cours _____ cuisine.

4. Ils ont insisté ______ que nous venions ______ eux.

5. Il n’est pas question _______ laisser tomber.

6. Excusez-moi ______ vous déranger.

7. Tu as vraiment ______ la chance. 

8. Je n’ai pas envie ______ participer ______ cette réunion.

Voir les réponses plus bas. See answers below

Faites défiler le texte vers le bas ou cliquez sur la clé pour voir les réponses.
Scroll down or click the key to see the answers.

A Simple Fact To Learn More French

If you learn one simple sentence in French every day, you will learn 365 French expressions in a year.  For example: 

Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire?
What does it mean?

Read The French Class Newsletter and learn hundreds of expressions per year, for free! Keep reading! Keep learning!

Quelques phrases utiles /
A few useful sentences

Je ne le savais pas. 
I didn’t know that.

Si ça ne pose pas de problème.
If it’s not a problem.

Un petit peu de grammaire /
A little bit of grammar

Le subjonctif

Il faut que je recommence.
I have to do it again.

Il a fallu que je recommence.
I had to do it again.

Il faudra que je recommence.
I’ll have to do it again.

l faudrait que je recommence.
I should do it again.

Pourvu que je ne doive pas recommencer.
I really hope I don’t have to do it again.

Visit our website www.frenchclass.com and find a class for your level. Don’t hesitate to call us at (415) 362-3666 if you have any questions regarding the appropriate level for you or if you would like a free assessment.

Your Victory of the Month

Keeping a positive attitude while learning will help you learn faster and will also make learning so much more pleasant! Save a few minutes every day to open your French book and review what you just learned. Set small goals. For example, learn how to say one sentence:
J’y suis arrivé(e)!
I did it!

My French 2 Cents

Have your own French tutor for 2 cents per day!

During the course of your studies in French, you often have questions such as: why is this article used, which pronoun is correct or should I use the subjunctive in this sentence? The French Class created an easy and very cheap program to answer your questions. We call it: My French 2 cents. 

Here is how it works in 4 easy steps:

1. pay $7.30 (2¢ per day!) for a one-year subscription to this amazing program 

2. receive a welcome email 

3. send your questions to the email address you are given

4. receive a prompt and personal detailed answer. 

It is that easy!

THE FRENCH CLASS BOOK CLUB

The French Class book club meets once a month, on Mondays, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Books are chosen by the members of the book club, and it takes one or two months to read and discuss a book, depending on the length. We have read many authors, classics as well as contemporary, such as Balzac, Colette, Marguerite Yourcenar, Marcel Proust, Irène Nemirovski, Patrick Modiano, Amélie Nothomb, Franck Thilliez or Tatiana de Rosnay.
Please call us at (415) 362-3666 or send a message to dominiquebremond@aol.com if you would like to join us.

Les réponses :

Trouvez la préposition correcte

1. Léa est complètement différente de sa soeur. Lea is completely different from her sister.

2. Je n’ai pas l’habitude d’être en retard. I’m not used to being late.

3. Je viens de commencer à suivre un cours de cuisine. I just started to take a cooking class.

4. Ils ont insisté pour que nous venions avec eux. They insisted that we come with them.

5. Il n’est pas question de laisser tomber. Giving up is out of the question.

6. Excusez-moi de vous déranger. Forgive me for disturbing you.

7. Tu as vraiment de la chance. You are very lucky.

8. Je n’ai pas envie de participer à cette réunion. I don’t feel like participating in this meeting.

EIGHT-WEEK SESSIONS IN 2018:

- March 5 to April 28

- May 7 to June 30

- July 2 to August 25

- September 4 (Tuesday) to October 27

- October 29 to December 22

FOUR-DAY INTENSIVE COURSES IN 2018

1. April 30 to May 3

2. August 27 to 30

FAQS about our intensives:

- Are the levels offered separately?

Yes. You sign up for the intensive course corresponding to your current level. Levels offered are usually from 1 to 7. We recommend a free assessment of your level before you sign up. Assessments may be provided over the phone or on Skype or Facetime if you don’t have the time to come to the school.

- Do I have to sign up in advance?

Signing up in advance is highly recommended so we can offer the level and time you want. Groups with fewer than 4 students are canceled 3 days before the intensive. In order to sign up, you need to call, register and give a credit number or remit payment. 

- What do we do during the intensive? 

The intensive courses focus on conversation and oral comprehension, but we also review grammar relevant for each level, practice pronunciation, and introduce a lot of useful vocabulary for everyday conversation.

- Do I have to attend the entire intensive?

Not necessarily. If there is space, you may also attend and pay per day.

- What happens if I register and cannot attend? 

We are sorry we cannot offer refunds or credits after the no refund date announced on our web site. We cannot make exceptions to our policy.

- If you purchased your class on CourseHorse, our cancellation policy applies to your purchase. If you need help canceling or have any questions, please visit CourseHorse (link: https://coursehorse.com/contact-us).

The French Class Meet Up

Learn more French everyday on our two Facebook pages

French Lessons Online

You moved away?
Please keep in touch, keep speaking French!

• You can continue studying French with us on line with Skype. Learn more about it.
• You may still benefit from reading new quick tips every month. 

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