FRENCH CLASSES IN THE BAY AREA
The two inseparable goals of our French Classes in the Bay Area are to ensure that children love their minority language and to allow them to master it in speaking and writing. This process is not instantaneous; it is a lifelong path into adulthood in which we help you guide your children.
THE BEST WAY OF LEARNING FRENCH
In our 1.5 hrs classes (twice a week), we adapt the curriculum for both French-native (Francophone) and non native (French Second Language) speakers.
We offer different courses based on age and proficiency level:
• Petits | aged 5 to 6 (K – 1st grade)
• Moyens (2nd and up)
• Grands (2nd and up)
• Collège | pre-teens and teens (middle school)
LEARNING FRENCH AFTER SCHOOL
The idea that a group class can be better than private lessons is counterintuitive. Doesn’t a student one-on-one with a teacher receive the most attention and stimulation? Since becoming bilingual is a process in which a person achieves mastery of a language and its cultural references on a nearly native level, one could imagine that a private lesson is where a teacher pushes the child to the maximum of his or her capabilities.
Yet, one-on-one instruction is not enough to become bilingual, and not only because it can quickly become boring. Becoming bilingual is also a transformation of self. This visceral identity component is only possible through interaction with individuals one recognizes as peers; in the case of children, other children. A group class, as such, contributes to achieving this goal, bringing about a transformation of identity through fun and laughter, complicity and emulation.
Naturally, in the case of a modern language, the group needs to be small enough for everyone to have a chance at self-expression but large enough to create a group dynamic. That is why our French Classes in the Bay Area are between 4 and 15 students. In our summer camps, the ratio of staff to children is even smaller, with the aim of producing language without overwhelming the children.
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