Learning French as a foreign language

I'm looking into taking evening classes in French, can anyone recommend any good schools?

Inlingua (at sendlinger tor) gives courses in French. Did a German class there last year for a couple of months and to my experience they give good quality classes, for example teachers are always native speakers.

I guess read the discussion about German language schools and see if they do French too (like the MVHS). I can't recommend any specific one as I learned mine in the UK. Did Brazilian Portuguese at the MVHS and it was nice in the beginning but then much too slow and got bored after a while. Depends how fast you are at languages I guess.

Yeah the Volkshochschule is pretty good, but usually it's either too early in the day or two often during the week. I looked into it a couple of years ago. But I'll check it out thanks for the advice!

Inlingua is only twice a week and they have evening classes (i believe from 7 to 8:30 or so)

Aren't there French native-speakers on TT who can give private lessons?

I know a couple of french native speakers, but i prefer the classroom setting, i feel i learn better that way, and then to use what i learned in practice with people (yes, i am a dork, i like class).

Inlingua is a great school but very expensive. Thanks though!

true, a classroom is better than non-binding practice with natives where you often lack the discipline for. When I was learning German they expected me to make homework, which i always forgot/refused to do and that slowed my progress a lot and made me quit the course in the end.

I remember I once heard there are language exchange programs, probably at the university but maybe also outside it, where an English speaker and a native German speaker are put together in couples and such improve each other language in a very cheap way. You then still have the binding to a program, so that you feel obliged to work on it. Maybe they also offer such a program for French/German language exchange? It would be cheap and suitable for an advanced level.

http://www.worldwide.edu/ci/germany/flschools_adult.html

Excellent source for language schools all over Germany, in English.

Try Tauber Schulen. 16 hours (4*4*0,75) cost 69,- Euros. Only school I know that doesn't charge a fortune for registartion and learning material.

IIRC L'Institut francais also offers courses, but I think it's dead expensive. I think the building is near Institute Cervantes. I'm sure a search on Google will give you the appropriate results (feeling lazy)

imho it's with language courses as with a lot of other things, you get what you pay for. And as long as the course isn't too advanced for your level and you can take full advantage of the offered information i don't think that's much of a problem.

Ilingua Method did not work for me. I think their books sucks. At least that is my opnion. If I had some time and money the best would be to hit France for few weeks

Learning any lingo is easier in the country of course, but I have never met anyone with a decent level of fluency in any language who did not knuckle down and study at some point.

I though Inlingua only used their own books for entry level courses, and have professional books for the more advanced classes? That's what they do for German at least.

I can highly recommend the Institut Français in Munich. The teachers are highly qualified and amicable. It is definitely worth a buck!

Besides, I am wondering if anyone may know a native French speaker who is interested in tutoring.

There have been people advertising their French skills. Just do a search with French in the search field. In addition, there are two French parties every month, on the first Friday of every month in the Muffathalle aptly called "Le Tour de France" and the mid-month one in Salon Erna at the Optimolgelände.

http://www.enclasse.org/

2 friends of mine run this and are a lot of fun. Enjoy!

Hi!
I am a French native-speaker and I'll soon be living in Munich. I used to work in a language school in Paris and I also taught French at university in the US.

To be honest, I would not recommend learning an language in a language school too much. First, it is very expensive. Second, unless you take private lessons, groups are usually packed. Third, it all depends on your centers of interest... A good alternative could be amix between in-class courses and some multimedia activities.
The best would be to take lessons with a private teacher taht you can go out with and learn French in "real" situations.

What I suggest BubbleGum is to identify your needs first: reading? speaking? writing? Then you'll be albe to select the most appropriate learning methods.
From my own experience, it is good to have some one native to speak with and that corrects you along the conversations. Then you can go over some particular topics such as grammar or pronunciation. The latter is known to be tough for foreigners as we have many exceptions.

If you need any more help, i'd be happy to get in touch with you when I move to Munich in October!

Au revoir et à bientôt

So, I know how to use Google and there seem to be some schools here in Munich where French as a foreign language is taught but do any of you have any experience with them? I'm not so interested in the VHS as I'm short of time and would like something a bit more intensive, and ideally taught from a basis of English not German. I'm at something of an intermediate level in French and a bit more advanced in German.

I know this is an odd request, but you never know...

Edit: Thanks to the mods who merged this. I have to admit I didn't even search TT as for some reason it seemed impossible the topic would already exist.

Topics merged by admin

Hi,

I'm looking for a course to brush up my French. I learned it in school but appear to have forgotten almost all of it. I'm looking for an evening course a couple of times a week, which isn't too heavy on the wallet & that offers some sort of proficiency cert. at the end. Any help much appreciated.

Topics merged by admin

A good place to learn French is Paris but whatever you do don’t fly in there as at Paris Orly airport all the French pilots refuse to converse over the radio in English so being a major international destination that it is all the pilots from other countries don’t know what all the French pilots are saying – recipe for disaster none the less.

I think he's asking about the possibility of studying French in Munich.

Yes I gathered that much but I was only trying to help - I mean what's the use in learning French here - they all speak German n'est pas? He would be much better off learning French in Paris - they all speak French there. Also there he would learn to speak it with a French accent and not a German one.

@johnnyd
Actually there is a large French-speaking (=authentic) community in Munich, complete with an accredited school, Lycée français Jean Renoir, for children aged 3-18 (from école maternelle to the baccalauréat). As in the English-speaking community, some people come for a fixed period of time so they don't all necessarily learn German.

@muntered
Unfortunately, the Alliance française (network of French cultural centres) doesn't seem to be active in Germany at all, normally that would be the obvious place for French courses leading to a certificate. Since that's out, if you still want at least to brush up your French you could look for a tandem partner either here on TT or on the site of Munich's French-speaking community, Munich French Connection. There may be other schools offering French courses, but I'm afraid I don't know of any.

Merci Kay vous êtes très gentile.

Not really, since I'm about to correct you and tell you that the feminine form of "gentil" is "gentille" (double 'l').

Bonne soirée!

Well how was I to know if you are feminine or not - strange place this internet. But giving free French lessons I can only think nice of you.

Erm... the problem is that in French "gentile" is wrong either way: the correct forms are gentil (m), gentille (f).
It would be easier in Italian, you could use "gentile" for both!

Okay Okay you win don't rub it in - I can speak it better than I write it anyhow.

Try the Institut Francais, they do lessons during the evenings and daytime. You can choose between once, twice or three times a week depending on how fast you want to learn. They also have a French library you can use for free as a student.

They are located near the English Gardens, a few minutes walk from the Ubahn stop 'Universitat'. The cost of lessons is reasonable and taught by native speakers. From what I can gather, they are the equivalent of the Alliance Francais system in other countries.

That sounds pretty good I´ll check it out

I have second-hand recommendations for the Institut Francais...three of my German friends have all done courses there and been very pleased. They also run various social activities (films, literary lectures, as well as parties, etc) which are attended by a lot of the French people living in Munich too - and which you can attend whether you go to the courses or not. I went to their Summer Party last year...in the gardens of their wondeful villa.

if i wanted to brush uo my french, i would go the institut francais.

Can anyone recommend a French teacher for private lessons? I'm looking for someone who has some qualification to teach the French language and is a native speaker, experience preferred. It would be for approximately 90 minutes once a week, focussing mainly on conversation skills and verbal communication.

I've been taking lessons at the Institut Francais at level A2 and can highly recommend them. However I need to practise speaking much more at this stage, and to be honest would rather get lessons from a teacher than look for a tandem partner.

Seems to be a pretty old thread.

I want to learn French. I had no knowledge of the language, except trying to eavesdrop conversation of my ex-flatmates.

Any recommendations?

its just a curious idea, I learnt french to A level and was much better than my current level of German, I can hardly speak a word now because my brain substitutes the german word or grammar automatically. Couldnt we find some/a french speaker/s to start a french conversation stammtisch

Does the Institut Francais offer one-on-one conversation classes? My French is near native, but I don't get to speak it much anymore and would like to have a few sessions to get my brain ticking again.

Yep, the Institut Francais does offer one-to-one French lessons. Of course this is significantly more expensive than classes with a group, but it can be a far more effective way of learning if you put the effort in. Check out their website or get in touch with them for their current prices.

Another vote for the IF. Small(er) classes, better teachers, and more money but better value than VHS and most people in the class seem to have their level estimated about right so there's not the one who's clueless holding everyone else up.

If anyone in Munich is interested in a private French speaking meet-up in a French restaurant (Crêpes, Galettes, etc...) aux prix raisonables in Schwabing
Le jeudi, 3 avril - à partir de 19.30h
Then write to stammtischmuc@yahoo.de jusqu'au mardi 1 avril, si vous pouvez/voulez venir.
See you there