Learning French In Paris

I am going to Paris for 2 weeks. Are there any schools that offer afforadable French classes close to 1er, 4er, 5er for such a short period of time?

Is there any kind of English/French language exchange group that regularly meets in Paris?

Also, I have heard that the Pompidou center has a language library where one can study for free up to 2 hours per day - does anyone have more info. about this? THANKS!

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There is an Alliance Francaise in Paris on Blvd. Raspail. www.alliancefr.org/rubrique.php3…

Try asking about if the programs are as short as 2 weeks.

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If you look in FUSAC (a free magazine available in expat bars and English languae bookshops) or www.fusac.fr you can find people offereing French for English exchanges. Alternatievlye look on the board at the American Curch.

For formal lessonw I know a lot of people whi have used Langues Onze ( http://www.langueonzeparis.com/ ) very satisfactory. It is on metro line 3 but only a couple of stops from République and about 15 minutes from CHatelet.

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Also, local Alliance Francaise centers in the U.S. carry information about many non-AF French language centers in Paris and other places in France. If there is an Alliance Francaise center in LA, you should call or go there for info.

The NY Times did a great piece on this several years ago -- wish I%26#39;d saved it. There are many total-immersion type schools in Paris catering to people whose jobs have taken them to Paris, or whose spouses have been transferred to Paris, and need to learn practical French quickly. Some of these schools take people on vacation like you. I think you would be expected to attend classes either all day or a half day, every day, at least Monday through Friday.

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If you get tied up with French classes, will you have enough time to sightsee??

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Most language classes only have class in the morning, so that leaves you the afternoon to do as you please.

Alliance Francaise or the Sorbonne are both good for FLE classes (francais langue etrangere)

Les

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From another thread I posted this yesterday:

%26lt;%26lt;For French classes we attended the Alliance Francaise for 3 months (Approx $1000 each in all) and were disappointed. It was too disorganized and the classes were too large.

My wife is currently attending the Sorbonne%26#39;s French program which is set up for foreign students. It costs about the same as AF but is much more organized and efficient. She likes it a lot.%26gt;%26gt;

Keep in mind that the regular Alliance Francaise classes are 4 week classes and the Sorbonne are 3 month classes. The schools that teach intensive %26quot;executive%26quot; French (Berlitz, etc.) are designed for business people to just get by, are %26quot;intensive%26quot;. If you take one, that%26#39;s all you%26#39;ll be doing while you%26#39;re in Paris.

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Have you considered getting private lessons from a native speaker? Before my trip in September I hired a tutor and saw my speaking capability improved greatly after 2 months. The advantage of a one on one interaction is you can focus the conversation on your area of interest, hence better retention. My tutor happened to be an engaging listener. I got a tutor and a therapist for the price of one :)

I paid him $25/hour twice a week for in-home visits. In Los Angeles the going rate is $25-$50 an hour. A better value than Aliance francaise!

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I am myself a French native tutor giving private lessons to foreigners.

But I don%26#39;t know if it is allowed to give my email address here ?

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There may be an untapped market here for an entrepreneur. How about breakfast at some central location with easy access to the Metro accompanied by some lessons in %26quot;survival%26quot; French. A lot of tourists might be willing to spend an hour or so a day and a few Euros learning enough of the language to navigate around the country, order food, etc. Though guidebooks list the frequently needed phrases, pronouncing them in a manner that a native can understand is something instant feedback can better provide than tapes or the like.