We run the following four groups under this heading.

Basic/Improvers

This group is for people who have done some more recent study, or are prepared to have more of a challenge.

 New members would be very welcome.   If you are interested, or would simply like more information, please use the Contact Us form at the top of the page,

Current Activity

We will be working from chapter 18 of Façon  de Parler Book 1, Sixth Edition, which you will need to buy. The Group Leader will sometimes give you further exercises from the Activity Book which you should buy as well.  There will be basic conversation in the present tense and increasingly in the past, once we have revised the perfect tense which is in Chapter 19. The class is relaxed and friendly, and we have lots of laughs.  

This group started on 11th October 2022. It is suspended until June 19th 2023.

The group at present only has six members, so we now run face-to-face in the group leader's house.   If the group increases in size, we would be able to go back to meeting in St Leonard’s Centre, where we were previously.

Intermediate

The Intermediate Group, taken by a native French speaker, is best suited to people with a fair knowledge of French, who wish to consolidate their knowledge and read, write and converse in the language. The group meets once a week for 2 hours at the St Leonard’s Centre during term time.

Current activity

The Group Leader sends the group reading material usually based on current affairs or cultural events via email. The students work on it at home to be able to translate it in class. They also prepare a response to it in French which they discuss in class. The second half of the lesson usually focusses on a grammar or language point based on exercises in the text book Façon de Parler 2. The sessions are informal and the atmosphere relaxed..

Conversation

Our group,  which has been running for over 10 years, holds conversation in French on a variety of subjects that interests all members and our everyday lives - and discussions about all things French. Conversation with varying degrees of ability and seriousness -  and often humour as well.

French Advanced

The Advanced Group, taken by Liliane, who is French, is for people with a good knowledge of French who wish to read, write and converse in the language as well as learn about current events in France. There are currently 18 members in the group who meet once a week for 2 hours at the St Leonard’s Centre during term time.

Current Activity

Liliane sends the group reading material via email midweek. It is usually based on current affairs or famous French people / places / events and is accompanied by questions for the group to prepare ahead of each meeting. The meetings themselves consist of general conversation between the members, discussion of current world and French news, presentations as well as guided reading and occasionally some grammar points.

The group members are encouraged to be proactive and take it in turn to present topics which interest them and they are not afraid to step in when Liliane is absent.