French Classes in Chicago, Illinois

Alliance Francaise de Chicago:
Alliance Francaise de Chicago offers French classes and cultural activities. Founded in 1897, we are one of Chicago's oldest cultural and educational institutions. We are a gathering place for people interested in all aspects of France and French speaking cultures. Each year we welcome more than 2,700 students, both adults and children, into our classrooms. As a school, we offer a wide and varied curriculum, from French language courses, to classes specializing in history, culture and business. As a cultural center, we sponsor or co-sponsor approximately 30 programs a year, all open to the public. Come and discover all we have to offer.

Our classes are offered over a large range of days and times. Make-up classes, tailored classes, and personalized attention make attending the Alliance Française a no stress experience. Chez Kids Academy offers French immersion programs for toddlers and children alike.

Classes Include:
Basic regular
Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

Basic Specialized
Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate about simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.

Independent regular
Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise while traveling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

Independent specialized
Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

Proficient regular
Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.

Proficient specialized
Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarize information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.


Miscellaneous courses
Children's courses
Private lessons
Corporate classes