French Group Classes

9 different levels plus French for Travelers

NEW: Accelerated Basic 1 & 2!

Classes meet once per week for 2.5 hours

Small class size (max. 9 students)

Experienced, native-speaking teachers

Four 10-week terms per year

Affordable tuition

Conveniently located at Dupont Circle

$340 for 1 level, $20 early-sign up discount through May 31, 2009

The French Language Program at ILI consists of four 10-week terms throughout the year. We are offering nine different levels, from beginner to pre-advanced, including one accelerated classes covering two levels in one term. In addition, we are also offering now French for Travelers. Classes meet at the Institute once a week in the evening or on Saturday mornings. The accelerated classes meet twice per week for 2.5 hours each. Our teachers are all native-speaking and experienced. The French Language Program integrates speaking, listening, reading and writing. We maintain small class sizes to enable adequate time for conversation in every class. To find your level, please refer to the level description or use our self-evaluation guide. If you have further questions, please call Francisco Todd, ILI's Foreign Language Coordinator, at 202-686-5610 ext. 105.

Level Description

Basic 1:

The emphasis of this introductory class is on pronunciation, vocabulary building, basic grammar and basic conversation. This course is for those students with little or no ability in the language. At this level, students will be exposed to the use of the present indicative tense and the formation and use of the imperative, which will enable them to handle basic everyday conversations about familiar topics. Introduction to basic listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will be addressed throughout the course. Previous French not required. Basic 1A, B, and C are identical in content.

Objective:
To introduce students to basic French vocabulary, present tense of regular and irregular verbs, gender in pronouns and nouns, and fundamental idiomatic expressions and to provide students with the ability to engage in simple conversation.

Learning Outcome:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to use simple verbs in the present tense; engage in basic conversations involving greetings/introduction of self and the description of things; know general expressions and short phrases; and become familiar with the fundamental geography and culture of France and Francophone regions of the world.

Topics: Regular and irregular verbs in the present tense; definite and indefinite articles (noun gender); partitive; interrogation; prepositions; negation; basic vocabulary; introductory pronunciation.

Textbook: French First Year by Blume & Stein, $32

Lessons: Preparatory lesson and first one third of textbook, complementary culture, vocabulary, reading, listening and French civilization units.

Basic 1A: Tuesdays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm
Basic 1B: Thursdays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm
Basic 1C: Saturdays: 10:00 – 12:30 pm
Accelerated Basic 1 & 2: Mondays & Wednesdays: 6:15 - 8:45 pm

Basic 2:

This course is the continuation of the basic level and for students who have taken formal instruction a while ago, or have previous informal exposure to the language. Building of the basic foundation provided in the introductory level, students will learn to introduce themselves and conduct simple conversations on a range of everyday subject. Students will learn to correctly use past and future verb tenses along with more complex vocabulary and grammar. Listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will be addressed throughout the course. Basic 2 A, B, and C are identical in content.

Objective:	To provide students with the opportunity to expand their understanding of reading and pronouncing the French language and to continue to increase their conversational skills and knowledge of French and Francophone culture.
Learning Outcome:	Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to engage in conversations involving themselves, each other and their immediate surroundings; name everyday objects, expand their knowledge of French pronunciation through reading and role playing, including increasingly complicated sentences and paragraphs and to gain a better understanding of French and Francophone culture.
Topics:	Regular and irregular verbs in the passé composé, simple and near future; reflexive verbs; pronunciation and counting; direct/indirect object pronouns; infinitive expressions; idioms; possession; adjectives.
Textbook:	French First Year by Blume & Stein, $32
Lessons:	Second third of textbook, complementary culture, vocabulary, reading, listening and French civilization units.

Basic 2A: Mondays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm
Basic 2B: Thursdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm
Basic 2C: Saturdays: 10:00 – 12:30 pm
Accelerated Basic 1 & 2: Mondays & Wednesdays: 6:15 - 8:45 pm

Basic 3:

This level continues to build up necessary grammar skills that will enable students to understand, read, write and translate sentences and paragraphs. It continues to build on Basic 2 by adding vocabulary and more complex sentences. This course is well-suited for students that have completed at least one semester of college-level French or the equivalent in a language institute. Reflexive verbs will be studied in depth. Listening, reading, speaking and writing skills will continue to be addressed throughout the course. Basic 3 A, B, and C are identical in content.

Objective:	To continue to develop and enhance students’ basic level toward intermediate level of reading, writing and oral skills in the French language through more intricate verb tenses and lengthier speaking and reading assignments.
Learning Outcome:	Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to use more complicated French vocabulary in dialogues and written work; to correctly use present, past, future and reflexive tenses; and to continue to read increasingly complex passages in French.
Topics:	More reflexive verbs; relative pronouns; object pronouns; demonstrative pronouns; comparison; adverbs.
Textbook:	French First Year by Blume & Stein, $32
Lessons:	Last third of textbook, complementary culture, vocabulary, reading, listening and French civilization units.

Basic 3A Tuesdays: 6:15 – 8:45 pm
Basic 3C Saturdays: 10:00 – 12:30 pm

Intermediate 1:

This course is ideal for those who studied French a while ago and need a refresher but Basic French is not advanced enough. While the first part of the course will be dedicated to a review, much of the course introduces new material, such as the Conditional and Imperfect tenses. Grammatical points will include: idiomatic verb usages, expression of quantity, adverbial structures, expression of habitual and progressive actions.

Objective:	To work toward a more advanced level of reading, comprehension and speaking with increasingly more complex subject matter and style.
Learning Outcome:	Upon completion of this level students will be able to engage in conversations and be involved with reading about a broader range of topics with greater confidence and precision.
Topics:	Conditional tense; imperfect tense; more adverbs; expressions of quantity; prepositional phrases.
Textbook:	French Two Years by Blume & Stein, $32
Lessons:	First third of textbook, complementary culture, vocabulary, reading, listening and French civilization units.

Intermediate 1A: Mondays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm
Intermediate 1B: Wednesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Intermediate 2:

This course is designed to be a commencement of a thorough and comprehensive intermediate review with continuing understanding of intermediate elements of the French language and culture. Grammatical topics will review of simple verb tenses, future, conditional, imperfect tenses. Subjunctive mood is also presented. More advanced thematic vocabulary and French and Francophone civilization topics will be introduced.

Objective:	Through more complex vocabulary, grammatical style and topics, students will work toward a more complete understanding of reading and speaking, particularly about France and Francophone regions.
Learning Outcome:	Upon completion of this level students will be able to take a French conversation or written passage to a more complicated level while acquiring a more advanced understanding of French and Francophone culture subjects.
Topics:	Subjunctive; more comparisons; possessions; antonyms and synonyms; some thematic vocabulary.
Textbook:	French Two Years by Blume & Stein, $32
Lessons:	Second third of textbook, complementary culture, vocabulary, reading, listening and French civilization units.

Intermediate 2B: Wednesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Intermediate 3:

This level is designed to be a final review of Intermediate classes as well as an introduction to the advanced levels. Students will be introduced to the complicated relationship between the passé composé and imperfect past tenses. Also included will be a deepening of already acquired topics, such as other verb tenses. Articles on Francophone culture will be presented in more detail than before.

Objective:	Through increasingly more complex vocabulary and working interrelationships of verb tenses, students will deepen their knowledge of topics regarding reading and speaking and writing.
Learning Outcome:	Upon completion of this level, students will have deepened their knowledge acquired in Intermediate 1 and 2 classes, and be able to successfully use all working verb tenses in an interactive manner.
Topics:	Relationship of passé composé and imperfect tenses; more complex thematic vocabulary according to outside articles; idiomatic expressions.
Textbook:	French Three Years by Blume & Stein, $32
Lessons:	First third of textbook, complementary culture, vocabulary, reading, listening and French civilization units.

Intermediate 3: Mondays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Pre-Advanced:

This level is designed to prepare the student for advanced work in French. There will be review of topics taught in Intermediate and introduction of new topics such as Passé Simple verb tense and more sophisticated vocabulary and themes in French and Francophone culture.

Objective:	Through new, advanced vocabulary; introduction of Passé Simple and listening and reading exercises in sophisticated past tenses, students will become accustomed to communicating in the past with a wealth of new vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.
Learning Outcome:	Past tense will become very familiar to students at the end of this course, and they will be able to communicate in an evermore sophisticated fashion, especially about France and Francophone regions.
Topics:	Passé simple; review of all verb tenses; complex thematic vocabulary; understanding of journalistic writing in French.
Textbook:	French Three Years by Blume & Stein, $32
Lessons:	Second third of textbook, complementary culture, vocabulary, reading, listening and French civilization units.

Pre-Advanced: Tuesdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Advanced:

This level focuses on personal production of the individual student. From a list of themes either established ahead of time or conceived of by the class, students will work with a piece of literature to understanding not only its content but also its style and grammatical usages. Choices of literary excerpts will concentrate on topics in French and Francophone cultures.

Objective:	Through a literary passage, students will work on literary style, grammar and usage and acquire a sophisticated knowledge of thematic vocabulary.
Learning Outcome:	Upon completion of this course, students will be able to discern themes of literary passages in French and understand complex vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.
Topics:	Review of tenses; idiomatic expressions in depth; thematic vocabulary; introductory understanding of literary themes.
Textbook:	French Three Years by Blume & Stein, $32
Lessons:	Blume & Stein as reference guide; A short novel or story to be decided upon

Advanced: Thursdays: 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

Advanced Media:

This course will concentrate on one or several news pieces of current events in France or Francophone regions. It assumes fluency or near-fluency of students. The curriculum will be integrated to include political, social and economic news. Television news, radio and newspaper will be consulted. Articles or new items will be analyzed in content.

Objective:	Through a mixture of media in French, students will be able to analyze current events, converse and think critically about them in French.
Learning Outcome:	Upon completion of this course, students will be able to hold a very complex conversation about the news in French in all forms of media. They will also be able to write a résumé of news happening in France and Francophone regions.
Topics:	Rigorous use of multi-media vocabulary; idiomatic expressions; news vocabulary; analytic style of writing in French.
Textbook:	Blume & Stein as reference
Lessons:	Live news programs from France, French radio broadcasts, French and Francophone newspapers.

Advanced Media: Wednesdays 6:15 pm - 8:45 pm

French for Travelers: This course is designed with the social traveler in mind. Using a phrase book/travelers guide the student will practice basic phrases for everyday use while traveling, through in-classroom role-plays, enabling them to communicate instantly on a host of topics: restaurants, shopping, hotel check-ins, health and medical situations, essential services, boat, plane and train travel, much more. Vacation travelers will find everything they need for a smooth, successful trip with the combination of the use of the phrase book/travelers guide and real-life classroom instruction. Tuition: $160.

Textbook: Phrase Book, cost included in the tuition.

Length of program: Saturdays, 12:30-2:30 pm; 5 weeks.

Program Details

2009 Schedule:

Winter Term	Jan. 12 - Mar. 21, 2009	Deadline: Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Spring Term	Apr. 6 - June 13, 2009	Deadline: Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Summer Term	June 29 - Sept. 5, 2009	Deadline: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Fall Term	Sept. 21 - Dec. 5, 2009	Deadline: Wednesday, September 21, 2009

Tuition: $340 for one level, $680 for the accelerated class. Early sign-up discount through May 31, 2009: $20 for one level or $40 for the accelerated class. $160 for Traveler class. Please click here to apply on-line.

Duration: Classes meet once weekly in the evening or on Saturday mornings for 10 weeks (5 weeks for Traveler). Each session is 2.5 hours. Accelerated classes meet twice per week for 2.5 hours each.

Refunds: No refunds are issued once classes have started.

Textbooks: May be purchased at the time of registration or at the Institute before or on the first day of class.

Attendance & Tardiness Policy: It is important for students to attend every class meeting. It is also important that they arrive on time for class. We cover a lot of material in each class. The instructor cannot repeat material for students who are absent or come late. Students will be marked absent when they do not come to class. Students who arrive 15 minutes after the advertised starting time will be marked late. For every 3 times that the student is marked as late, it will count as a missed hour. If we notice that a student’s attendance is in danger of falling below 70%, we will issue an attendance report to the student.

Performance Measurements: Our program requires each student to participate in weekly quizzes, which will be graded, based on a “Pass” or “Fail” system. There will be a final quiz that will measure the sum of the instructional objectives for the course. Grades are verbally communicated to students at the end of each class/course, and are marked on the attendance/performance sheet. Students must have completed and passed at least 70% of the quizzes to move to the next level.

ACCET Certification: ILI’s foreign language group programs are now accredited by ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training), and we also offer 2.5 Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) per every successfully completed course, 5.0 for the accelerated courses. Upon request, our Certificates of Completion can include the CEU’s earned per semester.

Certificates of Completion: We issue certificates at the end of the semester and they can be ordered at the front desk. In order to be eligible to receive a certificate or pass to the next level, you are required to attend a minimum of 70% of the classes and have a “Passing” grade. We will need a couple of days in order to verify your attendance and passing grade before issuing the certificate.

Inclement Weather: Classes are cancelled in accordance with federal government closings (not school closings!) due to inclement weather. Please check public announcements on radio, TV and the Web; or call ILI at (202) 362-2505.

Cancellation/Substitution: The International Language Institute reserves the right to cancel any class if deemed necessary. Prior to commencement of class, students will be given a full refund. In the event of cancellation after the commencement of class, the pro-rata portion of the unexpended tuition will be refunded within $5. The prorated amount of refundable monies will be determined by the ratio of classes completed to the total number of classes in the scheduled program. The International Language Institute reserves the right to assign substitute instructors whenever necessary.

Location: See address below.

Questions? Please call Francisco Todd, Foreign Language Coordinator of ILI, at 202-686-5610 extension 105.