Where and how to learn French in NYC!
Salut mon ami! I was super excited to write this post! One of my main goals for 2017 was to learn a new language. As you might know I speak Portuguese, English and I kinda speak Spanish, but I’ve always wanted to learn French. It happened in 2009 during my first trip to Paris, with zero french. It was hard to communicate at times so I decided I would give French a try as soon as got back home. Well, it didn’t happen right away. It was only now, almost 8 years later that I finally allowed myself to take a break from my crazy schedule and do something that I really wanted to do! So I enrolled myself in French 101 at the French Institute/Alliance Francaise! Yes! I did tried to learn on my own but it didn’t go well, so going to class twice a week and interacting with native speakers and classmates from all over the world did the job for me! And here I am to tell you how much I’m enjoying this journey! I can honestly say that I fell in love not only with the language but with the French culture in general. I leave the building with this urge to say bonjour to everyone around me! I believe the way we learn French at the French Institute is so intense but at the same time light and natural that going to class has never been so fun! They sent me some photos to use in this post just so I can show some parts of the institute. Photo credits by © Michael George e building façade by © Mathlde Roussel-Giraudy.
Another great thing is that the institute offers activities outside the classroom so students can experience the culture and improve their skills even when they are not studying. They also offer access to an amazing library, with all kinds of books, CDs, DVDs, newspapers, magazines and dictionaries to all levels and ages. They also have special movie screenings, book signings, art gallery, special events (for members/students and guests)! And for the little ones they also offer pre-school, summer camps and birthday parties! Wow! Any doubts my kids will be attending at least the summer camps? It might take a while for this to happen and even though French is not a language natural to me or my Japanese American husband, learning a new language is important and expands your conception of the world out there. Nobody can take knowledge away from you, so I decided to invest in myself, learn something I’ve always been interested in learning and it’s been a great journey so I had to share with you all! The French Institute/Alliance Francaise is located at the address 22 E 60th St, New York, NY. New classes will be starting soon, so make sure to visit their website and join me!
