All French groups meet approximately 35 times over the year. To ensure progression, regular attendance is strongly recommended.

French Beginners Group leader: Sheila Milner

Weekly Tuesday 10.00 -11.30 St Leonard’s centre. Oakley

Starting date: Early October ( providing there is enough interest to make the group viable)

This level is for members with little or no knowledge of French. The focus is on pronunciation and basic language points in order to develop survival skills in the language ( choice of text book to be advised). After 1 year of regular attendance, members should be able to join the French Improvers group.

French Improvers Group leader: Liliane White

Weekly Tuesday 10.00 -12.00 St Leonard’s centre. Oakley

Starting date: Mid to late September.

The group is for people who have completed 1 year in the Beginners’ group or who have some knowledge of French and wish to improve their confidence in the language.  We shall be using Façon de Parler book 2.The class is friendly and informal and the aim is to be able to converse using simple French and to boost people’s confidence in doing so.

French Conversation Group. Group Leader: Jo Head.  Weekly: Tuesday 10.00 to 11.45

This group has been running successfully for several years for general conversation in French at individual members homes – but since Covid the group has mainly met via Zoom with occasional face-face meetings. The current intention in the future is to have a mix of Zoom and face-face meetings. There are 10 regulars currently but we would welcome new members who have some knowledge of, and ability with, French. We discuss current affairs linked to Britain and France, activities and holidays, hobbies, home and family life and occasional personal discussions.

Note: Each week we have two sessions with a coffee break in between. We don’t use any formal study materials but members do on occasions use printed material to show others and encourage conversation. The aim of the group is spontaneous conversation in French. We make mistakes but it is enjoyable and interesting.

French Intermediate  Group leader: Véronique Aitken Weekly meetings term time  Monday 10.00-12.00   St Leonard’s centre. Oakley. Starting: Mid to late September.

The Intermediate Group, taken by Véronique, 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. It is expected that members will attend regularly.

Current activities Véronique sends the group reading material, 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. The sessions are informal and the atmosphere relaxed. Regular attendance is strongly recommended.

French Advanced  Group leader: Liliane White

Weekly meetings term time  Monday 10.00-12.00

St Leonard’s centre. Oakley. Starting: Mid to late September

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 20 members in the group and regular attendance is important.

Current activities

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 to take it in turn to present topics which interest them as well as to step in when Liliane is absent