Courses levels

The French classes are aligned with the levels of the CEFR allowing to acquire a renowned level on international scale. These levels are divided in sub-levels and require a minimum of hours of learning in order to successfully obtain the right level.

In our standard classes, you will practise four skills: speaking, listening, writing and reading, while developing your cultural knowledge and awareness. For these classes, you will be asked to purchase coursebooks. Our conversation classes focus on the speaking and listening skills. Our themed courses focus on different aspect of French language: culture, grammar, pronunciation, exam skills, etc. 

In order to choose the best course for you, you need to know your French level: you can take our free online placement test

A1

Elementary

At the end of this level, you will be able to introduce yourself and others, ask and answer questions about personal details (where do you live, people you know and things you have).
You will be able to understand and to use familiar every day expressions and very basic phrases that you need to interact simply.

Listening

You can understand and recognise familiar words and expressions, if the person talks slowly and clearly, with pauses.
You can recognise concrete information (e.g. places and times) on familiar topics encountered in every day life.

Speaking

You can take part into simple conversations and use phrases to describe yourself and your environment. 
Can produce simple, mainly isolated phrases about people and places.

Reading

You can understand very short, simple texts a single phrase at a time, picking up familiar names, words and basic phrases and rereading as required.

Writing

You can give information about matters of personal relevance (e.g. likes and dislikes, family, pets) using simple words/signs and basic expressions. You produce simple isolated phrases and sentences.

Check our A1 courses:

A1.1 A1.1 A1.2 A1.2 A1.3 A1.3

A2 

UPPER ELEMENTARY

At the end of this level, you will be able to 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). You will communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.

Listening

You can understand enough to be able to meet needs of a concrete type (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment), provided people articulate clearly and slowly. 

Speaking

You can give a simple description or presentation of people, living or working conditions, daily routines. likes/dislikes, etc. as a short series of simple phrases and sentences linked into a list.

Reading

You can understand short, simple texts on familiar matters of a concrete type which consist of high frequency every day or job-related language.

Writing

You can produce a series of simple phrases and sentences linked with simple connectors.

Check our A2 courses:

A2.1 A2.1 A2.2 A2.2 A2.3 A2.3

B1

INTERMEDIATE

At the end of this level, you will be able to understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. You will be able to deal with most situations likely to arise whilst travelling in a French-speaking country. 

Listening

You can understand straightforward factual information about common every day or job-related topics, identifying both general messages and specific details, provided people articulate clearly in a generally familiar variety. 

Speaking

You can reasonably fluently sustain a straightforward description of one of a variety of subjects within your field of interest, presenting it as a linear sequence of points.

Reading

You can read straightforward factual texts on subjects related to your field of interest with a satisfactory level of comprehension.

Writing

You can produce straightforward connected texts on a range of familiar subjects within your field of interest, by linking a series of shorter discrete elements into a linear sequence.

Check our B1 courses:

B1.1 B1.1 B1.2 B1.2 B1.3 B1.3

B2

UPPER INTERMEDIATE

At the end of this level, you will be able to understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions. You can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with French speakers quite possible without strain for either party. 

Listening

You can understand standard language or a familiar variety, live or broadcast, on both familiar and unfamiliar topics normally encountered in personal, social, academic or vocational life. Only extreme [auditory/visual] background noise, inadequate discourse structure and/or idiomatic usage influence the ability to understand.

Speaking

You can give clear, systematically developed descriptions and presentations, with appropriate highlighting of significant points, and relevant supporting detail. 

Reading

You can read with a large degree of independence, adapting style and speed of reading to different texts and purposes, and using appropriate reference sources selectively. You have a broad active reading vocabulary, but you may experience some difficulty with low-frequency idioms.

Writing

You can employ the structure and conventions of a variety of genres, varying the tone, style and register according to addressee, text type and theme.

Check our B2 courses:

B2.1 B2.1 B2.2 B2.2 B2.3 B2.3 B2.4 B2.4

C1

ADVANCED

At the end of this level, you will be able to understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. You can express yourself spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. You will use French flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes, and produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects.

Listening

You can understand enough to follow extended discourse on abstract and complex topics beyond your own field, though you may need to confirm occasional details, especially if the variety is unfamiliar.
You can also recognise a wide range of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms, appreciating register shifts.
You can follow extended discourse even when it is not clearly structured and when relationships are only implied and not signalled explicitly.

Speaking

You can give clear, detailed descriptions and presentations on complex subjects, integrating sub-themes, developing particular points and rounding off with an appropriate conclusion.

Reading

You can understand in detail lengthy, complex texts, whether or not these relate to their own area of speciality, provided you can reread difficult sections. You can understand a wide variety of texts including literary writings, newspaper or magazine articles, and specialised academic or professional publications, provided there are opportunities for rereading and access to a dictionary.

Writing

You can produce clear, well-structured texts of complex subjects, underlining the relevant salient issues, expanding and supporting points of view at some length with subsidiary points, reasons and relevant examples, and rounding off with an appropriate conclusion. You employ the structure and conventions of a variety of genres, varying the tone, style and register according to addressee, text type and theme.

Check our C1 courses:

C1.1 C1.1 C1.2 C1.2 C1.3 C1.3 C1.4 C1.4

C2

UPPER ADVANCED

At the end of this level, you will be able to introduce yourself and others, ask and answer questions about personal details (where do you live, people you know and things you have).
You will be able to understand and to use familiar every day expressions and very basic phrases that you need to interact simply.

Listening

You can understand with ease virtually any kind of language, whether live or broadcast, delivered at fast natural speed.

Speaking

You can produce clear, smoothly flowing, well-structured discourse with an effective logical structure which helps the recipient to notice and remember significant points. 

Reading

You can understand virtually all types of texts including abstract, structurally complex, or highly colloquial literary and non-literary writings. You can appreciate subtle distinctions of style and implicit as well as explicit meaning.

Writing

You can produce clear, smoothly flowing, complex texts in an appropriate and effective style and a logical structure which helps the reader identify significant points.


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