French courses

The association organises French courses for researchers and their family members at the House for Foreign Researchers (MCE). There are three sessions per year, so that researchers can take a beginner class even if they arrive in January, October or March for example.
We have a FALL SESSION session (mid-October to mid December), a WINTER SESSION (end of January -end of March), and finally a SPRING SESSION (mid April- mid to late June).

For each session, three classes are opened. A class is 30 hours (2 x 2hrs per week, in the evening).

The teachers are all from the ‘Institut de Français Langue étrangère de Nantes Université’.

A class can count and be included in some of the doctoral programs, upon agreement with the head of your doctoral cursus (please check directly with your Doctoral School).

At the end of a session, an attendance report will be issued, but no level certification.

Each session presents three independent classes based on three levels:

• Level 1 is for the complete beginners, people who never took any French classes or very very little. It’s targeting a A1.1 level or a A1 level at the end of the session, depending on groupe composition.
  

• Level 2 is for people who took some French classes before but never got to practice much, are still struggling talking in daily life, and understanding or using basic past/future tenses. They enter class with a A1.1/A1 level and target either a strong A1 or a small A2 level for the end of the session.

• Level 3 is for the 9 most advanced candidates who registered in that session. This class is usually composed of people with some solid oral basics but need to practice complexe sentences or conditional/subjunctive uses, etc. In general, you need a A2 level minimum to be in this group and should hope to finish with a level close to B1.1.
  If our levels 1 and 2 are stronger, then level 3 group could start with a A2/B1 level and target a solid B1 at the end.
  
  Classes are no more than 12/14 participants. Level 3 class is slightly smaller with 8-9 participants max.

Next session will start on Monday January 27th 2025. Classes will take place at MCE (8 rue Perrault 44000 Nantes).

REGISTRATION (UPON CALLING ONLY) will start on Wednesday January 15th 2025 9:30AM.

Phone us ahead of registration (no email) in order to assess your level of French.

Once you have registered on January 15th, you can come to our office a few days later to pay and finalize your registration.

The class fee is: 190 € (for 30 hours) to be paid in our office once you have been confirmed on the phone as registered. Payment can be made in 2 instalments. You can pay :

• in cash
• with a French cheque, to “Association Chercheurs Etrangers à Nantes”
• through a standing order form (bon de commande) coming from your lab, if they agree to pay for your session. In that specific case, the applicable price would be 250€.
  

Here you have a tentative schedule :

• Level 1 class: on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 8pm
• Level 2 class: on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 8pm
• Level 3 class: on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 8pm

If you wish, there are also other solutions to learn French in Nantes :