About Our Language Courses

WICE offers French language classes plus French and English guided discussion classes, film classes, and free conversation groups. Language courses are offered from September through June, except during Christmas holidays and official public holidays.

2023 Winter Trimester courses will be held on-line via Zoom as WICE reorganizes following the closing of our office location. Some classes may elect to meet from time to time in a café or other shared space.

For optimal personal attention and expression, core language classes (French 3 and 4) are limited to a maximum of 8 students, film and discussion groups to a maximum of 10.

Which Level Is Right For You

Before enrolling for the first time in a language-learning course, you may want to complete our online Placement Evaluation. It will collect your responses and display your final score sending a notice to the Languages Department. While it is not required, this evaluation may help you choose the right course level. If you have questions thereafter, or are unsure which course to take, please email us at languages@wice-paris.org.

Currently WICE is offering core French classes for levels 3 and 4 only. (See below for criteria.) If you are interested in a lower level, please email us at the address above.

  • Level 3: Capable of having a conversation on familiar topics and routine situations, with some errors. Ability to deal with simple, straightforward information. B1
  • Level 4: Capable of having a more fluent conversation on a wide rante of topics. Strong vocabulary with few mistakes. B2-C1.
  • Film and Discussion courses: These classes offer an opportunity to practice your oral and language skills and to increase vocabulary in a stimulating, less formal context. To participate fully, an intermediate level is recommended.

English Placement Test

French Placement Test

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • BJ051 French 2.2 (Beginner DELF A2)

    • 05 Jan 2026
    • 26 Mar 2026
    • 22 sessions
    • Mondays: Impact Café, 67 rue Beaubourg, Paris 75003; Thursdays on Zoom
    • 1
    Register

    Course Description

    This course is designed for "post-bonjour" beginners, either for first-time learners with a smattering of French or those who want to refresh their French at a basic level.

    Throughout the course students will acquire the essential French skills (writing, speaking, pronunciation) needed to function in everyday-life situations.

    Each class will take place in a lively and friendly atmosphere that encourages students' enjoyment and active participation. Along with  linguistic exercises, references to French culture and gastronomy will also be presented.

    The course meets twice a week for 90 minutes  (1.5 hours in person downstairs at the Impact Cafe on Mondays and 1.5 hours on Zoom on Thursdays) and is conducted in French. When necessary, supplementary explanations may be given in English.
    The class does not meet during the second week of French school holidays: 2-6 March 2026.
    Contact Languages@wice-paris.org with any questions

    About the instructor

    Nathalie Allain is a native French speaker with a master’s degree in FLE (French as a foreign language) who is also fluent in English, German, and Japanese. To future students, she says: “In addition to textbooks, I like to make French come alive by using the language to discover the culture and history of Paris in one field trip each month.”

     

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  • BJ052 French 3.2 (Intermediate, DELF B1)

    • 05 Jan 2026
    • 26 Mar 2026
    • 22 sessions
    • Mondays at Impact Café, 67 rue Beaubourg, 75003 Paris
    • 4
    Register

    Course Description

    This lively French course will improve your ability to deal with an array of everyday life situations in French. This level is for students who understand simple, straightforward information and can express themselves in familiar contexts and take part in an everyday conversation on simple, predictable topics.

    Using interactive methods to ensure learner engagement and lasting progress, the course will help you develop your vocabulary, oral and written expression, comprehension, and pronunciation.

    Geared for learners with an intermediate knowledge of French,  the course meets twice a week for 90 minutes  (1.5 hours in person downstairs at the Impact Cafe on Mondays and 1.5 hours on Zoom on Tuesdays) and is conducted in French. 
    The class does not meet during the second week of French school holidays: 2-6 March 2026.
    Contact Languages@wice-paris.org with any questions.

    About the Instructor

    Nathalie Allain is a native French speaker with a master’s degree in FLE (French as a foreign language) who is also fluent in English, German, and Japanese. To future students, she says: “In addition to textbooks, I like to make French come alive by using the language to discover the culture and history of Paris in one field trip each month.”
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  • BJ084 French Guided Discussion

    • 07 Jan 2026
    • 25 Mar 2026
    • 10 sessions
    • Remote on Zoom
    • 5
    Register

    Course Description

    This French Guided Discussion Group is open to people who have a strong intermediate or advanced level of French. Group leaders provide participants with engaging weekly readings on a wide range of topics prior to each dynamic and fast-paced seminar. If you enjoy reading, speaking, presenting, and engaging in varied, topic-centered discussions, this group is for you. In addition to learning through focused conversation with other participants, you will also have the opportunity to get personalized constructive feedback. The French Guided Discussion group speaks only in French for 90 minutes which gives participants an excellent space to practice.

    Please note: the Discussion moves to Wednesday evening this trimester so that Paris0based members can attend the WICE apéro on Thursdauys. Classes do not meet during the two weeks of vacances scolaires: 21 February - 9 March.
    A Zoom link will be provided the day before the course begins. Be sure to check your email for it
    Contact Languages@wice-paris.org with any questions

    About the Instructors

    Brice Dardel and Brigitte Le Quéré, both native French speakers with extensive experience leading discussions, alternate weekly sessions.

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  • BJ083 English Guided Discussion

    • 08 Jan 2026
    • 26 Mar 2026
    • 11 sessions
    • Online via Zoom
    • 8
    Register

    Course Description

    This English Guided Discussion Group is open to people who have a strong intermediate or advanced level of English. Our group leaders suggest interesting topics and readings prior to each group discussion. If you enjoy reading, speaking, presenting, and engaging in diverse topic-centered discussions, this group is for you. In addition to learning and developing through guided conversation with other participants, you will also have the opportunity to get personalized constructive feedback. The group speaks only in English for one
    hour.

    The class will not meet on 6 March (vacances scolaires).

    Note: A Zoom link will be provided the day before the
    course begins. Be sure to check your email for it.

    Contact languages@wice-paris.org with any questions.

    Ce groupe de discussion guidée anglaise est ouvert aux personnes qui parlent anglais presque couramment (niveaux intermédiaire-avancé ou avancé). Nos animateurs proposent des sujets intéressants et des textes avant chaque groupe. Si vous appréciez la lecture, la communication, la présentation et la participation à des discussions
    diverses, ce groupe est pour vous. En plus d’apprendre et se développer à travers des discussions guidées avec d'autres participants, vous aurez également la possibilité d'obtenir des
    commentaires constructifs. Ce groupe de discussion guidée est un endroit idéal pour rencontrer d’autres passionnés de la langue anglais. Le groupe ne parle qu’anglais pendant une heure.

    Facilitators

    The group will be led by several native English speakers of varying interests and backgrounds.
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  • BJ091 French 4.2 (Adv. Intermediate DELF B1+/B2-->C1)

    • 09 Jan 2026
    • 27 Mar 2026
    • 11 sessions
    • Remote on Zoom (online)
    • 1
    Register

    Course Description

    French 4 is designed for upper-intermediate learners who want to move toward advanced proficiency. The course strengthens fluency, accuracy, and confidence while expanding students' ability to express complex ideas with nuance both in formal and informal settings.

    Real-Life Situations Practiced:

    • Participating in professional or academic meetings
    • Presenting and justifying a project or idea
    • Managing misunderstandings and clarifying meaning
    • Writing formal emails or structured texts
    • Debating cultural or social issues with well-supported arguments.

    This course will not meet 6 March, the second week of vacances scolaires, 

    Contact Languages@wice-paris.org with any questions. 

    About the Instructor

    Audrey Charmont has a Masters in Marketing and Communications as well as a DAEFLE (French as a Foreign Language). She has many years of teaching experience in France and abroad.
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  • BJ092 French 5.2 (Advanced DELF C1-->C2)

    • 09 Jan 2026
    • 27 Mar 2026
    • 11 sessions
    • Remote on Zoom (online)
    • 0
    Join waitlist

    Course Description

    French 5 is an advanced conversation-focused class created for learners who already communicate fluently and aim to reach near-native mastery. The emphasis is on rhetorical finesse, persuasive speaking, and highly nuanced comprehension.

    Focus of the Conversation Training:

    • Persuading, negotiating, and convincing with credible arguments
    • Defending a viewpoint under pressure
    • Handling complex, fast-paced discussions
    • Subtly adjusting tone, register, and rhetorical strategy depending on audience

    This course will be held in French once a week on Zoom for 90 minutes. It does not meet on 6 March, the second week of French school vacation. Please contact Languages@wice-paris.org with any questions. 

    About the Instructor

    Audrey Charmont has a Masters in Marketing and Communications as well as a DAEFLE (French as a Foreign Language). She has many years of teaching experience in France and abroad.
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  • BJ131 Tuesday In-Person French/English Conversation Group

    • 13 Jan 2026
    • 31 Mar 2026
    • 12 sessions
    • Maison Communale, 69 rue Violet , 75015 Paris


    Tuesday In-Person French - English Conversation Group

    Note: On Tuesday, 06 January the conversation group will meet at Le Commerce Café, 80 Rue du Commerce, 75015. This is right around the corner from our normal meeting place, and right next to the Commerce metro stop on line 8.

    Looking for a relaxed and welcoming place to practice and improve your French or English? WICE conversation groups allow you to practice your language skills in an easy, convivial atmosphere with native speakers.

    The Tuesday group meets at the Maison Communale, 69 rue Violet , 75015 Paris from 15:00 - 16:30. Participants are divided into small groups of 5 - 6 people, and the conversations are 45 minutes in French and 45 minutes in English. The subjects are of  the group’s choosing. Though an intermediate level of English and French is expected, there is a wide range of abilities.

    There is no need to register, but if it is your first time to participate in person in Tuesday's group, please contact Christian Paolasso at c.paolas@laposte.net (primary), or Ellen Bryson at ellen.bryson@wice-paris.org  (secondary) and let one of them know you are planning to come.

    Maison Communale, 69 rue Violet , 75015 Paris. Metro line 8 stop Commerce, and buses #42, #70, #88.

    Participation is free with WICE membership.





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  • BJ163 French Film Discussion

    • 16 Jan 2026
    • 13 Mar 2026
    • 3 sessions
    • Remote on Zoom
    • 10
    Register

    COURSE DESCRIPTION: For this advanced French course, you will watch a film at home (available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Canal Plus, Orange, YouTube and other platforms) before a lively and engaging discussion in class. Each month a new film provides a basis for an immersive lesson with authentic spoken language and cultural reference points. If you love movies, there’s no more enjoyable way to increase vocabulary, improve conversational skills, and deepen your understanding of French cinema and culture. 

    Each discussion will focus on analyzing the film from different angles:

    • Creation; production; and reception, both critical and commercial
    • Screenplay, direction, and artistic collaborations such as script, cinematography, acting, and music
    • Specific features in the director's filmography and its place in the French cinema of his/her era.

    Trimestre d'hiver: Une trilogie provençale

    Le Sud de la France est à la fois une géographie et un cliché de cinéma, représenté par des cinéastes mythiques comme Marcel Pagnol et des films qu’on reconnaît immédiatement à l’accent des personnages, aux lieux filmés : la Canebière, les calanques, la prison des Baumettes etc. Je vous propose un passage en revue composé de 3 films du Sud :

    • Marius et Jeannette de Robert Guédiguian (1997)

    Les amours de Marius et Jeannette qui vivent dans les quartiers Nord de l'Estaque à Marseille. Marius vit seul dans une cimenterie désaffectée qui domine le quartier, gardien de cette usine en démolition. Jeannette élève seule ses deux enfants avec un maigre salaire de caissière. Leur rencontre ne sera pas simple car, outre les difficultés inhérentes à leur situation sociale, ils sont blessés par la vie.

    Cinéaste de ce qu’on appelle caricaturalement « les gens simples », Robert Guédiguian a commencé son œuvre humaniste dans les années 80. Tous ses films (plus de 25 à ce jour) se passent à Marseille, avec une même troupe de comédiens qu’il retrouve et dont il déplie les géométries sentimentales.  

    La graine et le mulet de Abdellatif Kechiche (2007)

    Sète, le port. Monsieur Beiji se traîne sur le chantier naval du port dans un emploi devenu pénible au fil des années. Père de famille divorcé, il traverse une période délicate de sa vie où tout semble contribuer à une impression d'échec qui lui pèse depuis quelque temps, et dont il ne songe qu'à sortir en créant sa propre affaire : un restaurant. Seulement, rien n'est moins sûr. Ce qui ne l'empêche pas d'en rêver, d'en parler, en famille notamment. Une famille qui va peu à peu se souder autour d'un projet. Grâce à leur sens de la débrouille, et aux efforts déployés, leur rêve va bientôt voir le jour... Ou, presque...

    Cinéaste très controversé ayant révélé les actrices Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos et Hafsia Herzi, A. Kechiche est un metteur en scène flamboyant qui raconte l’intimité des liens et épuise par son regard et son montage les scènes. Un des plus grands cinéastes actuels, auteur de huit longs-métrages, lauréat de six Césars, du Lion d’argent, du Grand Prix du jury (La Graine et le mulet), d’une Palme d’or (La Vie d’Adèle).

    Un prophète de Jacques Audiard (2009)

    Condamné à six ans de prison, Malik El Djebena ne sait ni lire ni écrire. A son arrivée en Centrale, seul au monde, il paraît plus jeune, plus fragile que les autres détenus. Il a 19 ans.

    D'emblée, il tombe sous la coupe d'un groupe de prisonniers corses qui fait régner sa loi dans la prison. Le jeune homme apprend vite. Au fil des " missions ", il s'endurcit et gagne la confiance des Corses. Mais, très vite, Malik utilise toute son intelligence pour développer discrètement son propre réseau...

    Film tourné dans un studio qui reconstitue la prison des Baumettes, Un prophète est un film violent et radical qui dévoile un pan ignoré de la modernité au cinéma : la délinquance et la prison regardée comme une école de la vie. Audiard filme comme personne.

    • ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: A graduate of Sciences Po Paris and ESCP Business School with a master's in political philosophy, Pascale Borenstein co-founded the first professional training course for screenwriters, the Conservatoire Européen d'Ecriture Audiovisuelle (CEEA), which she subsequently directed. From 2004 to 2017, she was Director of International Relations and Continuing Education at France's national film school, La Fémis, where she collaborated with the film departments at NYU, Columbia University, and Calarts. Pascale is the co-author of "Histoire de films français" published by Bordas and a lecturer at l'ICART (École du Management Culturel & Marché de l'Art).
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  • BJ303 American Film Classics

    • 30 Jan 2026
    • 27 Mar 2026
    • 3 sessions
    • Remote on Zoom
    • 7
    Register

    Course Description

    Discover and discuss masterpieces of American cinema in this class for intermediate and advanced English speakers. You’ll watch a film at home on streaming, or borrow the DVD from your local library, before a lively and engaging discussion in class. You’ll be assigned one scene to watch at least three times! Every month you’ll view a film from an influential director so you’ll come to know the stylistic hallmarks of favorite genres and filmmakers.

    If you love the movies, this course is an enjoyable way to increase vocabulary, get comfortable with idiomatic expressions, improve your conversational skills, and deepen your understanding of American culture and cinema.

    Films for the Winter 2026 trimester:

    Stand by Me (1986) directed by Rob Reiner, with Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, and Corey Feldman. Based on a Stephen King novella, the film is set in the fictional town of Castle Rock in 1959 where four boys set out on a journey to find the dead body of a missing boy. Critic Carrie Rickey (Philadelphia Inquirer) described the film as “a small, quiet film that walks tall and resonates long after.”  

    Annie Hall (1977), an iconic New York film directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay written by Allen and Marshall Brickman and starring Diane Keaton and Allen. Alvy Singer, played by Allen, tries to figure out the reasons for the failure of his relationship with the eponymous female lead, played by Keaton in a role written specifically for her.

    Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), directed by Susan Seidelman, with Rosanna Arquette, Aiden Quinn, and Madonna. Set in New York City, the plot involves the interaction between two women – a bored housewife and a bohemian drifter – linked by various messages in the personals section of a newspaper. In her review for The New Yorker, critic Pauline Kael referred to Madonna as "an indolent, trampy goddess.”

    About the instructor:

    Ellen Feldman grew up in Philadelphia and currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She holds a Ph.D. in cinema studies from New York University and has taught film studies at the State University of New York, Geneseo campus, and Brooklyn College.
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