French Classes in NYC

It's a super common question - why bother taking French classes in New York City? There are many great reasons to do this, and its worth starting this lens with some great reasons to get involved with French classes locally.

1. French is one of the most common languages spoken in North America!
The first and perhaps the best reason to learn how to speak French is that many so many people in the world, and more specifically in North America speak the language. Not only is French a popular New York City language, behind English and Spanish, it's also one of the most common languages spoken in nearby cities in Canada, like Quebec.

2. Travelling to French Speaking Countries
Anyone going for either work or business to a French speaking country should absolutely invest in some French lessons in NYC before they go. Natives of foreign countries deeply appreciate tourists that have taken the time to learn at least the simplest French phrases, and fall in love with visitors that have strong conversational French. Not only will learning French help you connect with and communicate with the people in the country you're visiting, but it will also just make it far easier to navigate the country. Imagine how difficult it is to enjoy a city or country in which you have to pause every five minutes to pull out a handy-dandy translating book! Instead, take the time upfront to take a French class in NYC - learn the basics and it'll make any vacation you take much more worth it.

3. French classes in NYC are infinitely better than online classes
Many people have begun learning French online, but I can't help but totally disagree with this method. Languages are inherently social - their entire purpose is to help us communicate with other humans! How then can an online lesson compare to the experience of learning a language with friends, and actually using it to communicate with them? A great French teacher will be able to correct your pronunciation, a skill that's extraordinarily important, especially when learning French. Additionally, it's often noted that learning French (or any other language) is much easier when you're surrounded by it, which means that having other people constantly speaking it around you is far and away the best way to learn the language.

4. NYC French Lessons are FUN!
Ask anyone who's ever taken a French class in NYC and they'll tell you that they loved it. You can find reviews all over the web written by people who took an interest in the language, and sought instruction - it's not a decision that anyone ever regrets. Few experiences available in New York City can provide an environment of fun, motivated people all advancing themselves in a particular skill - and unlike almost any other activity you choose to spend your time and money on, learning French has benefits that last a lifetime!

Go learn French now!

French classes in New York City come in all shapes and sizes and it can often be a bit difficult to understand the different options that you have when you're selecting a course of study. Every school has its own unique terminology that it uses when referring to and labeling its courses, but here are some general guidelines about the types of classes that you're going to see - this should help you recognize the right class when you see it! This section discusses the different levels that are offered by each school and what you can expect in each one.

Different Levels of French Classes

Beginner French Classes
Beginner French classes are exactly what they sound like - typically their goal is to introduce you to the language, become familiar with its semantics, and ultimately enable you to speak conversational French that will help you communicate and recognize basic vocabulary. These classes can also be perfect for those who studied French in high school or college and want to brush up on the skills and vocabulary that they originally had. Most students are beginners, so you'll probably have the most diverse class, which can sometimes be tough if everyone in the class is at a different level. Still, most schools succeed in grouping students of a similar skill level together, so this shouldn't be a concern.

Intermediate French Classes
For those of you that not only studied French, but were quite good at it, and feel as though a French class for beginners would go too slowly for you, every school offers an intermediate class which features smaller classes and slightly more serious students. Be forewarned that if you aren't as good as you think you are, it will be difficult to catch up, as intermediate French classes by definition skip over basic French material.

Advanced French Classes
These classes are for French speakers that aren't quite fluent, but want to be as soon as possible! Often, achieving fluency is just a matter of having a great group of nearly fluent French speakers to argue and debate with, while having a fluent speaker listen and correct subtle phrases and grammatical mistakes. Advanced French classes can be some of the most fun because the students all know that they've nearly achieved the goal they set out to accomplish and nothing is more exciting than being to tell people you're fluent in another language!

As I mentioned earlier, every school has its own methodology when it comes to delivering French instruction, and it can be a bit tricky to sort through all the offerings on each site. Here are a few cookie-cutter styles of French classes that you can expect:

Conversational French Classes
Conversational French classes typically stay away from books, reading and writing and instead focus on getting students to the point that they can formulate ideas and express them vocally in French. Discussion based classes are popular, as nothing improves conversational French like actually employing it in a real life scenario!

French Grammar Classes or Workshops
Grammar can often be the hardest part of learning a new language, and therefore, many schools offer excellent French grammar workshops or lessons that focus on specific aspects of French grammar in order to help students strengthen specific aspects of the language. Grammar workshops will work on concepts like French verb tenses, vocabulary, conjugation, colloquialisms, and more!

Business French Classes
Business French classes are typically for intermediate French students and above, and focus on improving the use of French within a business context. This includes the study of various French customs, regarding what is and is not appropriate to say or do within a business setting. Many classes offer students the ability to select a business specialization, which then allows the French class to assign a specific set of vocabulary relevant to that field.

French Immersion
Since language is most often something that is learned through repetition and through surrounding yourself with others who speak it, immersion classes are popular for getting students quickly ramped up and familiar with the language. Many immersion programs will last several hours each day, and will occur on several consecutive days at once, allowing very little time for students to forget everything that they've learned. A few even offer exotic trips to French speaking countries, and nothing immerses you in the language more than visiting its native land.

Let's say that you're sold - you're ready to begin searching for and enrolling in classes!
Where can you begin searching? The first place that's definitely worth trying is called CourseHorse - it's an online community class catalog that helps people find classes in New York City. Definitely check it out if you're looking to sign up for a class today.

Otherwise, there a few places to try that might prove useful in selecting a great school for French lessons.

1. Education Directories
There are many different education directories that offer numerous links to schools that teach French. A few useful ones that might be worth checking out are the Learning Guide Network, Learn4Good, and Education Portal. One warning - these sites are packed with Google advertising and other promotional material - many schools are paying for their placement on the page, which makes these sites a bit less trustworthy than perhaps other places you can check. Still, you can't deny that they've each got great lists worth checking out.

2. Local Forums and Discussion Boards
Almost every locale based discussion board has a vibrant community of people searching for local classes - in New York, there are several discussion boards in which people ask and answer questions or post their thoughts about classes in NYC. Some notable forums include Yahoo Answers, Yelp Talk, and City-data - go to these forums and search for 'classes' to find out what people recommend!

3. Classified Ads
Though they can be a bit spammy and sometimes untrustworthy, classified sites are undeniably an excellent source of listing for local classes. The most prominent classified site is of course Craigslist, and French classes in Craigslist can definitely be found. However, a few lesser known classified sites worth considering are Backpage.com, Olx.com and Ebay's classified ads.

4. Search Engines
This is of course an option - to simply search for the types of classes you're looking for, and to be fair, the results aren't bad - you'll typically get a decently long list of results until you begin to run into listings that are totally irrelevant. For instance, when searching for French classes in NYC, you're inevitably going to run into many different French cooking classes, which of course isn't what you want.

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