The group
Maximum 4 students
No hiding at the back of the class. Everyone gets time to speak, react, ask questions and work on the things they personally find difficult.
Small-group French · High A2 / B1
Speak more.
Freeze less.
Practical French for the situations that actually happen when you live in France.
You know more French than you think. The problem is using it quickly, naturally and confidently when somebody is waiting for your answer.
Tuesdays & Thursdays · 7:00 PM Paris time · 50 minutes · Maximum 4 students
That frustrating A2–B1 plateau
You understand French.
Until someone actually talks to you.
You’ve learned the grammar. You know plenty of vocabulary. You can follow a lesson and understand a text.
Then the phone rings. The receptionist asks an unexpected question. The person at the mairie speaks too quickly. Your dentist wants you to explain what hurts. And suddenly all that French disappears.
These classes are designed to help you cross that gap between knowing French and being able to use it in real life.
We practise the conversations you are actually likely to have in France, so you learn how to react, ask for clarification, explain yourself and keep going even when the conversation doesn’t follow the script.
How it works
Small enough that everyone actually speaks.
The rhythm
2 × 50 minutes a week
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 PM Paris time. Typically 6 PM in the UK, 1 PM in New York and 10 AM in Los Angeles.
The level
High A2 / B1
For learners who already have a foundation in French but need much more real speaking practice to become independent and confident.
No need to wait for a new term
Join whenever a place is available.
The programme works as a rotating 12-week cycle of real-life themes. There is no “Week 1” that you have to start with and no prerequisite order.
If there is a suitable place in the group, you can join at any point, start with the theme we are working on that week and continue around the cycle.
That means you don’t have to wait three months to begin.
Try a class free →12 rotating real-life themes
French for the moments that don’t come with subtitles.
Each theme is explored over two classes, giving us time for vocabulary, listening, discussion, useful grammar, role play and the unexpected questions that make real conversations difficult.
Theme 01
On the phone
Making appointments, spelling your name, giving details, understanding voicemail, asking someone to repeat, being transferred and leaving a message.
Theme 02
French administration
Forms, justificatifs, Social Security, mairie and préfecture language, explaining your situation, asking what is missing and following up a dossier.
Theme 03
Doctor & pharmacy
Booking an appointment, describing symptoms, answering medical questions, understanding instructions, prescriptions and pharmacy conversations.
Theme 04
Dentist, optician & hairdresser
Explaining what you need, describing a problem, understanding recommendations, prices and those surprisingly specific questions you weren’t expecting.
Theme 05
School & family life
Registering a child, school paperwork, the cantine, absences, activities, messages from school and conversations with teachers.
Theme 06
Shopping & everyday purchases
Asking for advice, sizes and quantities, shopping at markets, exchanging or returning something and explaining when there is a problem.
Theme 07
Home, utilities & repairs
Talking to a landlord or artisan, describing a leak or breakdown, arranging a visit, Internet and electricity problems and understanding a devis.
Theme 08
Banking, bills & subscriptions
Bank accounts, blocked cards, prélèvements, bills, opening a phone line, changing a contract and cancelling a subscription.
Theme 09
Getting around
Trains and buses, buying tickets, delays, asking directions, car problems, garages and rental situations.
Theme 10
Markets, cafés & restaurants
Ordering naturally, asking about ingredients and specialties, allergies, market conversations, recommendations and fixing an incorrect bill.
Theme 11
Neighbours & social life
Small talk, invitations, making plans, joining clubs, politely saying no and keeping up when several French people are talking at once.
Theme 12
When things go wrong
Lost parcels, billing mistakes, incorrect reservations, complaints, misunderstandings and asking for a solution politely, but firmly.
What actually happens in class
Less performing. More practising.
We talk. A lot.
We build the vocabulary you need for the situation, listen to how French is really used, practise useful phrases, role-play conversations and then deliberately take them off-script.
Grammar still matters; but it appears when you need it. Instead of doing a worksheet on the conditional, you practise Je voudrais… Est-ce que vous pourriez… J’aurais besoin de… because those are the phrases that help you get things done.
Optional homework is available if you want to reinforce the week’s topic between classes. If you don’t, you can simply come back and speak.
Membership
€200 per month.
Two live 50-minute classes every week in a group of no more than four students.
The programme is designed as a 3-month learning cycle and billed monthly. Because the themes rotate, you can join at any point when a suitable place is available.
Before you subscribe, come to one class for free and see how the group feels.
Not sure yet?
Come and try a class first.
Your first session is free. No commitment.
Send me a quick email and I’ll confirm whether there is a suitable space in the group and send you the invitation link for an upcoming class.
Try a class for free →Ready to stop freezing?
Make French something you can actually use.
Tuesdays & Thursdays · 7 PM Paris time
2 × 50 minutes/week · Maximum 4 students
High A2 / B1 · €200/month