This unique course combines French art, language, and gastronomy in an engaging cultural experience. Over four sessions, we'll explore the  culinary tastes of great French painters – Cézanne, Renoir, Monet, and Toulouse-Lautrec – through their favorite recipes, drawn from personal notebooks, correspondence, and cookbooks. Each session highlights one painter, an iconic artwork, a recipe, and themed  vocabulary.This immersive course offers French language learners the opportunity to expand their vocabulary while exploring France's rich artistic and culinary heritage through hands-on cooking and cultural discovery.   

Session 1 – A Taste of Provence with Paul Cézanne 

Discover Cézanne's favorite Provençal recipe: baked tomatoes. 

→ Vocabulary focus: spices, southern vegetables, cooking verbs  

Session 2 – Luncheon of the Boating Party with Auguste Renoir 

Inspired by the famous painting created at Maison Fournaise, we'll prepare Renoir's herb chicken. 

→ Vocabulary focus: aromatic herbs, chicken parts, culinary expressions  

Session 3 – Dining with Claude Monet 

Immerse yourself in the world of Giverny with strawberry mousse, a simple yet refined dessert. 

→ Vocabulary focus: fruits, pastry utensils, textures and flavors  

Session 4 – Toulouse-Lautrec's Sweet Indulgence 

Drawing inspiration from his book The Art of Cooking, we'll discover the rum tart, a bold dessert from this  epicurean painter. 

→ Vocabulary focus: pastry types (shortcrust, sweet pastry, puff pastry), bistro desserts  

Prerequisite: General French B1.3 completed, or B1.3/B2 result at our  placement test. 

Explore contemporary French society through authentic documents. This couse will look at clothing, social and cultural debates, modern writings, and other aspects of French society, to learn about today's France. Good for developing oral and written comprehension and expression. 

This is Part 2  of the course. Part 1 was  offered in the Winter session. It is not necessary to have taken Part 1. 

Prerequisite: B2.3 or B2+ course, or B2.3/C1 result at placement test 

In this course focused on oral expression and listening comprehension, students will listen to podcasts and speculate together on subjects worthy of greater debate. The instructor will guide a discussion of current events, including important moments that characterize the Anthropocene and its drifts. Students will also discuss topics related to science, societies, fauna and flora, and arts and culture, amongst others. These subjects will allow the class to reflect on and discuss the various stakes which constitute our current society. All course materials will be provided by the instructor 

Prerequisite: B2.3 or B2+ course, or B2.3/C1 result on the Level Assessment. 

This class is designed for students wishing to strengthen their vocabulary and grammar at the upper B1 independent level. Each week, through a study in areas such as politics and economics, literature and history, the arts, and many more, students will have the opportunity to practice and strengthen their linguistic skills in the language, review grammatical concepts, and develop their cultural understanding of France and the francophone world. No textbook required for this course. 

Prerequisite: B1.3, B1+ or B2.1 course completed, or B2.1/B2.2 result on the Level Assessment. 

This 3-part workshop series explores the short film 14e arrondissement by Alexander Payne, from the 2006 anthology Paris, je t'aime. Follow Carole, a mailwoman from Denver, Colorado in her discovery of Paris 14th arrondissement to identify  English speakers' difficulties in speaking French. With a comparative analysis of French and English, and through an authentic and cultural approach, these 3 workshops will provide keys to become aware of deceptive cognates and common mistakes in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.   

Part 2 will focus on Vocabulary. All materials will be provided by the instructor. You may sign up for one, two, or all three parts of the series! Members get 10% off any additional course in the same term.  

Prerequisites: Open to B1/B2/C1 levels (the workshop will be conducted in French). 

This 3-part workshop series explores the short film 14e arrondissement by Alexander Payne, from the 2006 anthology Paris, je 'aime. Follow Carole, a mailwoman from Denver, Colorado in her discovery of Paris 14th arrondissement to identify English speakers' difficulties in speaking French. With a comparative analysis of French and English, and through an authentic and cultural approach, these 3 workshops will provide keys to become aware of deceptive cognates and common mistakes in pronunciation,vocabulary, and grammar.   

Part 3 will focus on Pronunciation. All materials will be provided by the instructor. You may sign up for one, two, or all three parts of the series! Members get 10% off any additional course in the same term.  

Prerequisites: Open to B1/B2/C1 levels (the workshop will be conducted in French). 

A class for fluent students wishing to perfect their linguistic and cultural understanding in areas such as geopolitics and economics, literature and history, the arts, and many more. Students will focus on formulating ideas and opinions with precision and on discussing clear, detailed descriptions of complex subjects. 

Course materials—including newspaper articles, TV, and radio shows—are to be studied before class; expect approximately two hours of autonomous study per week. All course materials will be provided by the instructor 

Prerequisite: Both former and current AFSeattle students, as well as all new students, must take our Level Assessment and complete an oral assessment to confirm their level prior to enrolling in their first C1 level course.