Expand your French linguistic and cultural knowledge by reading this classic text. Students will read an abbreviated version of the text and will analyze the themes and writing structure. This course enhances language acquisition through reading, listening, conversational fluency and pronunciation skills. The class materials will be provided by the instructor before the start of the class. 

Les confidences d’Arsène Lupin, by Maurice Leblanc

In Les confidences d’Arsène Lupin by Maurice Leblanc, the famous gentleman thief recounts his cleverest schemes and narrow escapes. With charm, disguise, and wit, Lupin outsmarts both rivals and the law, turning crime into an art and confession into a game.

Prerequisite: for students who have completed the entire A1 level (A1.1, A1.2 and A1.3), an Intensive A1 Review course or received A2.1 on the Level Assessment. See our level  progression guide here. 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 10h

This class will review essential vocabulary at the A1+ level and teach you what you need to know to talk about yourself, your family, your interests and opinions, and to get by in everyday situations. You'll learn how to pronounce French words and use key  vocabulary and phrases for authentic cultural experiences. No textbook required for this course.  

Prerequisite: for students who have completed the entire A1 level (A1.1, A1.2 and A1.3), an Intensive A1 Review course or received A2.1 on the Level Assessment. See our level  progression guide here. 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 7.5h

Expand your French linguistic and cultural knowledge by reading this classic text. Students will read an abbreviated version of the text and will analyze the themes and writing structure. This course enhances language acquisition through reading, listening, conversational fluency and pronunciation skills. The class materials will be provided by the instructor before the start of the class. 

Bel Ami, by Guy de Maupassant 

"Bel Ami" by Guy de Maupassant is a captivating tale of ambition and scandal that follows Georges Duroy, a charming but unscrupulous ex-soldier, as he ascends Parisian society through seduction and manipulation. Set against the backdrop of the Belle Époque, the novel explores themes of power, reputation, and the allure of wealth. 

Prerequisite: Students should already have completed the three-part A2 General French series (A2.1, A2.2 and A2.3) or an A2 Review course before registering in an A2+ course. Students who have received an A2.3, B1.1 or B1.2 result on the Level Assessment are also eligible to register 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 10h

Strengthen your French foundation with an engaging grammar course that brings clarity and confidence to verb conjugation. Through clear explanations, guided practice, and literary excerpts, you’ll gain a solid understanding of how verbs work in everyday French. During this 5-week course, you will: 

• Get comfortable with the most common compound tenses (like passé composé). 
  

• Learn when and how to use past participles with avoir and être. 
  

• Learn how to express when actions happen in relation to each other (before, after, or simultaneously) 
  

• Practice what you learn through meaningful examples drawn from the novel L’Enfant noir by Camara Laye. 
  

By the end, you’ll be able to recognize and reuse these key verb forms naturally in conversation and writing. 

Perfect for curious A2–B1 learners who want to bring clarity, flow, and confidence to their French! 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 7.5h

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. 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 7.5h

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 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 7.5h

In Spring 2, students will explore the history of French art in the 20th century.

The following artists and themes will be discussed:
- Suzanne Valadon and Montmartre
- Le fauvisme and Henri Matisse
- Le symbolisme Gustave Moreau
- Le cubisme and Pablo Picasso
- Le surréalisme and Leonora Carrington

Students will develop their speaking, reading and listening skills with a variety of real-world materials and lively discussions. No previous art history knowledge is necessary; join us and delight in the magnificent world of French art.

This is Part 2 of the course. Part 1 was held in the first half of Spring quarter. It is not necessary to take both parts. 

Prerequisite: B1.3, B1+ or B2.1 course completed, or B2.1/B2.2 result on the Level Assessment. 
Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 7.5h

This class is designed for students who recently started the B1 level (completed B1.1 or B1.2) and who wish to strengthen and practice their oral comprehension and production skills through a communicative and action-oriented approach to language learning centered around current events. Some written comprehension and production may be introduced in support of the targeted oral communication outcomes. 

Each week, a different RFI news report will be explored through a reading and/or listening exercise appropriate to the level. Relevant vocabulary and one or more grammar points at the B1 level will be reviewed based on support materials and put into practice through structured activities designed to generate authentic conversation. 

Throughout the course, students will receive personalized and prompt feedback from their instructor on grammar, vocabulary, syntax, and pronunciation. B1 learners are expected to be gaining some confidence in communicating in a simple manner on familiar topics regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. and cope flexibly with problems of everyday life; they can generally identify the topic of a discussion which is presented in straightforward terms and conducted simply and clearly. No textbook required for this course.  

Prerequisite: General French B1.1 or B1.2, or B1.2/B1.3 result on the Level Assessment. 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 7.5h

Strengthen your French foundation with an engaging grammar course that brings clarity and confidence to verb conjugation. Through clear explanations, guided practice, and literary excerpts, you’ll gain a solid understanding of how verbs work in everyday French. During this 5-week course, you will: 

• Get comfortable with the most common compound tenses (like passé composé). 
  

• Learn when and how to use past participles with avoir and être. 
  

• Learn how to express when actions happen in relation to each other (before, after, or simultaneously) 
  

• Practice what you learn through meaningful examples drawn from the novel L’Enfant noir by Camara Laye. 
  

By the end, you’ll be able to recognize and reuse these key verb forms naturally in conversation and writing. 

Perfect for curious A2–B1 learners who want to bring clarity, flow, and confidence to their French! 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 7.5h

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. 

Pace: 5 weeks, twice per week, total of 15h

This class is designed for students who recently started the B1 level (completed B1.1 or B1.2) and who wish to strengthen and practice their oral comprehension and production skills through a communicative and action-oriented approach to language learning. 

Some written comprehension and production may be introduced in support of the targeted oral communication outcomes. 

Each week, a theme will be explored through a reading and/or listening exercise appropriate to the level. Relevant vocabulary and one or more grammar points at the B1 level will be reviewed based on support materials and put into practice through structured activities designed to generate authentic conversation, including role playing, presentations, discussions, games, etc. 

Throughout the course, students will receive personalized and prompt feedback from their instructor on grammar, vocabulary, syntax, and pronunciation. 

B1 learners are expected to be gaining some confidence in communicating in a simple manner on familiar topics regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. and cope flexibly with problems of everyday life; they can generally identify the topic of a discussion which is presented in straightforward terms and conducted simply and clearly. No textbook required for this course. 

 Prerequisite: General French B1.1 or B1.2, or B1.3 result on the Level Assessment. 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 7.5h

This class is designed for students who reached at the end of the B1 level (completed B1.3) and who wish to strengthen and practice their oral comprehension and production skills through a communicative and action-oriented approach to language learning. Some written comprehension and production may be introduced in support of the targeted oral communication outcomes. 

Each week, a theme will be explored through a reading and/or listening exercise appropriate to the level. Relevant vocabulary and one or more grammar points at the B1 level will be reviewed based on support materials and put into practice through structured activities designed to generate authentic conversation, including role playing, presentations, discussions, games, etc. Throughout the course, students will receive personalized and prompt feedback from their instructor on grammar, vocabulary, syntax, and pronunciation. 

B1+ learners are expected to communicate in a simple manner on familiar topics regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. and cope flexibly with problems of everyday life; they can generally identify the topic of a discussion which is conducted simply and clearly. No textbook required for this course. 

Prerequisite: General French B1.3 completed, or B1.3/B2.1 result on the Level Assessment. 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 7.5h

In this course, students will read La Maison Vide by Mauvignier. 

Students will be responsible for weekly assigned readings and encouraged to share their questions and impressions on our e-learning platform. During class, the instructor will guide the discussion about the weekly reading, touching on relevant historical and cultural context, character development, major themes, and overall impressions through general questions as well as close readings. 

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

La Maison Vide by Mauvignier

En 1976, mon père a rouvert la maison qu’il avait reçue de sa mère, restée fermée pendant vingt ans.
À l’intérieur : un piano, une commode au marbre ébréché, une Légion d’honneur, des photographies sur lesquelles un visage a été découpé aux ciseaux.
Une maison peuplée de récits, où se croisent deux guerres mondiales, la vie rurale de la première moitié du vingtième siècle, mais aussi Marguerite, ma grand-mère, sa mère Marie-Ernestine, la mère de celle-ci, et tous les hommes qui ont gravité autour d’elles.
Toutes et tous ont marqué la maison et ont été progressivement effacés. J’ai tenté de les ramener à la lumière pour comprendre ce qui a pu être leur histoire, et son ombre portée sur la nôtre.

You can purchase the book here: https://amzn.to/3O1XQ4D 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 7.5h

Discover the "cathedral of words" in this two-part journey through the first volume of Marcel Proust’s masterpiece.

In this second part of the course (Spring 2 session), we pivot to Un Amour de Swann, a standalone psychological study of obsession and high society that serves as a mirror for the narrator’s own future.

[This course follows Part 1 (Spring 1 session) which explored the childhood memories of Combray, focusing on the famous "madeleine" moment and the birth of the narrator’s consciousness. Students may enroll in Part 2 (Spring 2) even though they have not taken Part 1 (Spring 1) but we encourage them to read Combray to be familiar with the story and its main characters.]

À la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust is composed of three parts, whose titles are:
1. Combray 
2. Un amour de Swann 
3. Noms de pays : le nom

This course is a collaborative book club designed to make Proust’s famously long sentences accessible and rewarding. Together, we will navigate his lush syntax to uncover profound insights into memory, art, and the passage of time. Our discussions will bridge the text with the music and painting of the Belle Époque, transforming a notoriously "difficult" classic into a vivid, shared experience.

• Level: B2+/C1
• Prerequisite: having completed B2.3 or B2+ courses.

Pace: Once a week (course duration varies)

In this course, students will read Les Choses by Georges Perec. 

Students will be responsible for weekly assigned readings and encouraged to share their questions and impressions on our e-learning platform. During class, the instructor will guide the discussion about the weekly reading, touching on relevant historical and cultural context, character development, major themes, and overall impressions through general questions as well as close readings. 

Prerequisite: General French B2.1, B2.2 or B2.2 result on the Level Assessment. 

Les Choses by Georges Perec

Sylvie et Jérôme, tout juste sortis de leurs études de sociologie, entrent dans la vie active en travaillant comme enquêteurs pour des agences d'opinion. Ils cherchent un bonheur aux apparences simples :
un logement confortable, de beaux meubles, des vêtements élégants, des après-midi au café et des soirées au cinéma. Mais la différence entre ce qu'on nous donne à rêver et la réalité de notre vie, mesquine et rétrécie, est cruelle. De leur minuscule appartement encombré, aux Puces où ils chinent, jusqu'en Tunisie où ils espèrent se réinventer, Jérôme et Sylvie se cherchent sans fin dans les reflets des objets qui les entourent. Que faire face au vertige des choses ?

Paru en 1965 chez Julliard et récompensé par le prix Renaudot, Les Choses s'est imposé comme un classique de la littérature contemporaine. En mettant l'analyse sociologique au service de la fiction, Georges Perec y inaugure une forme littéraire à la drôlerie mordante et à la singulière perspicacité, jamais démentie, sur notre société de consommation.

You can purchase the book here: https://amzn.to/4agXkat

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 7.5h

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 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 7.5h

In Spring 2, students will explore the history of French art in the 20th century.

The following artists and themes will be discussed:
- Suzanne Valadon and Montmartre
- Le fauvisme and Henri Matisse
- Le symbolisme Gustave Moreau
- Le cubisme and Pablo Picasso
- Le surréalisme and Leonora Carrington

Students will develop their speaking, reading and listening skills with a variety of real-world materials and lively discussions. No previous art history knowledge is necessary; join us and delight in the magnificent world of French art.

This is Part 2 of the course. Part 1 was held in the first half of Spring quarter. It is not necessary to take both parts. 

Prerequisite: B1.3, B1+ or B2.1 course completed, or B2.1/B2.2 result on the Level Assessment. 
Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 7.5h

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. 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 10h

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. 

Pace: 5 weeks, twice per week, total of 15h

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: General French B2.1, B2.2, or B2.2 result on the Level Assessment. 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 7.5h

Discover the "cathedral of words" in this two-part journey through the first volume of Marcel Proust’s masterpiece.

In this second part of the course (Spring 2 session), we pivot to Un Amour de Swann, a standalone psychological study of obsession and high society that serves as a mirror for the narrator’s own future.

[This course follows Part 1 (Spring 1 session) which explored the childhood memories of Combray, focusing on the famous "madeleine" moment and the birth of the narrator’s consciousness. Students may enroll in Part 2 (Spring 2) even though they have not taken Part 1 (Spring 1) but we encourage them to read Combray to be familiar with the story and its main characters.]

À la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust is composed of three parts, whose titles are:
1. Combray 
2. Un amour de Swann 
3. Noms de pays : le nom

This course is a collaborative book club designed to make Proust’s famously long sentences accessible and rewarding. Together, we will navigate his lush syntax to uncover profound insights into memory, art, and the passage of time. Our discussions will bridge the text with the music and painting of the Belle Époque, transforming a notoriously "difficult" classic into a vivid, shared experience.

• Level: B2+/C1
• Prerequisite: having completed B2.3 or B2+ courses.

Pace: Once a week (course duration varies)

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. 

Pace: 5 weeks, once a week, total of 10h