French As You Like It — Local services in Paris

I am a 73 year old retired high school teacher fortunate enough to be in Paris for five months while my wife is doing research for a book she's writing. I signed up for French As You Like It (FAYLI) because I spoke only rudimentary French and understood it even less. I thoroughly researched several other schools but chose FAYLI because of its very small closes, its flexibility and its emphasis on oral expression. After two months there I know I made the right decision. My largest class has been four people. I was in a highly regarded language school in southern France a year ago for three weeks which averaged 10-12 students. There I may have had the opportunity to speak for 2-3 minutes total each day in class. We spent much of our time filling out grammar worksheets and taking practice tests. With the small classes here we typically read a short article of interest about a controversial topic and give our opinions. The teacher asks us to practice a particular grammar problem such as verbs using avoir vs être. Sometimes when someone is stuck or uses the wrong word, the teacher writes on the board a better way of saying it. At other times she lets us express ourselves, eager for us to just speak without worrying so much about making mistakes. Consequently, each week I am becoming more confident in my speaking inside and outside of class. I have taken the intensive all morning classes, the first morning session and the private tutoring to fit my travel schedule. FAYLI offers evening classes as well giving students tremendous flexibility. My FAYLI tutor sends me articles to read and advises me of all kinds of things I might want to do in Paris during my stay And finally, what makes the school so good is the friedliness and caring nature of the staff. They are...

If you are searching for a French course, look no further! I took a week of micro-group classes at French As You Like It. I was attending at a slow period at the beginning of August, with one other student, and got a ton of personalized attention. Classes were customized to suit the needs and interests of the group. Also, given that I had signed up for the three hour micro-class but was the only student to do so, I was generously provided with one-on-one tutoring for no extra charge. Corrections of mistakes were delivered gently and with humour, and many resources for continued learning were provided (e.g. TV series, books, YouTube channels). Catherine and Chloe were fantastic instructors, making French approachable. They gave me the courage to go for it and make conversation rather than being held back by shyness or fear of making mistakes.

As a person who loves French culture, food, and language, I have been engaging in self-study in preparation for living in the U.K. for a year and having more opportunities to visit France. I was mainly using Duolingo and FluentU. Previously, I had taken a couple years of French in high school. I can say without reservation that my French improved in leaps and bounds over the one week of in-person instruction, and it was well worth the time and investment. I certainly have a ways to go, but feel encouraged to continue! Thank you, French As...

This is a wonderful French language school in Paris that was just right for me. My husband and I travel to France a couple of times a year and often stay for several weeks. Our French is functional but I wanted to practice my conversation skills and become more at ease in speaking. I took the small group class for Intermediate level speakers at FAYLI, learned a lot of French, absolutely accomplished my goals, and loved every minute. Leila, our teacher, was very skilled at encouraging and facilitating conversation in the class while teaching us some of the finer points of French grammar. She also did a wonderful job of giving us a window on French daily life and culture and on the living language - how French people really speak their language - within a context of the rules of usage. The other students were from various countries, and all were so congenial and equally eager to learn and share, that the class was just a fun place to be every day. I also appreciated the flexible schedule and variety of offerings. The entire staff is very welcoming, professional and friendly. They create a welcoming atmosphere that encourages students to speak without fear of judgement, and honestly after just a few days the school felt like a family. I will miss everyone there and hope to attend again...