Oh Sacha, I really felt for you reading this. As a French tutor myself, I’m horrified by the way this programme seems to handle language learning — especially for adult learners who deserve patience, empathy and encouragement. My own approach is all about putting people at ease and adjusting to their level — which is admittedly hard to do in a group setting like yours.
That said, I’m wishing you all the best for the rest of your stay. Dijon is a wonderful city, full of treasures — and I hope you get the chance to visit the Mulot gingerbread shop, it’s a true delight! Bon courage and keep going — you’re doing great. 😊
Bonjour Pierre! I really appreciate you saying this. I couldn’t believe the teacher was reprimanding me like I was a naughty kid and she’s actually done it a few times. At this point I just laugh it off but it’s really ridiculous.
I'm shocked that your teacher sent you up to the chalkboard to conjugate. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least 10 more productive and pedagogical ways of working on the verb "être" than sending students up to the board. It's very old-fashioned, but is, or I hope used to be, a frequent practice here. Her approach sounds quite "scolaire" -- you can ask star student Jason if he understands the nuance of what that means in French!
So does this mean you've spent one week in that A2/B1 group, your second week will be in A1, and that's all there is? So much for continuity...I'll be interested in how you feel after two weeks compared to Alliance Française classes.
Yes, her teaching style is very old fashioned and I’m not happy about it. We discussed what I should do again today and agreed it’s better for me to stay in her class. She said a1 would be too easy/boring.
That’s a pity. When something is billed as an “intensive” class it should be very structured with a lot of emphasis on actually getting somewhere. I took a one-week “intensive” class in Portuguese in Lisbon after 6 months of self-study and was very disappointed. Almost all we did was work on verb conjugations, and the teacher was always clearly unprepared, leading to a lot of wasted time. Not that intensive after all! It was still fun, but I was pretty much just doing it for fun. Others who really needed to improve their Portuguese were pretty disappointed.
As a proud member of team Bourgogne myself, I can confirm—whatever you do, don’t mention Bordeaux wines while in Burgundy 😄. The Dijonnais have probably already told you, but Burgundy wines are typically less processed and made using more traditional, artisanal methods. Bordeaux, by contrast, has many larger estates where production tends to be more commercial and scaled.
There’s a real pride here in doing things the old-fashioned way, and a deep respect for le terroir—and in my opinion, you can taste it in the wine.
Bon courage with the French lessons—learning a new language can be so tough, but it’s also incredibly rewarding in the end.
My old French tutor used to quiz me on numbers religiously. I finally have them down but when a cashier throws out the price like she’s at an auction I still get a little lost and it takes me a minute. Every day a little easier. It’s everything past 70 that kills me. I need a professionals assessment of where I’m at. I think a solid A2. Very beginning of B1 maybe. You’ve got this!
I went to the Institute de Touraine for 2 weeks. I tested into A2, which at a low level A2was correct. The first week was ok. The 2nd week was a different instructeur & was a disaster. She decided we should learn the subjunctive. I left one day in tears.
In my local community I’ve been taking classes with the A1 group because it was the only class that had room. It’s been nice because it’s been a refresher & I get to help other students. I feel no shame in dropping down a level at this point.
I’m sorry you had such a bad experience but I’m glad you found a comfortable place to learn. I have never understood it when teachers take the approach of making students feel stupid.
I love sharing your adventure with you and would be in the same situation with my level of French --despite 4 years of French classes in high school. As I ponder my 1- 3 month stay and then a possible move -- your posts are somewhat like enjoying a test drive. At any rate, as you have observed, the beauty of France is intoxicating. Everything is beautiful-- the art, architecture, gardens, flowers, food, shop windows, bread and croissants, sandwich displays in windows, painted doors, window boxes with flowers, the Clothes, -- and I could go on and on. Everyday feels like a luxurious gift to enjoy by just stepping out onto a sidewalk and taking a walk. Enjoy your stay and good luck with the French classes!
My plans aren't finalized yet -- but I am looking at the last week in August, or September/October. Mostly, Paris -- but I would also like to go to Brittany-- Dinard, St. Malo. Will see. (maybe venture to a few towns within a half hour of Paris). Too much planning😁.
As I've said before, I love your writing...at times I feel like I'm actually in France. And I learned something I did not know...who knew they made wine in Dijon!
I suspect many of us have had similar experiences. Don’t give up! I have taken 2 French immersion classes - one in Aix-en-Provence (half day) and one in Villefranche-Sur-mer (full day). It was amazing to me that students split into “cool kids” ( even if they were in their ‘60’s) and the rest of us. School dynamics never change. The half day course was ok - a positive experience. The full day one was demoralizing in the extreme. I think my French was worse by the end - I certainly lost whatever confidence I had. I hope that the A level is easier and less stressful for you, and that you make some good friends. At my age, my mantra is “this should be FUN”. Bon courage!!
I’m so sorry you had bad experiences at your immersion programs. It can be such a challenge. I had heard good things about the Villefranche one but I can’t imagine spending 8 hours a day in French class!
Oh Sacha, I really felt for you reading this. As a French tutor myself, I’m horrified by the way this programme seems to handle language learning — especially for adult learners who deserve patience, empathy and encouragement. My own approach is all about putting people at ease and adjusting to their level — which is admittedly hard to do in a group setting like yours.
That said, I’m wishing you all the best for the rest of your stay. Dijon is a wonderful city, full of treasures — and I hope you get the chance to visit the Mulot gingerbread shop, it’s a true delight! Bon courage and keep going — you’re doing great. 😊
Bonjour Pierre! I really appreciate you saying this. I couldn’t believe the teacher was reprimanding me like I was a naughty kid and she’s actually done it a few times. At this point I just laugh it off but it’s really ridiculous.
Yes, better to laugh about it... it almost feels like a scene straight out of Julie & Julia — the Julia Child part, of course! 😄
Beautiful and courageous my dear Sacha. We are all rooting for you. Allez! Jusqu'au bout! Tu gagneras!
Merci mon amie—Je fais de mon mieux!
Salut!
I'm shocked that your teacher sent you up to the chalkboard to conjugate. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least 10 more productive and pedagogical ways of working on the verb "être" than sending students up to the board. It's very old-fashioned, but is, or I hope used to be, a frequent practice here. Her approach sounds quite "scolaire" -- you can ask star student Jason if he understands the nuance of what that means in French!
So does this mean you've spent one week in that A2/B1 group, your second week will be in A1, and that's all there is? So much for continuity...I'll be interested in how you feel after two weeks compared to Alliance Française classes.
Yes, her teaching style is very old fashioned and I’m not happy about it. We discussed what I should do again today and agreed it’s better for me to stay in her class. She said a1 would be too easy/boring.
That’s a pity. When something is billed as an “intensive” class it should be very structured with a lot of emphasis on actually getting somewhere. I took a one-week “intensive” class in Portuguese in Lisbon after 6 months of self-study and was very disappointed. Almost all we did was work on verb conjugations, and the teacher was always clearly unprepared, leading to a lot of wasted time. Not that intensive after all! It was still fun, but I was pretty much just doing it for fun. Others who really needed to improve their Portuguese were pretty disappointed.
Dijon is such a beautiful and underrated city.
As a proud member of team Bourgogne myself, I can confirm—whatever you do, don’t mention Bordeaux wines while in Burgundy 😄. The Dijonnais have probably already told you, but Burgundy wines are typically less processed and made using more traditional, artisanal methods. Bordeaux, by contrast, has many larger estates where production tends to be more commercial and scaled.
There’s a real pride here in doing things the old-fashioned way, and a deep respect for le terroir—and in my opinion, you can taste it in the wine.
Bon courage with the French lessons—learning a new language can be so tough, but it’s also incredibly rewarding in the end.
Love your writing💜
Merci beaucoup!
Keep up the hard work! I bet it will get to the point when you reach your ah ha comfort level!
My old French tutor used to quiz me on numbers religiously. I finally have them down but when a cashier throws out the price like she’s at an auction I still get a little lost and it takes me a minute. Every day a little easier. It’s everything past 70 that kills me. I need a professionals assessment of where I’m at. I think a solid A2. Very beginning of B1 maybe. You’ve got this!
I went to the Institute de Touraine for 2 weeks. I tested into A2, which at a low level A2was correct. The first week was ok. The 2nd week was a different instructeur & was a disaster. She decided we should learn the subjunctive. I left one day in tears.
In my local community I’ve been taking classes with the A1 group because it was the only class that had room. It’s been nice because it’s been a refresher & I get to help other students. I feel no shame in dropping down a level at this point.
I’m sorry you had such a bad experience but I’m glad you found a comfortable place to learn. I have never understood it when teachers take the approach of making students feel stupid.
Ha, makes me think of "Me Talk Pretty One Day." Nice to be along for the journey.
Hi Sacha,
I love sharing your adventure with you and would be in the same situation with my level of French --despite 4 years of French classes in high school. As I ponder my 1- 3 month stay and then a possible move -- your posts are somewhat like enjoying a test drive. At any rate, as you have observed, the beauty of France is intoxicating. Everything is beautiful-- the art, architecture, gardens, flowers, food, shop windows, bread and croissants, sandwich displays in windows, painted doors, window boxes with flowers, the Clothes, -- and I could go on and on. Everyday feels like a luxurious gift to enjoy by just stepping out onto a sidewalk and taking a walk. Enjoy your stay and good luck with the French classes!
Merci Robin! When do you think you’ll be coming to France and do you know what part yet?
Hi Sacha,
My plans aren't finalized yet -- but I am looking at the last week in August, or September/October. Mostly, Paris -- but I would also like to go to Brittany-- Dinard, St. Malo. Will see. (maybe venture to a few towns within a half hour of Paris). Too much planning😁.
Take care.
As I've said before, I love your writing...at times I feel like I'm actually in France. And I learned something I did not know...who knew they made wine in Dijon!
😂😂😂
I suspect many of us have had similar experiences. Don’t give up! I have taken 2 French immersion classes - one in Aix-en-Provence (half day) and one in Villefranche-Sur-mer (full day). It was amazing to me that students split into “cool kids” ( even if they were in their ‘60’s) and the rest of us. School dynamics never change. The half day course was ok - a positive experience. The full day one was demoralizing in the extreme. I think my French was worse by the end - I certainly lost whatever confidence I had. I hope that the A level is easier and less stressful for you, and that you make some good friends. At my age, my mantra is “this should be FUN”. Bon courage!!
I’m so sorry you had bad experiences at your immersion programs. It can be such a challenge. I had heard good things about the Villefranche one but I can’t imagine spending 8 hours a day in French class!
I hope you've read "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris -- but highly recommend if you haven't! Avoir du courage!
Oh, several times. D’accord!
So sorry and I understand. I’m not a native speaker of any language. Alas, we prefer Italian wines ;)