What we’re about
Bonjour et bienvenue à bord.
Tunbridge Wells Francophiles -the French Conversation Group has been in existence for over ten years and continues to grow and evolve. You will find a warm and inviting group with Members traveling from all over Kent, Sussex, and Surrey to attend our Meetup. We are a very informal, friendly, and jolly group – so please do not be afraid to come along. We will be looking forward to meeting you.
In terms of fluency, there is a mixture of conversational standards within the Group but, it is preferable to have a minimum level of conversational French to be able to join in with the discussions, as beginners may struggle. However, this group is by no means intended to be just for those who speak French perfectly: it is also about meeting people and making friends with a mutual interest in France, and things French. Everyone helps each other improve their spoken French in a positive and helpful way that builds confidence in speaking a foreign language. Regardless of your ability, you are very welcome.
We meet on a Monday evening for conversational French at a restaurant in Tunbridge Wells every two weeks. The restaurant has been selected because it has a pleasant ambiance, a good menu at reasonable prices, and is located near the centre of Tunbridge Wells, so people can either walk or drive there.
Most people have dinner, but some just join us just for a drink and a chat. We start around 19.30 and we speak conversational French for most of the evening but when the coffees arrive, we switch back to speaking English for the last 20 minutes or so. We usually finish around 22.00 and at most meetings, we get between 10-18 attendees. Some people are regulars who come to every meetup and others on an ad-hoc basis.
We also organise other activities such as going to the Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells to see French films or the occasional day trip to France. We always welcome suggestions from members for other things to do.
To cover our fixed costs, such as payments to Meetup head office for the cost of running the website and other incidental costs, we charge a one-off joining/ membership fee of £5.00 plus a rolling £10.00 subscription charge to cover 5 meetings, which you then renew to pay for another additional 5 meetings.
However, we only ask for payments after your first visit. Please come along and see if our group is for you. If it is and you want to join, then we will ask you for the subscription.
We ask that you come to a meeting within the first two months of joining which gives you four opportunities to join us in this period. If you do not come within this period, we will cancel your application but you are very welcome to re-apply and then come when it is convenient for you.
All payments are made by Internet banking for simplicity. We are a not-for-profit group and after covering our running costs and maintaining a healthy surplus to pay for the next year’s subscription to HQ, we return all excess surpluses back to the regular Members of the Group, usually at Christmas. All funds are accounted for.
How to join?
Please complete the application form. We require that you post a photo of yourself on your profile. It must show your face as it helps us recognise you on your first visit, so we can meet and greet you.
Also, so we can help you on your first visit by seating you next to someone with a similar standard of spoken French, please indicate your level of fluency. If you do not know your level of spoken French, advice is given on this website. https://www.france-langue.com/french-levels/
Finally, the Group has also agreed that Members cannot use the Group as an opportunity to sell goods or services.
What next?
When we have received your application, please come along to a meeting to see if the group is for you. There is no charge for attending your first meeting.
Then if you wish to join us you will need to make your payment of £15.00, you will then have access to the programme of meetings/events. The £15.00 is made up of a one-off joining /membership fee of £5.00 combined with your first subscription of £10 for 5 meetings. After 5 meetings, you then pay again for additional meetings.
Finally, If you would like any further information about our group, please email:
maggie123meet@gmail.com or gareth.meetup@gmail.com
Quotes from attendees about Tunbridge Wells Francophiles
These are just some of the comments that we have received about the Group.
Carol “Thanks to everyone who came along for making it such a fun evening”.
Marcus “A pleasure. Nice to see everyone; good food”.
Brian “I really enjoyed last night. Great to make the acquaintance of new members plus spending time with "old" friends. The group goes from strength to strength”.
Alan “Good fun”
Jean « Really enjoyable evening and my guest enjoyed it too and wants to join us again.”
It's a very informal, friendly, and jolly group - don't be afraid to come along!