What we’re about
Hi. Welcome. I’m François Normandeau, founder of The French Club.
We have over 7,000 members in 17 MeetUp groups around the world (New York, Paris, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Dallas, Montreal, Atlanta, Mumbai, Chicago, Sydney, Toronto, Washington DC, Tokyo, Vancouver).
If you want the same thing most adults want, a clear path to real, practical French you can actually use when speaking, then this is the right place!
And your free gift is ready: the full A1 French course (50 modules), now available on our platform. It’s the equivalent of 1,200+ pages of explanations, examples, exercises, and homework, with extras like audio and video to help you build pronunciation and real speaking reflexes. No catch, no gimmick, no obligation, no credit card needed.
Start here:
https://www.frenchclub.net/
To unlock it, two quick steps:
- Create your account.
- Enroll in the Free Plan (the A1 course is included in the free plan, but it requires enrollment).
Step-by-step guide (account setup + free A1 enrollment):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fSyoLZDxM2QdHXO0TnDh1UVFP_QjWTXA1Hj-qwcIIMM/
Once you’re in, begin with Module 1 right away.
The goal is momentum, not perfection.
What The French Club is
The French Club is a global community of French learners with live events on Meetup and a structured learning platform on frenchclub.net.
We focus on real-world fluency through:
Structured courses from A1 to B2 (50 modules per level).
Skill workshops that fix the real sticking points (pronunciation, listening speed, writing accuracy, confidence, etc.).
Conversation events (A1 to B2), including practice sessions and student-led events.
Small-group immersion experiences.
Meetup is where you’ll discover and join live events.
Our site frenchclub.net is where your learning path is organized in one place (courses, materials, and enrollment).
See you at an event soon !! ツ
— François Normandeau
Founder, The French Club
***
Links
Winter Academic Program 2026:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vjF6aQHIlpKUqaofeFEcv3wZcW1bPRaI_nToY9r4-Tw/
Website + free A1 course: https://www.frenchclub.net/
Meetup hub: https://www.meetup.com/pro/learning-speaking-french/
Welcome video: https://vimeo.com/1148335419
Substack: https://substack.com/@frenchclub
Upcoming events
24
⭐ 10-Week "TEF/TCF CANADA" Mock Exam Series (with mocko.ai)⭐
·OnlineOnlineImportant Availability Note:
This event will be free and open to everyone for the winter 2026 period:
10 weeks, from January 1 until March 15, 2026.
Starting mid-March 2026, this will become available only to Starter ($25 USD/mo.) and Premium ($75 USD/mo.) plan holders on The French Club language platform (currently in development).
***
⭐ 10-Week TEF & TCF Canada Mock Exam Series (with Mocko.ai) ⭐
Every Friday • Jan 9 – Mar 13, 2026 • 11:00 am–1:00 pm (NY time)
Free • Live on Zoom • Open to all French learners
***
Ready to see what a French exam really looks like?
Join us for a brand-new 10-week series where we will practice TEF Canada and TCF Canada mock exams together, live, using the powerful AI platform Mocko.ai.
This series is designed for anyone preparing for an official French exam or simply wanting to understand the exam structure, timing, strategies, and question types.
***
What to Expect Each Week
Over 10 Fridays, we will alternate between full mock-exam walkthroughs and special sessions with the Mocko.ai team.
8 sessions — Live mock exam practice
We will complete different sections of TEF and TCF Canada exams using the Mocko.ai platform. François will share his screen, guide you through the exam step-by-step, so that you can try to answer the questions, and then he will explain some key sections and provide answers and explanations.
2 sessions — Live presentations with Mocko.ai
Meet the Mocko.ai team directly! They will join us on:
• Friday, January 23, 2026
• One Friday in February (date announced soon)
These sessions will include a short presentation, Q&A, and tips on how to use AI-powered tools to improve your exam performance.
***
How the Sessions Work
Each meeting lasts up to 2 hours:
• First hour: Guided mock exam practice in real time
• Second hour: Explanation of key points, strategies, error analysis, and Q&A
This combination lets you see both the AI engine at work and the human teaching that makes everything clearer.
***
Why Join This Series?
• Experience real TEF/TCF exam conditions
• Understand question types, timing, and scoring
• Learn effective strategies for listening, reading, and structure
• Discover how to use Mocko.ai to strengthen weak areas
• Ask questions directly to the Mocko.ai team
• Prepare consistently over 10 weeks with a supportive community
• Use the referral code FRENCHCLUB if you later decide to upgrade to a premium plan on mocko.ai
This event series is free and open to everyone in The French Club’s community (6,700+ members across 13 groups).
***
Who Should Attend?
• Anyone preparing for TEF Canada or TCF Canada
• Students aiming for B2 / C1 results
• Learners wanting to demystify the exams
• Anyone curious about AI-powered language learning
***
Schedule
Every Friday, from January 9 to March 13, 2026
11:00 am – 1:00 pm (New York time)
Live on Zoom • Event in English
Where?
• Online, on Zoom
• Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5456313643
• Password: galaxy
***
About Me
In 2017, I was hired as a French teacher by a university in Spain.
Since March 2020, I’ve had the pleasure of teaching French
to 775 students from many countries, delivering more than
5,625+ French lessons, online and in person (as of Dec 10, 2025).
For some info about me as a teacher, and testimonials, see:
https://www.italki.com/F_Normandeau
or https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/7237721
I look forward to assisting you soon.
François Normandeau
***2 attendees
🌟 C'est la vie !! : The French Arts Club 🌟
·OnlineOnlineImportant Availability Note:
This event will be free and open to everyone for the winter 2026 period:
10 weeks, from January 1 until March 15, 2026.
Starting mid-March 2026, this will become available only to Starter ($25 USD/mo.) and Premium ($75 USD/mo.) plan holders on The French Club language platform (https://www.frenchclub.net/).
***
🌟 C'est la vie !! : The French Arts Club 🌟
A new series hosted by François Normandeau — all in French — for French learners who love culture, stories, and creativity. This is dedicated to ART, in all shapes, forms and modes of expression.
Each week, we dive into a different art form – cinema, literature, painting, music, architecture, photography, sculpture, drawing, etc. – and use it as a springboard to explore French language and culture from France and French-speaking countries and regions.
This is not a technical art class: it is a relaxed French Club where you watch, listen, react, and create a little, all in good company.
If you enjoy French, are curious about the arts, and are willing to spend almost two hours mostly in French, this is for you.
You need to have a level of French sufficient to read a book in French, watch a movie in French, give a summary in French, interact and ask and answer questions in French, etc. in order to participate fully and understand the ongoing conversations. This is usually a high A2/low B1 level (at the very least) and higher.
***
Each session includes:
- Intro
- Guided exploration of the work
- Language and culture discussion where each member can express themselves
- Mini creative activity sometimes
- Takeaway and final feedback from the participants
***
Who can attend?
This session is open to all members of The French Club.
We expect around 15 dedicated and motivated participants and everyone is welcome.
The entire event will be in French mostly (English used as a last resort).
Zoom call details:
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5456313643
Passcode: galaxy
It is the same passcode for all events hosted by F. Normandeau
***
Schedule and details .....
Week 4: Musique (28 January 2026)
🌟 Francis Cabrel – Je t’aimais, je t’aime, je t’aimerai (1994)
Why? Classic French singer; clear diction; poetic lyrics.
Great for learners because it’s slow and understandable.
- Short intro to Cabrel (major figure in French chanson).
- Analyze metaphors in chorus.
- Vocabulary: love, time, memory.
- Creative task: rewrite one line using your own metaphor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVM_OE7xJic
🌟 Stromae – “Papaoutai” (2013)
Why? Modern, powerful, globally known; rhythmic, great for discussion.
- Discuss Stromae’s Belgian-Rwandan identity & influence.
- Analyze the visuals/music of the video.
- Explore the language: colloquial French in the lyrics.
- Creative task: transform one lyric into a positive message.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiKj0Z_Xnjc
🌟 Jacques Brel – “Ne me quitte pas” (1959)
Why? One of the most famous French songs ever created.
Emotional but universal.
- Discuss Brel’s dramatic performance style.
- Listen and identify key lines.
- Explore core themes: heartbreak, poetry, desperation.
- Language: metaphors, emotion verbs.
- Activity: rewrite 2 lines in a hopeful or positive tone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_bq5mStroM
***
Week 5: Architecture (4 February 2026)
🌟 Gustave Eiffel – La Tour Eiffel (1889)
Why? The ultimate “crowd pleaser”— even non-art people care.
- Discuss why Parisians hated the tower at first.
- Explore plans, structure, and innovations.
You can include engineering, tourism, culture. - Analyze language: heights, shapes, comparisons.
- Creative task: design/describe a monument representing your city.
***
Week 6: Cinéma (11 February 2026)
🌟 My Internship in Canada (2015)
Why? Gentle political comedy film about cultural adaptation, identity, and the everyday challenges of living and working abroad. An idealistic young Haitian travels to rural Quebec to intern for an independent Member of Parliament when a national debate erupts. The independent politician is thrust into the parliamentary spotlight and has to rely on his Haitian intern to help him navigate the complexities of Parliament Hill. Ideal for international audiences, students, and anyone who has experienced migration, study, or professional transition.
https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/80084092
***
Week 7: Photography (18 February 2026)
🌟 Robert Doisneau – Le remorqueur du Champ-de-Mars (1943)
Why? Iconic French photography; immediately readable, human, and humorous.
Robert Doisneau is one of France’s most beloved humanist photographers.
- Explore Robert Doisneau, why he is so closely associated with simple, authentic moments of Parisian everyday life, and the “photographie humaniste” movement.
- Analyze the scene: setting, characters, movement, contrast between the ordinary and the monumental (the Eiffel Tower).
- Discuss core themes: daily life, work, humor, scale, and the poetry of the ordinary.
- Language: describing images, spatial vocabulary, present tense, making hypotheses (on dirait que…, peut-être que…).
- Creative task: invent a caption or short story explaining what is happening before or after the photo.
https://enfantphotohumaniste.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/diaporama1926-le-remorqueur-du-champs-de-marspar.jpeg
***
Week 8: Sculpture (25 February 2026)
🌟 Auguste Rodin – Le Penseur (1904)
Why? Instant recognizability + deep cultural resonance.
- Who was Rodin? The rebel sculptor. Discuss.
- Explore Le Penseur and its relationship to La Porte de l’Enfer.
- Analyze vocabulary: human body, attitudes, emotions.
- Creative task: describe your “thought” (could be an interpretation).
https://histoire-image.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/rod7_penseur_001f.jpg
***
Week 9: Dessin (4 March 2026)
🌟 Bring out the artist in you – Drawing 2 scenes or objects 🌟
Why? Very accessible, relaxing, and playful — you only need curiosity, not experience. Perfect to close the series gently.
- Short warm-up with simple shapes and lines, following easy French instructions.
- Guided drawing of 2 scenes (for example: a small French café + a simple still life or a corner of your room).
- Language: basic drawing and position vocabulary (lines, shapes, objects, in front of / behind, next to) + simple adjectives and opinions.
- Creative task: personalize one drawing with a funny or very “French” detail and present it briefly in French.
***
Week 10: Cinéma (11 March 2026)
🌟 La Vie Scolaire (School Life) (2019)
Why? Warm, humorous, and hopeful. La Vie scolaire offers a modern, compassionate look at middle-school life in a disadvantaged area. It celebrates empathy, mentorship, and the quiet power of believing in students — without being naïve or moralizing.
- Explore themes: Education and social inequality, authority vs. empathy, adolescence and self-image, the role of adults in young lives.
- Discussion: What makes a school supportive? Can one adult really make a difference? How are students labelled — and why does it matter? Compare this school to your own experience.
https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/81191429
***
We look forward to seeing you there!
— François Normandeau
Founder, The French Club2 attendees
