⭐ French B1 Course – Intermediate Level (10 Weeks) ⭐

The French Club (all chapters) : already 275 events completed
(Sept. 1, 2024 — July 15, 2025)

Upcoming events :
https://www.meetup.com/the-french-club-montreal/events/

Testimonials :
https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-frenchclub/feedback-overview/

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⭐ French B1 Course – Intermediate Level (10 Weeks) ⭐
in a small group setting with 6 students

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Program Details

* Duration: 10 weeks
* Weekly Class Time: 2.5 hours per week
* Class Format: Live Class on Zoom
* Max Participants: 6
* Who Can Join? Those who have an A2 level in French
* Self-Study Requirement: 10 hours per week minimum
* Total Estimated Learning Hours: ~125 hours

No new admissions once the course starts in mid-September 2025.

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Please note that total class time (per meeting) has been extended from 120 to 150 minutes. The additional time is dedicated to more practice, following requests from the majority of students.

The total course fee remains unchanged (for 1,500 minutes of class time now, as opposed to 1,200 minutes in the spring and summer 2025 sessions).

Comparable courses over 10 weeks cost $600+ CAD in Toronto and NYC (USA), at the Alliance Française or other schools.

Therefore, this course is less than half price, compared to competitors.

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Session Start Date

Schedule:

Starts on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025 (week #1)
Ends on Sunday , Nov. 16, 2025 (week #10)

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Course Description

This B1-level French course is designed for learners who have completed the A2 level or have a solid foundation in basic French.

It will help students transition from structured conversations to more natural, spontaneous communication, improve grammatical accuracy, and build confidence in work, travel, and social contexts.

This course follows the CEFR B1 level to prepare students for functional communication in social, travel, and work situations.

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

* Express and justify opinions in everyday conversations
* Engage in spontaneous discussions on personal and social topics
* Narrate past experiences and discuss future plans with accuracy
* Understand and summarize news articles, interviews, and reports
* Write structured emails, reviews, and professional messages
* Confidently handle work, travel, and real-world interactions

This B1-level course will enhance your fluency, comprehension, and accuracy, preparing you for independent communication in French.

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Curriculum & Study Materials:

* Each week, you receive a comprehensive PDF (~80–120 pages) divided into 5 modules

* Each module includes structured lessons, vocabulary, grammar, examples, and exercises

* Optional but highly recommended: 2 hours of daily self-study (10 hours/week)

* Weekly study guides and homework sections included in each weekly document

* Each week concludes with an optional self-assessment exam and answer key

* If you have questions during the week, you can ask in the WhatsApp group.

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Class Structure

Each weekly 2.5-hour session is divided into two parts:
1. Review and clarification of core concepts (70 min. or less)
2. Practice through exercises and live conversation (70 min. or more)

Each group meeting will include a 10-min break about halfway.

This B1 French course (over 10 weeks) is given in a semi-private setting (6 students maximum) where interactions will be encouraged via exercises done each week during the classes, along with assisting students with their pronunciation. The personalized attention and small group setting explain the fee for the course.

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Communication & Support

* All materials and announcements are shared in a dedicated WhatsApp group

* Students can ask questions and exchange messages throughout the course

* Course documents and reminders are sent via WhatsApp before each class

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Cost & Payment Options

The preferred option is full payment at least one week before the course begins to secure your spot.

If your budget is tight, you may choose a weekly plan: $28 CAD per week, due at least 24 hours before each class (including the first session). If payment isn’t received on time, you won't be allowed in the goup class.

Please select the weekly plan only if you intend to complete the full course. If you choose the weekly option and skip two group classes (consecutively or not), your enrollment will be ended (to prevent people from jumping in and out whenever it suits them).

* Full Course Fee: $280 CAD (taxes included) for the complete 10-week program

* Weekly Option: $28 CAD per class (paid 24h in advance, one class at a time)

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Accepted Payment Methods

1. Stripe (International Debit or Credit Card Payments) :
* Pay per week ($28 CAD): https://buy.stripe.com/eVqfZi3gNdo3ePA8Zcgbm00
* Full 10-week course ($280 CAD): https://buy.stripe.com/5kQ14o9Fb1Fl8rcb7kgbm01

2. PayPal (International payments) : @M2TradingUniversity

3. Interac E-Transfer (Canada only) : f_normandeau@protonmail.com

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Refund Policy

If you choose the full payment option and decide to withdraw from the course, you will be refunded the unused portion of your payment, minus a $50 CAD administrative fee.

In this case, you will no longer have access to the WhatsApp group or receive the course materials for the remaining sessions.

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Access & Attendance

* Only participants who have completed payment in advance will be admitted.

* Zoom access closes 10 minutes after class starts to maintain class flow

* Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5456313643

* Password: galaxy

* Camera use is expected for a better group learning experience

* Zoom call etiquette: Ensure that you will have a stable and fast internet connection, and that you will be in a distraction-free environment, in order to not disturb the other attendees while attending the group class.

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Extra Practice & Community Support

To further enhance learning, students are encouraged to organize their own informal study groups during the week.

While I will not be present for these peer-led sessions, they are highly recommended as a way to collaborate, share insights, and stay motivated throughout the 10-week journey.

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Course Outline – 10 Weeks of Learning

Week 1: Speaking with Confidence – Strengthening Fluency
Vocabulary: Expanding everyday expressions, improving sentence structure
Grammar: Review of A2-level grammar, sentence connectors (donc, alors, cependant)
Speaking & Listening: Introducing yourself, your work, and your goals in greater depth
Reading & Writing: Writing a structured self-introduction
Key Topics:

• Sentence connectors (donc, alors, cependant, tandis que)
• Using pronouns for fluency (y, en, lui, leur)
• Making conversations flow more naturally

Week 2: Expressing Opinions & Debating
Vocabulary: Agreeing/disagreeing, presenting an argument
Grammar: Subjunctive (Il faut que…, Je veux que…)
Speaking & Listening: Discussing current topics, expressing personal opinions
Reading & Writing: Writing an opinion piece or social media post
Key Topics:

• Structuring opinions: Je pense que…, À mon avis…
• Introduction to subjunctive (Il faut que je parte…)
• Expressing hypothetical ideas (Si j’avais plus de temps…)

Week 3: Storytelling & Describing Past Events
Vocabulary: Talking about memories and past experiences
Grammar: Passé composé vs. imparfait (advanced usage)
Speaking & Listening: Telling stories, sharing personal experiences
Reading & Writing: Writing a narrative about a past trip or event
Key Topics:

• Mastering passé composé vs. imparfait
• Using time markers (autrefois, jadis, tout à coup)
• Structuring engaging stories

Week 4: Future Plans & Professional Situations
Vocabulary: Work, career, and life goals
Grammar: Futur simple vs. futur proche
Speaking & Listening: Talking about career goals, planning a project
Reading & Writing: Writing a professional email or project plan
Key Topics:

• Writing emails and professional communication
• Talking about long-term vs. short-term plans
• Using conditional to be polite (Je voudrais, Vous pourriez)

Week 5: Travel & Problem-Solving in French
Vocabulary: Hotel reservations, asking for help, handling complaints
Grammar: Using conditional and formal expressions
Speaking & Listening: Role-playing real-world travel situations
Reading & Writing: Writing a review or formal complaint
Key Topics:

• Making polite requests (Pourriez-vous… ?)
• Handling problems in a restaurant, hotel, or store
• Using relative pronouns (dont, lequel, ce que)

Week 6: Conversations at Work & Interviews
Vocabulary: Job interviews, networking, workplace conversations
Grammar: Relative pronouns & indirect speech
Speaking & Listening: Practicing interviews, discussing work projects
Reading & Writing: Writing a job application or resume
Key Topics:

• Talking about work responsibilities
• Using indirect speech (Il a dit que… Il m’a demandé de…)
• Writing a concise and clear resume

Week 7: Advanced Storytelling & Hypotheticals
Vocabulary: Emphasizing emotions, storytelling techniques
Grammar: Plus-que-parfait & hypothetical phrases
Speaking & Listening: Telling “what could have happened” stories
Reading & Writing: Writing a fictional or personal story
Key Topics:

• Using past perfect (J’avais déjà fini…)
• Expressing regrets and what-ifs (Si j’avais su…)
• Using transition words for fluency

Week 8-10: Mastery & Final Assessment
Review: Revisiting major grammar & vocabulary points
Final Speaking Practice: Role-playing real-life interactions
Final Writing Task: Writing a formal report or personal essay
Key Topics:

• Advanced sentence structuring
• Mastering spontaneous conversations

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About Me

I was born in Montreal (QC), Canada and studied psychology and international finance. I have worked as a professional commodities trader from 2000 until January 2025.

In the past 30 years, I have lived and worked in Hungary, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Antigua and Barbuda.

In 2017, while learning Spanish and Catalan, I was hired as a French teacher by a university in Spain.

Since March 2020, I’ve had the pleasure of teaching French
to 725 students from many countries, delivering more than
5,000+ French lessons, online and in person (as of July 15, 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

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