What we’re about
2026 Academic Program:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vjF6aQHIlpKUqaofeFEcv3wZcW1bPRaI_nToY9r4-Tw/edit?usp=sharing
The French Club (all chapters) : already 500+ events completed
(Sept. 1, 2024 — Oct 1, 2025)
Upcoming events (The French Club Montreal MeetUp group):
https://www.meetup.com/the-french-club-montreal/events/
Testimonials :
https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-frenchclub/feedback-overview/
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/@the-french-club
***
Where French learners can practice, meet people from around the world, have fun and improve their language skills. There is no judgment and no shame, regardless of your level and ability to speak.
I offer online and in-person meetings, from fun conversations to specific events with a particular focus (like French pronunciation workshops), all the way to "confidence building" events. In April 2025, I also started to give French courses over 10 weeks (A1, A2, B1 and B2). The group classes will be offered in 2026, in an 10-week format (A1 to B2).
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 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
***
Cool Stats (as of September 10, 2025) :
The French Club (San Francisco)
* 2,630 members
* 670 events past events
The French Club (Montreal)
* 930 members
* 365 past events
The French Club (Toronto)
* 755 members
* 40 past events
Other chapters:
Vancouver, NYC, Chicago, Dallas, Paris, Amsterdam, Mumbai
Upcoming events
77
•Online⭐ Meet & Greet Event ... and Winter 2026 Info Session ⭐
Online⭐ Meet & Greet Event ... and Winter 2026 Info Session ⭐
Come introduce yourself, meet other French learners, and get a clear overview of the upcoming Winter 2026 session.
These December Meet & Greet events are shared across 13 MeetUp groups, and attendance is typically 20+ participants per session.
The French Club now includes more than 6,500 members across 13 cities: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, NYC, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta, Paris, Amsterdam, Mumbai, and Sydney. New locations will be added in 2026.
Reference document for these events:
The French Club — Academic Program 2026
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vjF6aQHIlpKUqaofeFEcv3wZcW1bPRaI_nToY9r4-Tw/edit?usp=sharing
***
Who is this Meet & Greet for?
• Newcomers and returning students
• All levels (A1–B2)
• Entirely in English, to keep the session efficient and accessible for all
***
When?
Sunday, December 14, 2025
• 11:00 am – 12:30 pm NY time
• 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm NY time
Sunday, December 28, 2025
• 11:00 am – 12:30 pm NY time
• 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm NY time
***
Where?
• Online, on Zoom
• Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5456313643
• Password: galaxy
***
Format
1st part — Participant introductions
Share your first name, location, current level or goal, whether you’ve taken a class or attended an event before, and a few words about your French journey.
Each participant has up to 2 minutes (a gentle stop at 2 minutes 30).
2nd part — Winter 2026 Information Session
Overview of A1–B2 calendars, formats, pricing, placement, and enrollment steps.
We will also cover:
• Upcoming 5-day French immersion programs abroad
• The new drip course and community platform launching at the end of March 2026
***
About Me
Since March 2020, I have taught French to more than 780 students from many countries, delivering over 5,625 lessons (online and in person, as of Nov. 2025).
I have also hosted more than 500 MeetUp group events since September 2023.
To learn more about my teaching and to read testimonials:
https://www.italki.com/F_Normandeau
or https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/7237721
I look forward to meeting you and helping you progress with your French.
— François Normandeau
Founder, The French Club
.14 attendees
•Online⭐ Meet & Greet Event ... and Winter 2026 Info Session ⭐
Online⭐ Meet & Greet Event ... and Winter 2026 Info Session ⭐
Come introduce yourself, meet other French learners, and get a clear overview of the upcoming Winter 2026 session.
These December Meet & Greet events are shared across 13 MeetUp groups, and attendance is typically 20+ participants per session.
The French Club now includes more than 6,500 members across 13 cities: Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, NYC, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta, Paris, Amsterdam, Mumbai, and Sydney. New locations will be added in 2026.
Reference document for these events:
The French Club — Academic Program 2026
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vjF6aQHIlpKUqaofeFEcv3wZcW1bPRaI_nToY9r4-Tw/edit?usp=sharing
***
Who is this Meet & Greet for?
• Newcomers and returning students
• All levels (A1–B2)
• Entirely in English, to keep the session efficient and accessible for all
***
When?
Sunday, December 14, 2025
• 11:00 am – 12:30 pm NY time
• 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm NY time
Sunday, December 28, 2025
• 11:00 am – 12:30 pm NY time
• 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm NY time
***
Where?
• Online, on Zoom
• Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5456313643
• Password: galaxy
***
Format
1st part — Participant introductions
Share your first name, location, current level or goal, whether you’ve taken a class or attended an event before, and a few words about your French journey.
Each participant has up to 2 minutes (a gentle stop at 2 minutes 30).
2nd part — Winter 2026 Information Session
Overview of A1–B2 calendars, formats, pricing, placement, and enrollment steps.
We will also cover:
• Upcoming 5-day French immersion programs abroad
• The new drip course and community platform launching at the end of March 2026
***
About Me
Since March 2020, I have taught French to more than 780 students from many countries, delivering over 5,625 lessons (online and in person, as of Nov. 2025).
I have also hosted more than 500 MeetUp group events since September 2023.
To learn more about my teaching and to read testimonials:
https://www.italki.com/F_Normandeau
or https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/7237721
I look forward to meeting you and helping you progress with your French.
— François Normandeau
Founder, The French Club
.7 attendees
•Online⭐ How Your Personality Shapes Your Language Learning (part 1) ⭐
Online⭐ How Your Personality Shapes Your Language Learning ⭐
2-Part Special Event Series
In English — For learners of all French levels, A0 to C1
Have you ever wondered why some learning methods feel natural to you while others feel exhausting?
Why some people love conversation practice, while others prefer reading or structured exercises?
Why some learners thrive in immersion, while others progress best quietly at home?
This special 2-part series explores how personality differences influence the way we learn a new language — including confidence, participation, motivation, consistency, enjoyment, and emotional reactions.
These sessions are based on decades of studies in second-language acquisition, including research on the Big Five personality traits, introversion vs. extraversion, motivation, anxiety, and learning habits.
Both events are held in English, open to all French levels (A0–C1), and require no breakout rooms.
***
⭐ PART 1 — Your Personality & Language Learning
Myths, Science, and Self-Discovery
Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2025 from 7 pm until 8:45 pm NY time
Duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Language: English
Participants: Unlimited (A0–C1 welcome)
In this first event, we explore the foundations:
✔ What personality research tells us about language learning
* Are extroverts really better at speaking?
* Which personality traits correlate most with long-term progress.
* How personality influences motivation, anxiety, and confidence.
* Why “strengths vs. weaknesses” is the wrong way to think about it.
✔ You will take a short personality test (live)
* At the beginning of the event, participants will complete a simple, accessible personality test.
https://www.16personalities.com/
* This will help you identify your style and better understand how you react to different learning situations.
✔ Reflection & conclusions
Together, we will discuss:
* Which aspects of your personality help your learning
* Which aspects sometimes get in the way
* What this means for how you study French
✔ Optional 30-minute guided exercise
* After the main session, you may stay for a structured reflection activity to deepen your self-awareness and prepare for Part 2.
***
⭐ PART 2 — Turn Your Personality Into a Language-Learning Superpower
Design a study plan that matches who you are
Date: Thursday, December 18, 2025 from 7 pm until 8:45 pm NY time
Duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Language: English
Participants: Unlimited (A0–C1 welcome)
In this second event, we make everything practical.
✔ You will complete a personal “learning activity profile”
Participants will rate a wide variety of French-learning activities, such as:
Conversation practice
Reading and journaling
Vocabulary systems
Grammar study
Cultural exploration
Solo activities
Social activities
Immersion-style tasks
Real-world challenges (calls, travel, errands)
This exercise helps you discover:
Which activities feel energizing vs draining
Which habits match your natural tendencies
Where your personality and study habits align
Where there is friction — and why
Which small adjustments can accelerate your progress
✔ Group discussion
We’ll talk as a whole group about:
* Surprising patterns in personality and preferences
* What different types of learners need to stay motivated
* Why two people at the same level may need totally different methods
* How to avoid “one-size-fits-all” learning traps
✔ Optional 30-minute planning session
* You may stay afterward to create a 4-week personalized French learning plan, designed to match your personality — and stretch you just enough to grow.
* You can either keep that learning plan or share some of it openly.
This 2-event special series is not meant to sell you courses or push you to attend events or register for classes.
All that will will learn, you will be able to use it beneficially for yourself and your own language learning journey.
***
⭐ Who is this for?
This series is ideal for you if:
* You want to understand why some study methods work for you and others don’t
* You’re A0, A1, A2, B1, B2, or C1 — and want a smarter way to study French
* You often compare yourself to other learners and wonder why your progress looks different
* You want to build a learning plan based on your strengths, not someone else’s
* You’re curious about psychology, personal growth, or neuroscience in language learning
* You enjoy French Club events that connect research with real-world learning
No prior knowledge of psychology is required.
***
⭐ What you will gain
By the end of both sessions, you will:
✔ Understand how your personality affects
Speaking confidence
Listening habits
Motivation
Consistency
Anxiety
Correction tolerance
Risk-taking
Preferred learning tasks
***
✔ Know which types of activities are most natural — and which ones help you stretch
✔ Stop comparing yourself unfairly to learners with different personalities
✔ Leave with a concrete, personalized learning strategy for your next 4–6 weeks
This series is designed to make your French journey more enjoyable, more sustainable, and more YOU.
***
⭐ Registration
These 2 events will be posted individually.
You may attend Part 1, Part 2, or both — though doing both is highly recommended.
Where?
• Online, on Zoom
• Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5456313643
• Password: galaxy
***
Bibliography
1. Big picture: personality & second language learning
Chen, X., et al. (2022). Big Five personality traits and second language learning: A meta-analysis of 40 years’ research. Educational Psychology Review.
Piechurska-Kuciel, E. (2020). The Big Five in SLA.
Li, Y. (2025). Personality and second language learning: Trends and insights from a bibliometric perspective. SAGE Journals.
***
2. Extraversion vs. introversion and L2 learning
Kezwer, P. (1987). The extroverted vs. the introverted personality and second language learning. TESL Canada Journal.
Skellett, E. (2017). Introversion and extraversion in second language acquisition: A literature review. St. Cloud State University Repository.
Alagić, M. (2022). Extroversion and introversion in second language acquisition. MAP Publishing.
Thach, N. (2025). The impact of extraversion and introversion on EFL learners’ success. International Journal of Language Instruction (IJLI).
***
3. Big Five traits (OCEAN) and L2 achievement
Chen, X., et al. (2022). Big Five personality traits and second language learning: A meta-analysis of 40 years’ research. Educational Psychology Review.
Xu, L. (2025). Personality traits, emotional intelligence, and L2 motivation: The role of extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, well-being, empathy, and sociability. MDPI.
***
4. Personality, emotions, and classroom experience
Botes, E., et al. (2024). Can personality predict foreign language classroom emotions? The devil’s in the detail. Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
Chen, Y. (2025). Foreign language anxiety and academic performance: A meta-analysis of Chinese L2 learners. Frontiers.
Peng, J. (2025). Emotional intelligence in language learning: A meta-analysis and the emotional turn in language education. Frontiers.
***
5. MBTI and language learning
Gao, L. (2025). A brief review on language learning strategies and MBTI. Atlantis Press.
Preply. (2024). How your Myers–Briggs type impacts language learning. Retrieved from Preply website.
Hilokal. (2022). The MBTI types and language learning. Retrieved from hilokal.com.
***
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
Past events
149
