I just completed the fall class at the Alliance (French 201) and am happy with the experience. I…read morehad also taken the French for Travelers course there. Before starting at the Alliance, I had some previous private French lessons with a tutor. If you have had any background in French and don't want to start at square one, you can take a placement test. Fill out the form online and then you will be called by the Alliance director who will have you come in for an assessment. The assessment (about 30-45 minutes) is a made up of a multiple choice test and a couple of short essays. Based on your results she will place you in the appropriate class. If when you start the class you find that you are not comfortable at that level, you can always change classes (which is what I did). The teachers at the Alliance are mostly native French speakers, some are native English speakers who spent a lot of time in France and are completely fluent. The two teachers I have had so far were great - very patient! My only gripe is that you can't really choose your teachers i.e. depending on who is teaching that particular course during any particular semester, you may end up with a teacher from Quebec or another Francophone region outside of France and therefore you are learning French with their accents, which are different from the accent of the Motherland and often the difference is huge. I like that the classes are not big (up to 10 or 12?). The classes are not high-pressure and it is ok if you miss a class here and there. These are adult classes in the evening after all. Almost all of the students have full time jobs. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed. The curriculum includes a mix of grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and culture. It's not like your dry high school French textbooks. Once you reach the 200+ level, the entire course is taught in French, with complicated grammar rules explained in English if required. It's a great way to immerse yourself in the language, if only for a few hours a week. The Alliance is located at the Good Shepherd Center (built in 1906) in Wallingford, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The classrooms are nothing fancy but it is cosy in an old-school kind of way. I plan to continue with the next level course at the Alliance. There is ample free parking outside the school. There is a library where you can borrow French books, DVDs, CDs.

I have visited in person the local Alliance Francaise in Seattle several times over the years. The…read morestaff is pleasant enough, especially the French director. I did find that the courses would be too easy for me. There seemed to be several volunteers possibilities as well. * * * * * Does anyone in school learn --not even actually speak--a foreign language any more? There are insanely ugly languages--Cantonese with its braying, cacophony, American English with its outlandish diphthongs and tendency to be grunted or shouted (compare Jamie Foxx to Ralph Fiennes), Spanish. And then there is French (Parisian, Swiss, or Belgian, but not Quebecois). ...Certainly not on a par with the Alliance Francaise in Boston or San Francisco (or New York, which I have not visited but assume is the largest in the U.S.), the Alliance Francaise de Seattle is a cozy outpost located in Wallingford. It offers classes in conversational French at various levels as well as a program of social/cultural activities for mostly beginning learners. Particularly good for those who want to brush up on the French they took in high school or college, as well as for those planning a trip to a Francophone country. A small staff headed by the directrice Misa Bourdonneau is gracious and welcoming ensures that the classes are small and personalized. Whatever the global reach of the U,S. is in the decades to come (as well as the concomitant dominance of the English language), the French language will always maintain its peerless reputation as the the language of culture in the traditional sense of the word (America obviously dominates pop or mass culture). It is important to live in a multi-lateral world, politically speaking, and to have a counterweight, culturally, to the United States. **** Why study French? Once you fall in love with this language, it lasts a lifetime. It is spoken by an estimated 200 million people around the world and one of the six official languages of the U.N. and one of the two working languages of the Security Council ('English being the other). Guyana (once French Guyana) in South America is actually part of the European Union, with representation in the French National Assembly (it is actually a part of France in the same way that Hawaii or Puerto Rico are part of the U.S.). Language and culture are inseparable, and I am tempted to believe that if Americans had less distrust for nuance, less certainty that we are "sui generis" as a nation, we would have less of a "bull in a china shop" approach to world affairs. It should come as no surprise that the French over a century have been attempting to restore Angor Wat and other ancient Buddhist temples in Cambodia to their original splendor. Compare to the early days of the U.S. invasion of Iraq when the soldiers ostensibly guarding the National Archaeological Museum in Baghdad did NOTHING to prevent the shocking looting and pillaging taking place right under their very eyes. The respect the French have for their language is in sharp contrast to the general sloppiness with which Americans employ their own (how many Americans could profess a love of the English language?). **** Maybe if the U.S. (George W. Bush) had listened to France, which, with Germany, refused--on principled grounds--to "go along" with the invasion of Iraq, we wouldn't be in the mess we are in today. Former prime minister Dominque de Villepin's speech to the United Nations Assembly before the U.S. invaded Iraq was extraordinarily eloquent ("Yes, I come from an OLD Europe, one that has known great suffering...We believe war is an admission of defeat and ought to be used as the last resort" brought tears to my eyes. (This was also the occasion, as I recall, of Colin Powell's infamous "Saddam has uranium enrichment..."). http://www.ina.fr/archivespourtous/index.php?vue=notice&from=fulltext&full=Dominique+de+Villepin+&num_notice=2&total_notices=158 On the other hand, many, if not most Americans truly believe that freedom actually began in the year 1776. However, the American Revolution was followed by another equally important revolution 13 years later. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/opinion/28furstenberg.html?em&ex=1193716800&en=6fe9bb653edfa0b5&ei=5087%0A French chateaus (Chenonceau, Chambord, et. al.), museums, cuisine, art, and cathedrals are also magnificent repositories of its rich history and culture. And yes, many French have a rather distorted, knee-jerk anti-Americanism combined with a doltish love of the worst aspects of American culture (hip-hop, Sylvester Stallone, etc.). Republican Party strategists interpreted the victory of Nicholas Sarkozy over Segolene Royal, the socialist candidate, to the presidency of France as a blueprint for them to win in 2008. Sarkozy was the successor of a very unpopular president (Chirac) from his own party, in the way that GWB has become an albatross for the Republicans.

I have driven by this place for YEARS-and luckily had a recent family scuffle that made me question…read morewhere this anger toward my child came from. There are a MILLION books on the subject but, real people and real face time on real issues about how to be a better parent of a volatile child? SIGN ME UP! I should have been here years ago. What a hidden gem! Mollie Hughes has an academic background but she has fostered tons of kids and KNOWS her stuff. In a world all about the needs of kids, she gives some attention to the needs of parents! Phew! She puts us in the driver's seat to practice real techniques. She makes us question our own histories and childhoods and how we may or may not apply this to our own parenting. You'll explore, How to apologize and How to parent with dignity? Answer questions like " Why do I let my child or husband parent me?" What's refreshing is, she teaches from the heart. She makes you question what it is about family life that is so hard? Does it scare you to raise your voice-why? Her approach is practical face time with other families and some soul searching opportunities to mend the way you were parented and pick up where maybe mom or dad left off? What are your core beliefs? Why don't they translate to your parenting or interactions with your husband? Mollie will help you answer these and more. If not a better parent, you will be better person!

The BTLC WHOA course was simply re-traumatizing for me as a falsely accused father. My narcissistic…read moreex-wife weaponized the divorce process in attempt to estrange my children from me. I was coerced into taking this course to settle out of court. This course's professor perpetuates the gaslight of projecting men/me as the problem in the relationships. These YouTube videos below were 10X times more helpful. Men if you are truly innocent then watch this first video with Mel Robbin and Rebecca Zung. This video outlines how to deal with narcissist from a legal standpoint: https://youtu.be/Wz_1hI7SOT4?si=B455Oh1klWv74Nj6 This video outlines the crisis going on with men (god forbid we hold onto anger) : https://youtu.be/B_5N_aDu3u0?si=Ub5OrZjw6jHLaK1h https://youtu.be/RlSwsE22nX0?si=gLnqD4TIcs7TudJd https://youtu.be/3WMuzhQXJoY?si=xbN6lOoU-_PLwpKp https://youtu.be/DBG1Wgg32Ok?si=GP6kCaxO939JcNam https://youtu.be/WPUe9IHlbwE?si=CS-L2KIvVSmLjJMK This video outlines how to deal with a narcissistic co-parent: https://youtu.be/AHL_A0kodlY?si=vMonEBo1tHHEzmTa This video outlines parenting techniques: https://youtu.be/ETM3Z7DtOpI?si=31ISSRri78PyycC4

What a wonderful language school. I'm taking my second class this winter…read more This place is so cute! (And many of my classmates work for a living and fit the class into their lunch breaks, just fine!) The buddy system is also great. This is not an easy class, but it has really improved my confidence in speaking, helping me be less self conscious. I have a degree in teaching and Amanda's style works well for me as a kinesthetic learner -- lots of whole body motions, songs, and exaggerated expressions to help the language "stick". The online resources are also very helpful -- to match a variety of learning styles. This class is a very good value and pace. It is a commitment, but learning a language requires daily practice. I've had a lot of fun and can see my progress week to week. I've also enjoyed getting to know my classmates. I wear a mask in class, but not everyone does. There are online options for some levels, too.

I found these classes useful for refreshing and expanding my little knowledge from a long time ago…read more The generally unstructured conversation in class and between classes with our assigned buddies was very helpful compared to learning, say, conjugations by rote. Like any class, the more you put in the more you get out. I needed more practice with verb tenses than was officially allotted, even with the homework, but various online resources were suggested for that. All-in-all, a pleasant way to learn.

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We've taken two of Joes massage workshops now and both have been amazing. Joe creates a welcoming…read moreenvironment that's easy to relax in, and shares lots of great ideas on how to give your partner a great massage without straining or hurting yourself. The workshop had a light structure, so you got to all the parts of the body, but you had a lot of opportunity to experiment and see which of the techniques worked best your partner. Joe and his wife (a physical therapist) were rotating around often offering tips, and providing specific ideas based on what either of us needed. The personalized attention was super impressive. You can tell they both truly love what they do!

Great communicators and wonderful teachers! Their free lesson allowed us to get a feel for the…read morespace and teachers before committing. They didn't pressure signing up afterwards, either or try to reel us in with gimmicks. My daughter said that the 30 min flew by and looks forward to future lessons!

Rescheduling is easy and the instructors are professional and great. The music selection is awesome…read moreas well.

I had a very light accent and people would understand 95% of the time what I was saying. It was…read morejust those 5% of the words and sometimes people would just not understand. So I had a doubt about whether I needed accent class or not, but I would also get frustrated about those 5% of times when people wouldn't understand me. I took a chance and took Nicole's class and I'm so glad that I did. Together, we were able to identify the sounds I had issues with and improve them. Now I am so much more confident when I talk in meetings and even with coworkers. It was one of the time and money I had ever spent on something. Nicole is amazing!

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