I just completed the five day Grammar Review course taught by the lovely and patient Emma. The…read moreclass was great as was she. We reviewed the major tenses and chatted in French about many things. Emma was patient and thorough and waited for my brain to switch from English to French. We rarely spoke English. I also attended the Bastille Day luncheon and the Happy Hour at the Raymond. Attendees at both events were warm and inviting. It was easy to practice French no matter what your level in such congenial company. A professional place , friendly atmosphere, and a real desire to help you learn the language, that's Alliance. As a side note I've taken class all over Los Angeles and nothing comes close.

Excellent school. Lovely teachers, small classes, and people are very friendly and kind. I took a…read morebeginners accelerated course 2 days a week for 3 hours a day for a month. Our teacher was lovely and very patient. I learned a lot and will be taking more classes with Alliance Francaise.

Fantastic private tutoring. I've been taking weekly Spanish lessons for two months to help me…read moreachieve a life long aspiration to be a fluent speaker. My tutor finds an excellent job of enganging and challenging me. Incredibly personable. Highly recommend.

Marlene is the consummate teacher. She has all is these qualities , in spades:…read more * She CARES: your progress is more than important to her, it's personal! * She's CREATIVE and diverse in her approach: from engaging games to important documents and homework to external recommendations, she's always delivering helpful ways to support and accelerate your progress. * She's a JOY: she's high energy, fun ... and funny too!, making your lessons a pleasure -- she makes time fly! * She's EFFECTIVE: if you're even semi serious about learning French, she not only makes it possible, not only makes it fun, but makes it all happen more quickly and also building on a strong foundation. There are lots of tools and ways to dabble with leaning a new language, but if you really care to learn French, a very small investment of time and money w Marlene has the biggest return, complimenting and accelerating your progress well past the dollars you spend. I highly and enthusiastically recommend Marlene!

"Marlene is an exceptional teacher who makes you look forward to every lesson. She is organized,…read moreresourceful, and great at keeping you motivated with her homework. Her patience is so appreciated whenever you need extra time to learn. Highly recommended!"

I have been working with Emmanuel for almost 2 years now, and I highly recommend him to anyone…read morelooking to learn French. I knew choosing to pick up a language in my 30s was going to be challenging (and I'm not going to sugar coat it, French is tough), but I am amazed at how far I've come since beginning lessons with Emmanuel. He brings variety to lessons (that have translated seamlessly to virtual this year) that helps make learning relevant and fun. I really appreciate that Emmanuel teaches you the 'correct' way to speak, read & write, but he also tells you how French is actually used and what rules you can bend and break. He creates the ability for you to decide who you want to be when you speak French through teaching you multiple levels of formality and street French. Not only do I feel far more equipped for my next trip to Paris, but I've really enjoyed some of the unexpected benefits such as actually understanding what's going on when a movie or tv character suddenly goes into speaking French with zero or not quite accurate subtitles. My reading and writing skills have come in handy on a few occasions too! On top of all that Emmanuel creates a safe space for learning. He is incredibly patient, caring, and knows when to push you and when to help you out. Emmanuel is always thinking about how he can improve his programs and create materials to supplement learning (you should definitely follow him on Instagram or TikTok). If you love French culture, are willing to take risks and put in the work, Emmanuel will be there to help you 'level up your Frenchness' so you can speak like a native French speaker (or close to it).

Excellent Language School! My daughter started taking French…read morelessons at Encore and she has been improving her language knowledge rapidly. Her teacher Samba is outstanding! The curriculum is very well structured and student-oriented. Lessons are tailored to help the students to achieve French fluency in an easy, and engaging way. I highly recommend Encore French Lessons school.

Best decision for my 3 kids who are enrolled at Altadena Arts' French DLIP. We are a Non-French…read morespeaking household but still prioritize learning the language. My eldest is at a point where he does not need constant help with his French and is now even correcting our and his siblings' French! We've been with Petite Library since it started as a small learning pod during the pandemic and are appreciative of Sumina and her genuine care for the kids' French comprehension. Our third child started French Pre-School with Petite and was very well prepared for French Kindergarten at AAM the following year. My kids love their teachers at Petite Library and enjoy their time at the center with other students doing arts, science & theatre all in French. Our youngest child, who will start Kinder next year at Altadena FDLIP, is looking forward to joining her siblings at Petite.

My family and I have had my children in Petite Library for a couple of years now and we absolutely…read morelove the rich educational environment that they provide. They not only focus on a multicultural education, but also make learning fun. They help with core curriculum development and they also work on hands on learning. My daughter never wants to leave, she loves the community and the projects she gets to work on. She loves learning and her French has developed tremendously. They work in small groups for targeted reading, writing, and math. The teachers are amazing very knowledgeable and supportive. We love this program because of its rich content based curriculum and structure.

Miss Valerie has been our teacher for four years. She is a bright spirit, and makes every lesson…read moreentertaining and informative. My husband learned French in school many years ago, so she is helping him modernize his French. I am now a proud level B-2, and hoping to someday achieve fluency. You can't lose with Long Beach Lingual Institute!

My daughter and I are taking a trip to Paris in October and wanted to know some French so we can be…read morerespectful visitors. We found Miss Valerie with wonderful reviews and gave LB Lingual a try. What a treat! Miss Valerie is so awesome and went above and beyond our expectations. She was super accommodating with our schedules and had an online class that made it even easier! She is friendly and engaging and so enthusiastic! She was like a friend we met every week for a chat. She went out of her way to find what was relevant to us and geared our classes toward those experiences. We learned words, phrases and conversational French that will be current and up to date for today's Paris. I would love to continue learning with her. She is welcome to join us any Sunday at Renoud's :-) We can't recommend her more highly!

Odilia is an awesome teacher! My son's Spanish has dramatically improved. She is well organized…read moreand able to accommodate his busy academic schedule.

Mundo en Español is a good organization, and Odilia is a great teacher. I've taken classes with her…read morefor years. She is always prepared, well organized, keeps the class flowing and tailors the material to the students' needs. I highly recommend these classes.

I highly recommend the Alliance Française de Los Angeles. The teachers are wonderful. My kids had a…read moregreat experience there. On vous remercie infiniment!

Alliance Francaise in conjunction with Bordeaux Sister Cities, Los Angeles celebrated Fête de…read moreBastille with a bang by featuring the wines of Bordeaux, the region that has given birth to super high-end vignerons such as Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Ausone, and others too numerous to count (about 10,000 in all). Bordeaux produces only about 1.5% of the world production of wine, but its world class wines hold a disproportionate amount of awe & influence, and with it, snob appeal. Apparently, the region of Bordeaux, which comes from "au bord de l'eau (by the water), especially in Saint- Émilion had been exporting wine to Rome since the 4th century. Château Ausone dates back to the days when the Roman Empire held sway. The Greeks may have been the first to introduce the grape to France since they established a colony called Massalia, which is now the present-day Marseille, in about 600 bce. However, there is no documentation that those original grapes planted by the Greeks have survived to this day. (DNA analysis of the grapes in France & in present day Greece may answer that question.) In Bordeaux, Reds predominate with 89% of production while whites comprise 11%. Merlot makes up about 66%, Cabernet Sauvignon a bit less than 33%, the rest is Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Carménère, & Malbec. White varietals are Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle, & a touch of Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, Sauvignon Gris, Colombard. The large water way called the Gironde & its two tributaries, the Dordogne & Garonne, is the major dividing line so that there is a right & left bank. The right bank's soil has more clay-rich, relatively cooler soil temperature, water-retaining soil which is preferred by the early ripening Merlot. The left bank's soil is gravelly & stony so that the sun heats up the soil which is beloved by heat-loving Cabernet Sauvignon. The center piece in the lounge area was a long table whose center was decorated with the French Tri- Colors & deep red roses possibly symbolizing the people of France who have given their lives to the French Republique. Surrounding this was a groaning table of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, charcuterie, & crackers which would pair well with the wines to be sampled. Sommelier Laurent P. Michit, who is also a wine merchant, presented a good representative of wines from Bordeaux. 1) Chateau de Fontenille, Entre-Deux-Mers, 2012 is 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sauvignon Gris, 20% Muscadelle, 20% Sémillon. Sweet musky bouquet with a touch of citrus & grassy tones. Smooth & astringent yet slightly rough due to higher acid. 2) Chateau Macquin, Saint-George-Saint Émilion, 2011 is probably primarily Merlot with Cabernet Franc. 3) Chateau Tenein, Bordeaux Superior, 2010 is 55% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc. 4) Chateau Patache d'Aux, Medoc, 2010 is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot . This was my favorite drink-right-now wine. Very smooth, nice balance of soft tannins & acid with a touch of cherry & light blue berries that has the right sugar content to make it great to drink just by itself. I guess this wine appeals to my plebeian nature since it is listed as Cru Bourgeois. 5) Chateau de la Cour, Saint-Émilion 2010, Grand Cru is 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. This wine probably would mellow out in about 10 years. The tannins & acids are relatively strong so that the wine can rest for a long time to mellow out the tannins & acids although I have had other Grand Crus that were far harsher. Good bottle to buy for those who believe that all good things come to those who wait. The guests at the Fête de Bastille were a mixture of Francophone & Anglophone speakers which made for a nice mix. The cultural & educational awareness was high unlike some soirées where we Americans predominate. There was little talk about La Revolution & about Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, and the talk of wine predominated. I would guess that Vins = La Vie, at least to the French. Vive la France!!!