Classes - Policies
Teachers
All our teachers are fluent and experienced instructors.
Classes
Classes are small, 5 to 10 students. New students may join at any time for Intermediate and Advanced levels only. Novice A and B classes are offered in the Fall semester only as they continue onto the Spring semester. The fee is prorated to the number of classes remaining in the session. However and especially for Novice A and B participants, they must be aware that by enrolling after the start or during the Fall or Spring semesters, the teacher will not, by fairness to the other participants, go back to previous lessons. Participants with no prior knowledge of French need two semesters of Novice A to go to Novice B and two semesters of Novice B to be admissible to Intermediate.
Exercises will be given at the end of lesson. As they remain optional at the Intermediate and Advanced levels, they will not be corrected in class. Teacher will collect them and return them on the following week. If you know on the first day of the session that you will miss up to three classes during that session, you may be issued up to three vouchers valid for any of the two following sessions.
Private instruction and translation are available. The rate for private lessons starts at $40 an hour. A lesson may be canceled or rescheduled with 24-hour notice. The school follows non-discriminatory practices with respect to race, creed and nationality.
Cancellation/Small Classes
A minimum of 2 participants is required to constitute a class. Classes that do not have sufficient enrollment will be cancelled. To be equally fair to teachers and students, if registration and money are not received at least 2 days prior to start of class for a minimum of 2 students, class will be automatically cancelled and potential students informed.
Tuition
Tuition is based on $12.50 per hour of instruction. Participants need to be members of the organization to enroll. For Novice A and B only the payment for membership and a 50% deposit of the cost of the class must be sent, by check or cash, prior to the beginning of the session. The remainder of the tuition must be paid half way through the semester session. If full payment is made prior to the beginning of the session, participant will receive a free lesson (deduct $ 12.50 from payment. No refunds or/and vouchers will be given after registration.
Discount for renewing students
After 2 full semesters of instruction at the AFB (one year), participant will get a discount of 10% on the full tuition (given on the first day of the session only, and only on a full session). The discount is only given on the first day of class, and for a full session.
Coupons
If an enrolled AFB student refers a friend who is not an AFB member to one of our classes and the friend registers for a complete session, the AFB student will receive a $20 coupon. There is no limit in the number of coupons accumulated.
Books
A set of two books is required, a textbook and an exercice book. Both books are mandatory at the Novice A and B levels. Only the textbook book is mandatory at the Intermediate level. Each costs $ 26.00. It is accompanied by a set of CDs. Book(s) must be paid in advance to Colette Jowdy at 716 706-0505 and can be retrieved from the teacher on the first day of class.
Refunds
Due to our not-for-profit status and obligations to our instructors, No refunds or/and vouchers will be given after registration.
Registration
Registration is open to all members of any Alliance Française. Individual membership is $40, tax deductible, and is valid until August, 2010. All you have to do to register for the class of your choice is to contact Colette Jowdy at 716 706-0505. Please include your name, address, and day and evening phone numbers in your message. You may also print a registration form and send it along with a check.
If you have never taken a class with the AFB you are required to take a placement test with Patricia Schiavone by calling her at 716 688-4171 AND an online test at www.alliance-us.org/Merlin/Placement.htm. At the end, you will be asked to forward it to our e-mail address which is info@afbuffalo.org.
Parking
Participants and teachers of the Alliance Française should park at the Lyons Hall Parking Lot and provide Alliance Française de Buffalo with their car plate number on the registration form for a parking permit.
