Session 1: September- October
Session 2: November - December
Session 3: January - February
Session 4: March - April
Session 5: May - June
Session 6: July (optional)

Novice A:
For participants who perhaps have no functional communicative ability or whose oral production consists of isolated words and a few high-frequency phrases. The emphasis is on basic structures and simple vocabulary to allow participants to manage in a French speaking country. The class will use a method including a textbook (mandatory), a workbook (optional) and CDs. PARTICIPANT will be half way through the book after 2 full semesters.

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.

Novice B:
Participants are able to satisfy partially basic communicative exchanges by relying on learned utterances and expending them through simple recombination of their elements. The class stresses basic conversational skills through review of everyday vocabulary and building of automatisms in sentence structure. Oral exercises include asking and answering questions in the present and the past. Participants will be able to ask questions or make statements involving learned materials. To be taken, usually after 2 full semesters of Novice A classes. Second half of the Novice A books is used.

Intermediate:
Usually after 2 full semesters of Novice B. A new method and CDS are used. Participant can read and understand spoken French and are comfortable at speaking. The emphasis is placed on oral proficiency. However, the class will also be dedicated to some grammatical reviews. Participant will be able to handle successfully most communicative tasks and social situations. Participant is able to initiate, sustain and close a general conversation. Participant is understood by native speakers.

Advanced:
Depending on the abilities of the participant, it is usually attained after 4 full semesters of Intermediate. The goal of this class is to guide participant toward fluency. Participant is able to differentiate familiar and formal discourse. Participant is able to converse, initiate, sustain and bring to closure a wide variety of communicative tasks, including those that require an increased ability to convey meaning with diverse language strategies.