French and English Classes in San Francisco

Alliance Française of San Francisco
1345 Bush St, between Polk and Larkin, San Francisco, CA 94112 (415) 775-7755. http://www.afsf.com/ Open Monday through Thursday 9AM-9PM. Friday 9AM-7PM and Saturday 9AM-1PM Offers classes for small groups, workshops or private lessons in French in two month cycles. Just added: telephone courses for parents with busy schedules. The Alliance offers English and American culture classes for new arrivals and expatriates of all ages. The Alliance has a library and a multimedia center with access to the Internet as well as TV5. They host a variety of cultural events. Discounts available to Lycée parents.

City College of San Francisco
50 Phelan Avenue @ Ocean, San Francisco, CA 94112 (415) 239-3000. Catalogues detailing course offerings are mailed out to all San Francisco residents. They are also available in libraries and on line at www.ccsf.org City College offers French classes at all levels at reasonable prices at the Phelan, Castro/Valencia, Marina Middle School and Downtown campuses. Credit courses in English as a Second Language (ESL) are available at Phelan and Downtown campuses in three sessions per year. Spring runs from January-May, Summer from June-July, and Fall from August-December. Non credit ESL classes are offered all over San Francisco, every day, with year-round registration available. The Department of Continuing Education broadcasts French courses on television on channel 27 (415) 239-3886.

San Francisco State – College of Extended Learning
1600 Holloway Ave. @ 19th Avenue, San Francisco CA 94132 (415)338-1373 www.cel.sfsu.edu SF State offers a few courses in French and ESL. The Summer Language Programs Office organizes a one month program in Paris, offering courses in French language and civilization. Call (415) 338-1372.

UC Berkeley Extension, San Francisco
55 Laguna St., San Francisco, CA 94102 (510) 642-6362 http://www.unex.berkeley.edu/
Offers French classes and ESL courses. Has intensive summer courses.

St Giles College
1 Hallidie Plaza, Ste 350, San Francisco CA 94102 (415) 788-3552 http://www.stgiles-usa.com/ Offers free English classes for adults (at intermediate and advanced levels), taught by teachers in training in four week series, weekday afternoons.

The French Class
500 Sutter St. (Union Square) Ste. 310, San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 362-3666. http://www.frenchclass.com/ Classes of all levels, with intensive Summer courses available. Fridays between 12PM and 2 PM French for Free conversation group meets for discussion and a movie. Library and video library available.

NORTH BAY
Alliance Française of Marin
C/O Chantal Cadorin, 1000 Fifth Ave, Suite 10, San Rafael, CA 94901 (415) 457-4838 www.afmarin.org. French classes offered at all levels during day and evening hours. Private tutoring available. Groups can assemble in private homes for instruction on site.

College of Marin
835 College Avenue, Kentfield, CA 94904 (415) 457-8811 http://www.marin.cc.ca.us/ Offers ESL and French classes. Three sessions per year. Special Summer class "French for Traveller."

Book Passage
51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera, CA 94925. (415) 927-0960 www.bookpassage.com.
Offers French courses during the day.

EAST BAY
Alliance Française of Berkeley
2004 Woolsey St., Berkeley, CA 94703 (510) 548-1520 http://wwwafeb.net/.
Conversation classes in French for adults near the Ashby BARTstation.

SOUTH BAY
San Mateo Adult School
789 E. Poplar Avenue San Mateo, CA 94401(650) 558-2100 http://www.smace.org/ ESL classes. You do not have to have one year residency to enroll.
College of San Mateo 1700 West Hillsdale Boulevard, San Mateo, CA 94402-3784 (650) 574-6161

Tips for non French Speaking Families
How to be more at ease with the French educational system, language and culture and also how to encourage the children to use French at home on their own.

• Learn about France and the French school system by visiting the many francophile websites.
• Become a member of the many French-American organizations in the Bay Area and participate with your children in French cultural activities.
• Take French conversation classes at the Alliance Français or Universities nearby. The various Bay Area Alliances Françaises regularly hold open houses.
• Buy, rent or exchange French videos, CD-Roms or music tapes (especially for children in Maternelle).
• Subscribe to French children magazines. The Lycée will guide you to find age appropriate publications.
• To encourage reading on one's own at home starting in 1st grade, have the chidren take-out French books and audio-books from the Lycée's library during the school year as often as possible or from other libraries during vacation.
• Consider getting a satellite dish to watch TV5, the francophone international TV station.
• Use French-speaking babysitters.
• Arrange play dates with French-speaking families where French is the first language.
• Have older children develop pen pal relationships with francophone children.
• If you can, host French-speaking high school students from the Lycée or various schools in the city, or interns from the Alliance on a short or long-term basis (Regular announcements in the Lycée's newsletters or posted on the Lycée and the Alliances Françaises bulletin boards).
• If possible, travel to French-speaking countries while on vacation.

Tutors and French-speaking babysitters
Check the bulletin boards on both campuses. Many French speaking students post their announcements at the Alliance Française. fax (415) 775-2539.
SF Bay Accueil also has a list of French speaking babysitters for its members.