Overview
Saturday morning during the school year, Education Française Austin offers French classes for school-aged children (4-17 years old) in Austin, Texas. Students are placed according to their language ability and age.
In addition, Education Française Austin offers French immersion camps during Spring break and Summer vacation.
Classes for Native Speakers (FLAM) | ||||||
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Atelier du Samedi |
Cap sur les Fondamentaux |
Les Petits Philosophes |
Les Classes Collège |
Classe-lycée |
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Saturday, 9:30am to 12:30pm | ||||||
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French as a Foreign Language | ||
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French Bleu |
French Blanc |
French Rouge |
Saturday, for an hour and a half, either 9:30am - 11am or 11:15am - 12:45pm depending on the class | ||
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French Immersion Camps | |
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Summer Camp |
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Summer vacation, Monday-Friday, 9:00am-4:00pm | |
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FLAM : French for Native Speakers
These classes are for children of native speakers, who already speak and understand French. EFA teachers have developed a specialized curriculum to help children build fluency and literacy.
Classes are geared toward students' individual needs. FLAM classes are appropriate for francophone children who have mostly or entirely lived in the US, as well as for students coming from French-speaking countries.
Teachers use a variety of materials and approaches, based both on age group and fluency, to create engaging activities for all students.
Nursery rhymes, poetry, songs, and literary works help students learn spelling and grammar.
Games and activities are used to practice spelling, grammar, conjugation, and comprehension.
Essays, projects, and oral presentations give students a chance to bring together their skills.
Classes are held Saturday morning, 9:30am to 12:30pm. (No class for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring breaks).
L’Atelier du Samedi
For children from francophone families, 4-5 years old.
Exploration of French using games, songs, poems, and story books.
Vocabulary development in preparation for learning to read.
Phonemic and graphic awareness work (learning to recognize sounds and letters).
The overarching goals are to support acquisition of French language skills and to introduce young students to written French, in preparation for reading. Children learn to express themselves, interact, understand basic sentence structure, learn and master the alphabet.
Cap sur les Fondamentaux
For children from francophone families, 6 to 8 years old.
A focus on learning to read and write in French.
Introduction to grammar and spelling.
A library of early readers in French and a reading challenge program, to support and encourage reading.
The primary goal is to develop strong readers. The teacher leads students in learning to decode, recognize words, and acquire and develop reading comprehension skills. Students are given progressively longer and more complex texts as their skills develop.
By working with manipulatives (such as word and syllable cards) and reading both individually and in groups, students benefit from a positive, encouraging environment as they acquire reading skills.
Les Petits Philosophes
For students from francophone families, 8 to 11 years old.
Reinforcement of reading and writing skills.
Focus on grammar, spelling, and conjugation.
Adapted to the different needs of individual students.
A library of age-appropriate books and a reading challenge program, to encourage young readers.
Through various oral activities, students express ideas and perspectives. Students continue to develop mastery of complex sounds and work on grammar, spelling, and conjugation in every class. Texts from a variety of sources are used to help students gain greater reading comprehension skills. Students also work on expanding and refining their ability to write in French.
Les Classes Collège
For students from francophone families, 12 to 14 years old.
Literary texts are used to reinforce students' skills.
Works from the French literary canon are contextualized and studied as part of French culture.
A library of literary classics and young-adult books is available.
Through reading and discussion of texts on a particular theme or by a certain author, students are led to develop and share their own thinking and reactions. The class offers a balance of study of literature, mastery of language skills, and complex writing projects. A variety of exercises help students develop lexical and grammatical skills, spelling, and conjugation. Oral expression is encouraged through discussion and debates, helping students to develop confidence and to take responsibility for their learning.
La classe-lycée
For teens from francophone families, 15 to 17 years old.
Reinforcement of writing skills, using a cultural studies approach.
A library of books aimed at teen readers.
A preparation towards AP French.
Option to take DELF B2 Exam (Diplome d'Etude en Langue Française).
Our older students engage on a more complex level with questions and issues in contemporary society. Teachers choose subjects of interest to this age group, and challenge them to explore different points of view. The goal is to equip bilingual students with the cultural background, arguments, and linguistic and critical thinking skills needed to develop, express, and support their ideas.
Students work on vocabulary enrichment activities, developing a more flexible and nuanced vocabulary. They learn terms and phrases used in particular contexts and types of discourse. The course also includes a number of writing projects which call on students' creativity and personal reflection. Students' writing is supported and encouraged using various materials, especially literary texts.
The course is designed to prepare students for the DELF B2 Exam (Diplôme d'Etudes en Langue Française,B2). Students who wish to pursue university studies in France must pass this test.
French as a Foreign Language
These classes immerse students into the French language and into French and francophone culture. The primary goal is for students to develop the ability to communicate in French, from beginner to advanced.
Students do guided listening activities to develop comprehension skills. They're encouraged to use their background knowledge to make inferences about the language. Using the both teacher and audio materials as models, students learn correct intonation and pronunciation.
Students connect to the language by learning to talk about their daily lives, likes and dislikes, abilities, wishes, and their environment. They use the language to communicate and interact with others (e.g., to explain, direct, or convince).
Teaching methods support individual learning styles by incorporating the 5 senses (hearing, seeing, touching, smelling, tasting) and different types of intelligence (logical, spatial, musical, kinesthetic, emotional).
Learning is reviewed and reinforced through a variety of activities that encourage students to increase their fluency and independence.
Our small class sizes facilitate greater student participation. The classroom environment is creative, motivating, and supportive. Teachers are native speakers of French.
Classes are 1 hour 30 minutes long and are held Saturday morning (either 9:30am - 11am or 11:15am - 12:45pm) from September to May.
French Bleu
For French learners, 5 to 8 years old.
A constant interaction with French native speakers.
Instruction through movement activities, games, songs, and stories.
This class introduces children to a wide variety of vocabulary, using age-appropriate songs, games, and other interactive activities. Learning is organized around familiar themes: names and greetings, counting, colors, animals, body parts, food, family, clothes. Celebrations and holiday activities throughout the year (Christmas, Candlemas, Easter) provide further learning and exposure to French culture.
French Blanc
For French learners, 9 to 11 years old.
A constant interaction with French native speakers.
Playful learning environment for building French skills.
A variety of activities help students expand speaking and comprehension skills.
Vocabulary and basic grammar are introduced progressively over the course of the year. Students learn to express themselves and to talk about themselves, their activities, their likes and dislikes, their environment, and their wishes and preferences. They practice the language in playful situations, by taking on a new identity or trying new activities. Through games, songs, videos, and role plays students have the opportunity to develop comprehension skills, practice speaking, and learn about the francophone world.
French Rouge
For French learners, teens 12 years and older.
A constant interaction with French native speakers.
Students learn and use French in real-life scenarios.
Eventually, serious, motivated students can prepare for Credit by Examination (CBE) for Acceleration for French 1A and 1B.
This class has a more academic focus. Students practice and role play daily life interactions relevant to teens (family, friends, school, activities, shopping, their town and surroundings). Vocabulary and grammar are presented in context, then integrated into interactive, real life communication scenarios. Classroom activities are designed to engage students in their learning and develop the capacity to communicate in French.
French Immersion Camps
Our camps for children aged 5-10 are conducted entirely in French.
In addition to language immersion, camps are designed to give children an appreciation of French culture. Students enjoy numerous creative and recreation activities, all using French: dance, crafts, cooking, songs, games and more!
Our camps are led by qualified, experienced native speakers of French. All instructors are trained by EFA and are first-aid certified.
Une intégration française dans un environnement ludique, propice à l'échange et à la communication!
Equipe de Direction de EFA
