December 2020 Program
Paris Month
Special events and classes
Perspectives of Paris
December 3rd, 6PM
Alliance Française de Jacksonville Zoom Conversation
Please join Parisians and fellow Alliance Française de Jacksonville members Françoise Joffrin and Nadine Sabatier as they guide us through their beautiful city. Joining the engaging duo will be Velanna, Françoise's granddaughter who visits Paris every year. Offering a private glimpse into this vibrant city, the presenters will offer photographs and anecdotes of their time spent in Paris.
The presentation will be in English, but peppered with French phrases.
Bring a pen and paper so you can capture the insider tips for your next trip to Paris!
December 3rd, 6PM
Alliance Française de Jacksonville Zoom Conversation
Please join Parisians and fellow Alliance Française de Jacksonville members Françoise Joffrin and Nadine Sabatier as they guide us through their beautiful city. Joining the engaging duo will be Velanna, Françoise's granddaughter who visits Paris every year. Offering a private glimpse into this vibrant city, the presenters will offer photographs and anecdotes of their time spent in Paris.
The presentation will be in English, but peppered with French phrases.
Bring a pen and paper so you can capture the insider tips for your next trip to Paris!
Should Emily Pick Up More French?
Discussion led by author Elaine Sciolino
Tuesday, December 1st, 1PM ET
LIVE on Zoom in English
Netflix’s breakout hit Emily in Paris has been hotly debated by fans and critics in both the US and France. Having announced its second season, a burning question remains: is learning French critical to enjoy the best of life and culture in Paris?
In response, New York Times bestselling author Elaine Sciolino will lead a lively discussion with French students from both sides of the Atlantic. Students from the Alliance Française of Paris, the Alliance Française of Greenwich, and the French Institute Alliance Française of New York will be part of the conversation.
How long does it take to really know French and go beyond “bonjour”? To order a baguette? Speak up at a meeting? Hold your own at a chic party? Flirt with flair?
This is a members only event.
45 minutes with Q&A
For information on how to register Click Here

Elaine Sciolino
Elaine Sciolino is a writer for The New York Times and a former Paris bureau chief, based in France since 2002.
Learn more at elainesciolino.com
Elaine Sciolino is a writer for The New York Times and a former Paris bureau chief, based in France since 2002.
Learn more at elainesciolino.com
Grammar Boot Camp
Sentence Structure
One Day Only
Saturday December 5th
12:30-2:00pm
Zoom
Do you ever get this feeling when speaking French? You have all the words you need to make the perfect sentence, but they just don’t fit together. This is what happens when you’re not comfortable with the word order and need to learn about the specifics of the correct French sentence structures. So get up close and personal with French Sentence Structure. We will review the basics of French sentence structure (Declarative sentence). Just like in English, French is a SVO language (Subject-Verb-Object). We will also learn how to add more ingredients into the mix and spice it up with adverbs, adjectives, and pronouns to gradually make our sentence more exciting! (Complex sentence). We will see how to structure questions in French (Interrogative sentence) and build up a negative sentence. At the end of the session, we will do some interactive exercises. With Native French Speaker Christelle Tsalefac.
Apéro National French Conversation Group
December 8th and 9th
Federation of Alliances Françaises USA
En français
Many Alliance Française chapters in the United States organize free French conversation groups, and many of those groups have moved online. Check with your local chapter for availability. If your local Alliance doesn’t offer an online conversation group or if you’d like to pick up some additional practice, you can join a hosted national group that meets via Zoom on the second Tuesday of each month. Participants are invited to enjoy their favorite beverage during our “Apéro” conversation.
The group is for intermediate to advanced (or fluent) speakers who are current members of Alliance Française de Jacksonville Join Here. Native speakers are welcome. This group conversation is for adult participants, ages 17 and up.
Note that conversation groups are not substitutes for taking an official French class. Conversation groups are for informal practice and for sharing the joy of conversing in French with other like-minded Francophiles or Francophones.
The national group meets by Zoom for 55 minutes on the second Tuesday and the second Wednesdays of each month, and meets in two different time windows to accommodate our after-work Apéro theme (choose the time that works best for you):
2nd Tuesday of each month @ 2:15 pm PT / 4:15 CT / 5:15 pm ET
2nd Wednesday of each month @ 5:15 pm PT / 7:15 CT / 8:15 pm ET
The groups are now hosted by two members of the Federation of Alliances Françaises board – Charles Coulon for the Tuesday session and Linda Witt for the Wednesday session. Attendees will be assigned to breakout rooms of 4-5 people, with each breakout session lasting 14 minutes. The rooms are then are re-created (for a different mix each time). In this way, participants get to meet and chat with a variety of participants from different backgrounds, regions, and fluency levels.
Participants will need to use Zoom (a free videoconferencing service). To get on the invitation list for the “Apéro-National” sessions, click here.
Federation of Alliances Françaises USA
En français
Many Alliance Française chapters in the United States organize free French conversation groups, and many of those groups have moved online. Check with your local chapter for availability. If your local Alliance doesn’t offer an online conversation group or if you’d like to pick up some additional practice, you can join a hosted national group that meets via Zoom on the second Tuesday of each month. Participants are invited to enjoy their favorite beverage during our “Apéro” conversation.
The group is for intermediate to advanced (or fluent) speakers who are current members of Alliance Française de Jacksonville Join Here. Native speakers are welcome. This group conversation is for adult participants, ages 17 and up.
Note that conversation groups are not substitutes for taking an official French class. Conversation groups are for informal practice and for sharing the joy of conversing in French with other like-minded Francophiles or Francophones.
The national group meets by Zoom for 55 minutes on the second Tuesday and the second Wednesdays of each month, and meets in two different time windows to accommodate our after-work Apéro theme (choose the time that works best for you):
2nd Tuesday of each month @ 2:15 pm PT / 4:15 CT / 5:15 pm ET
2nd Wednesday of each month @ 5:15 pm PT / 7:15 CT / 8:15 pm ET
The groups are now hosted by two members of the Federation of Alliances Françaises board – Charles Coulon for the Tuesday session and Linda Witt for the Wednesday session. Attendees will be assigned to breakout rooms of 4-5 people, with each breakout session lasting 14 minutes. The rooms are then are re-created (for a different mix each time). In this way, participants get to meet and chat with a variety of participants from different backgrounds, regions, and fluency levels.
Participants will need to use Zoom (a free videoconferencing service). To get on the invitation list for the “Apéro-National” sessions, click here.
French Conversation
Paris City of Lights
One Night Only
Thursday December 10th
6:00-7:30pm
Zoom
This is the time for you and your French to shine.
If you have lived in Paris, visited Paris or want to go to Paris join our conversation class as we discuss this quintessential French city.
If you have lived there or visited please be prepared to chat about your experiences and be ready to give us one accommodation or dining recommendationand what you consider to be the best tourist attraction.
If you are planning a visit come and ask AF members your questions on what to do and what to avoid.
All French levels welcome. Please note that vocabulary and phrases used in the conversation will be sent to participants after the class.
If you have lived in Paris, visited Paris or want to go to Paris join our conversation class as we discuss this quintessential French city.
If you have lived there or visited please be prepared to chat about your experiences and be ready to give us one accommodation or dining recommendationand what you consider to be the best tourist attraction.
If you are planning a visit come and ask AF members your questions on what to do and what to avoid.
All French levels welcome. Please note that vocabulary and phrases used in the conversation will be sent to participants after the class.