Award-Winning French Courses & Classes in Detroit, MI

If you're looking for help learning the French language, Varsity Tutors offers Detroit French courses that can help you whether you're a beginner, need practice to maintain fluency, or are at any stage in between. These live, online courses can provide you with a classroom-like experience whether you're studying French as a second-language requirement at Cesar Chavez Academy High School, majoring or minoring in French at Wayne State University, or planning for a trip to a French-speaking country and learning on your own. Though online, you'll be able to interact with your instructor and fellow French learners in real time.

Like English, French is one of the few languages studied in every country in the world. It's also second to English in how many countries list it as an official language. French is used globally by businesses, governments, educators, and individuals. Just a few countries other than France and Canada that have high French-speaking populations are Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Haiti, and many African nations such as Niger, Togo, Burkina Faso, and others - not to mention the United States.

What exactly will be covered in a Detroit French course?

Depending on your and your classmates' level of knowledge, your course could cover anything from basic vocabulary and sentence building to having an entire class revolve around spontaneous conversation with the goal of reaching or maintaining fluency. Regardless of which level you're at, if your native language is English, you can benefit from the fact that French is one of the Romance languages related to English and actually has more consistent rules. In fact, you may be surprised by how many words you use on a daily basis that are actually French words adopted by our ancestors into the English language, such as bourgeois, chic, critique, chauffeur, and many more.

There are some things about French that are different from English, which can be challenging at first. For one, most nouns have a fixed male or female gender, and the rest of the words in a sentence must match, or agree with, that gender. There is no universal "the," but rather articles that match nouns of each gender. There's not a system to detect which gender nouns are, because it's not about whether the word is in itself masculine or feminine. It simply means the grammar surrounding the word must reflect the language conventions of male- or female-gendered words. Some nouns can be gendered either way to indicate whether a person is male or female, such as "une docteure" for a female doctor and "un docteur" for a male doctor.

Another difference is the alphabet. French uses accent marks frequently, such as in the word "fiancé." These generally indicate pronunciation. Along with a different alphabet comes different pronunciation. While it's possible to get by speaking French with a strong American accent, you may be more welcomed by French speakers in their country if you make every effort to attempt to replicate the normal pronunciation of the language.

You've probably heard of the notorious verb conjugation drills all language learners must endure, and that's part of learning French as well. An English example of verb conjugation can be found in the basic "to be." I am, she is, they are, you are, etcetera. There are also numerous tenses to be learned, just as in English. As an example, the simple verb "do:" I do, I will do, I will have done, I have done, I had done, I would have done, I would do. Basically, there is a lot of memorization when you begin learning a new language.

How does taking Detroit French classes help me learn better than studying on my own?

It is widely understood that learning a language well requires the use of it in real conversation with others. You can't do this on your own. There are ways to simulate it with technology, but nothing can replicate two humans attempting to speak, making errors, helping each other out, and finally having a full conversation together with no mistakes. That's one reason that studying in a Detroit French class with others learning the same language is so efficient.

Another benefit is the immediate correction possible if your pronunciation, conjugation, or vocabulary is incorrect. If you study on your own, it's possible to fall into the trap of learning something the wrong way and getting that wired into your brain. At that point, it's far more difficult to unlearn what you've been doing and relearn the correct practice than to have simply learned it the right way in the first place.

Collaborating in a classroom environment, including an online one, has been shown to increase learning and retention of information. Studying in an online Detroit French course combines both of these advantages in one. In addition, you're able to help out classmates who are learning a bit slower than you, and teaching something to someone else is another well-known way to solidify the material in your own mind while gaining the positive feelings associated with helping someone else.

These are just a few of the ways studying in a Varsity Tutors French course can be helpful. There is one more especially valuable option for you. If you find yourself falling behind the class just a little too far, or on a particularly difficult-to-you concept, you can request one-on-one tutoring lessons. Varsity Tutors can connect you with a French-language expert to practice whichever of the elements of French you're finding particularly challenging. With your tutor's full attention focused on your needs, you can get caught up.

How do I enroll in a Detroit French course?

Studying French is an excellent idea whether you're learning it for academic, professional, or personal reasons. All you need to do to get enrolled in a Detroit French class is contact Varsity Tutors and provide a bit of information about your goals and schedule. Our educational consultants can enroll you in a French course that meets your scheduling and academic needs. New courses begin each month, so you're never far away from beginning your language-language adventure!