Bonjour! Being a huge Francophile, I am so happy to partner with Alliance Française de Chicago on this post.

If you’re a Francophile living in Chicago, I highly recommend you take a visit to Alliance Française de Chicago or “AFChicago” – they build the Francophone community in Chicago with French classes, wine and gastronomy clubs, social events, kids’ programs (and even summer camp). AFChicago is located in the Gold Coast neighborhood in Chicago at 810 North Dearborn St . in a beautiful brownstone building, which includes a cute courtyard.

We visited AFChicago the other day and it’s such a great place and resource for Francophiles in Chicago. There’s a library full of French books, a courtyard, and even cooking classrooms. If you have seen the big stuffed teddy bears sitting in Paris cafes….well Alliance Française de Chicago has its own teddy bear. We had fun taking a few pictures of the bear around AFChicago and for this blog post.

Since our family cannot travel to France just yet, I wanted to share what we Francophiles in Chicago can do to celebrate the French culture in Chicago.

French Lessons at Alliance Française de Chicago – Summer Session Starts June 26th

One of my goals is to learn to speak French. Luke is learning French in school and it’s been so fun to hear him speak it during his French class. Our dream is to spend a summer in France (hopefully soon), so I want to learn to speak and understand as much French as I can, beyond croissants and baguettes, before we do so. So hopefully, there is more than one of us in our family who can speak French when we are there.

I figured now is the good time as ever to take some French classes this summer at Alliance Française de Chicago, which starts on June 26th and lasts 8 weeks.

French classes at AFChicago are offered online and on-site this summer, depending on which class you take. The teachers are native or bilingual and certified to teach French as a second language. The French classes offered by AFChicago this summer are based on levels: Initiation, Beginners, Advanced Beginners, Intermediate, Independent, and Proficient. In addition, AFChicago offers private classes that are tailored to your needs.

I plan to the take the Initiation classes, which are designed for brand new students to French. But if you think that level is too basic, you can Find Your Level by just having a free placement call with the staff at AFChicago to that they can better understand your strengths and needs.

If you still have more questions or need information about taking French classes at Alliance Française de Chicago, there are some great events for you to participate in to learn more:

• Open House – June 21 (5:30 – 6:30 pm) – This is a virtual open house that has a live Q&A with Alliance Française de Chicago staff, students, and teachers. It’s a great way to know more about the Alliance. Also during the Open House, you can enter a raffle for a chance to win a free session. You can register for the Open House here.

• Free Trial Classes – June 22 & 23 – Before you commit to the 8-week tuition, you can take a free trial class that’s 30 minutes to see if it’s for you.

Bastille Day Celebration at Alliance Française de Chicago – July 10 (afternoon and evening events)

Bastille Day (July 14) is a very big holiday in France. The French National Day is the anniversary of Storming of the Bastille o July 14, 1789, a turning point of the French Revolution and celebrates the unity of the French people.

This year, Alliance Française de Chicago’s Bastille Day celebration will be on Saturday, July 10th with two events – afternoon and evening. The afternoon event will be celebrated with kids activities, music, food and drinks in the courtyard.

Admission is $20 for members, $25 for non-members, $10 for kids 6-12, and FREE for children 5 & under. Register for the event here.

We can’t wait to celebrate and attend as a family!.