Now you converse — next, learn to nuance. Twenty live lessons carry you from Renaissance châteaux to Bordeaux’s vineyards and the Basque coast, adding the imperfect, opinions and the texture of real French.
Elementary moves you firmly into A2: two past tenses, opinions with reasons, and the cultural fluency to talk about food, travel and daily life with confidence.
Combine the passé composé and the imparfait to set scenes and tell richer stories.
Vocabulary rooted in the Loire’s châteaux, Bordeaux’s wine and Basque gastronomy.
Each unit is an 85-minute live class of 8–10, broadcast from France with constant speaking.
Earn a CEFR-aligned Acadomia certificate confirming a solid A2.1 on completion.
Elementary is where French gains depth and texture. These are the A2.1 milestones you’ll reach.
Elementary is a grand tour of the South-West: Renaissance châteaux along the Loire, the great estates of Bordeaux, and the surf and spice of the Basque coast — each region a new chapter of French.
A structured A1.2→A2.1 curriculum, each 85-minute live unit rooted in the Loire, Bordeaux and the Basque Country.
Reactivate greetings and introductions at a higher level: use moi, c’est… / je suis…, maintain a coherent tu / vous register, and exchange at least 2 pieces of identity information before asking back.
Ask for directions with excusez-moi, pour aller à…, c’est par où ? and give a simple itinerary (tout droit, puis à gauche). Introduce the pronoun y in context.
Choose between two options, say je préfère… parce que c’est plus…, and agree on a destination. Consolidate the pronoun y (on y est / j’y vais).
Ask for two different locations and give two complete directions. Practise at a faster pace while maintaining politeness throughout.
Plan a short outing: suggest a meeting point and time (on se retrouve à…, à… heures ?), sequence two activities (après, on va à…), and confirm.
Order two items using je voudrais…, s’il vous plaît, respond to a follow-up (c’est tout ?), and ask for the bill. Maintain polite register throughout a full interaction.
Offer and respond to sharing using the pronoun en (vous en voulez ? / oui, j’en veux / j’en prends un peu). Practise expressing quantity in a natural food-sharing context.
Recommend a wine or dish using je te conseille celui-là, ask tu préfères rouge ou blanc ?, and reach a joint decision. Discover French wine culture and apéritif traditions.
Compare two options using je préfère… parce que…, introduce a nuance with mais l’autre option est plus…, and decide together (bon, on prend…).
Share a cultural preference using j’aime bien… parce que…, invite the other person (et toi, tu préfères quoi ?), and respond with ah oui, je vois.
Suggest a weekend outing (t’as envie de sortir ? on pourrait aller au ciné ?), negotiate a preference, fix a time and place, and sequence the plan (d’abord… ensuite…). Discover the Fête de la Musique.
Narrate a short memory using the passé composé (on a visité…, c’était top, j’ai adoré), react to someone else’s story, and ask c’était quand, exactement ?.
Use je trouve que c’est… and pour moi… to share an opinion, agree or disagree simply, and justify with parce que….
Describe a work of art (c’est un tableau / une sculpture) using two adjectives and je trouve ça vraiment beau / bizarre, express a preference, and ask for the other person’s view.
Give a structured 30–45 second presentation of a work of art: je vais vous parler de…, c’est une œuvre de…, ça a été créé en…, explain what you love most, and answer one question.
Negotiate a visit itinerary by proposing a sequence (on commence par…, et ensuite…), asking for agreement (t’es d’accord ?), and closing with OK, c’est décidé !.
Narrate and imagine a scene using discourse markers d’abord…, et ensuite…, à la fin… and imaginative prompts. Produce a 4-sentence micro-narrative and invite the other person to continue.
Plan a full visit: agree on a meeting point and time, sequence three stages (après, on passe par…), and confirm (super, c’est noté !).
Narrate a recent outing in 4 sentences, express a nuanced reaction (j’ai adoré / j’ai pas trop aimé), respond to ah bon ? et alors ?, and keep the exchange going for at least 12 turns.
Defend a choice using moi, je choisis… parce que… / c’est mieux parce que…, propose an alternative (on pourrait aussi…), and close a joint decision. A full consolidation of FA Elementary in a free, unscripted exchange.
Bordeaux · Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Bordelaise to the core, Iris pairs a love of the region’s vineyards and gastronomy with a gift for making the two past tenses feel intuitive. Her lessons are sensory, generous and full of the South-West’s art de vivre.
“To describe a Bordeaux sunset in the imparfait — that is the moment a student truly tastes French.”
The pedagogical strength of a national institution — brought to adult learners worldwide, live from France.
Enrol in FA Elementary with the plan that fits your rhythm. Every plan includes live teaching from France, recordings for life, and your Acadomia certificate.
$840 billed yearly · full FA Elementary programme
From $224/month · cancel anytime
Our method is grounded in the applied-linguistics tradition. The French Atelier is independent and not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, the Sorbonne.
Twenty live lessons through the Loire, Bordeaux and the Basque coast. Tell richer stories, share real opinions, and reach a confident A2.1.