A complete beginner’s first weekend in the capital. From your very first bonjour to ordering a coffee on a Paris terrace — twenty live lessons that turn zero into confident, real French.
No prior French required. Foundation is a calm, structured first ascent — sounds, survival phrases, and the cultural reflexes of everyday Parisian life.
Designed for true A0 learners. We build the French ear and mouth from the very first sound, with nothing assumed.
Every unit is a live 85-minute class from Paris, in a small group of 8–10, so you speak from minute one.
Each lesson is set in a real Parisian moment — the boulangerie, the métro, the café — so language and life arrive together.
Finish at a solid A1.1, with a CEFR-aligned certificate issued by Acadomia to prove it.
Foundation takes you from silence to your first real exchanges in French — the milestones below are what A1.1 looks like in practice.
From the banks of the Seine to a Montmartre café, every Foundation lesson is anchored in the city — so the words you learn are the words Parisians actually use.
A structured A0→A1.1 curriculum, each 85-minute live unit themed to a real moment of Parisian life.
Greet, exchange names, and propose the use of tu with s’appelle. Discover the cultural codes of first meetings in French.
Ask how to spell a word, spell it back, and confirm or correct using clarification strategies. Practice the French alphabet and phonetics.
Use excusez-moi and c’est où ? to ask for directions. Understand simple responses (left, right, straight on) and key vocabulary for public places.
Signal a communication breakdown, ask for repetition or slower speech, and place a simple order at a café.
Order food and drinks using je voudrais, ask for the price, and handle numbers 0–39. Discover French restaurant culture.
Respond to Autre chose ? and C’est tout ?, add items to an order, and practice numbers 40–69. Explore French café and brasserie menus.
Use être and the pronoun y to suggest an outing, accept or decline, and make a simple decision.
Use je préfère to choose between two options, accept or refuse politely, and reach a clear decision. Learn expressions of agreement and disagreement.
Ask for and give a phone number, verify it using c’est…, c’est ça ?, and practice numbers 70–99. Understand French mobile number conventions.
Express hunger and thirst with j’ai faim / soif, place an order, and pay by card. Practice a full café interaction from start to finish.
Buy a ticket, ask for the price, and pay. Consolidate je voudrais and payment vocabulary. Discover the cultural role of museums in France.
Exchange email addresses and street addresses using possessive adjectives (mon, ma). Practice spelling key details and confirming information.
Use venir de and habiter à to talk about where you are from and where you live. Learn to introduce a third person.
Handle an unexpected situation (a closed venue), propose an alternative plan, and make a decision. Practice nous sommes / ils sont and reservation vocabulary.
Propose a time and date, negotiate with ça va ?, confirm, and close the exchange. Learn to tell the time and use days of the week in context.
Revisit ordering sequences at a faster pace: respond to Autre chose ? in three different ways, order one or two items, and close the interaction politely.
Use je prends, react to an unavailable item, and ask for the bill. Complete a fluent end-to-end restaurant interaction.
Choose between two options, say je préfère…, and justify with parce que c’est + adjectif. Practice opinion exchanges and adjective agreement.
Chain two micro-tasks — introducing yourself and asking for directions — with a repair strategy if needed. Best-of review of units 1–3.
Complete a full ordering and payment scenario at speed, using at least one correct formula and closing politely. Best-of review of units 4–18.
Paris · Île-de-France
Born and raised in the 11th arrondissement, Charline has taught beginners for over a decade. She believes the first ten hours of French decide whether a learner falls in love with the language — so she makes them joyful, patient and unmistakably Parisian.
“My beginners don’t memorise French. They live it — one café, one metro ride, one bonjour at a time.”
The pedagogical strength of a national institution — brought to adult learners worldwide, live from France.
Enrol in FA Foundation 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 Foundation 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. One native teacher. Your first real French. Join a small group and start from your very first bonjour.