L’École Française

This is the place to be! I am starting my second year with Erwan and it has been an incredible experience. He is an excellent teacher! Whether you are just starting out or advanced. He is funny, patient at explaining things and one of the most positive people I know. The classes are thorough and challenging. Also, I have meet about 10 new wonderful friends for life and every class seems like I am on vacation with not ever having left Chicago.

So, If you are truly serious about learning French and being committed to it, L’ecole Française is the place you need to be to learn french!

The mark of a good business is its ability to make you want to return. That is what could be best said about this school. I believe it’s appropriate that I have waited so long to write this review, as now I am able to see my progression and realize how much french has become a part of my life.
I began my journey learning french at L’Ecole Francaise without any prior experience over two years ago. I remember coming to class the very first day completely intimidated and wondering «what the heck am I doing?» As with trying most new things, learning a new language can be quite daunting. But within the first few minutes of class I learned how to introduce myself in french and found myself coming back week after week.
The atmosphere of this class is laid back but still very focused on the task at hand. You are experiencing not just a new language but also a new culture.
There are so many great things that can be said about L’Ecole Francaise. This can all be attributed to Erwan Sorel. He has been my teacher from the very beginning. He is incredibly patient, encouraging and dedicated to creating a very unique and effective learning environment for all his students.

This is such an excellent series of classes that I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to learn French. I found this course using Unilocal and found my experience is even better than I was expecting. I just completed my 3^rd course, never having taken French before, and some things I really enjoy about L’École Française are:
— Erwan is an excellent instructor. He’s helpful, patient, humorous and really sets the class up to where everyone is open and helpful to one another. He creates a really positive team environment which makes the experience very comfortable.
— The learning path. The materials are designed to learn French in a manner that would allow you to go to a French speaking place and communicate and get around. So you’re learning introductions and nationalities and occupations, etc. This really helps you connect to the relevance of what you’re learning and also be able to practice what you’re learning with other French speakers.
— The class. The class is held around a table and is designed to speak French the entire time. Erwan uses a lot of gestures which is helpful when learning new vocab. Also, the learning is structured around asking and answering so you’re both hearing and speaking the new vocab and materials all throughout the class. That paired with Erwan’s feedback and corrections really helps advance your learning. This creates a really friendly team atmosphere where everyone is excited for each other to do well. I look forward to going to class each week and seeing everyone, and also to the next course where many people from each class continue on.
Overall this is just an excellent program. I really feel like I’m learning a lot and quickly, but also am having a very positive experience in the process which makes learning French enjoyable. I would definitely recommend L’École Française to others!

I started taking classes at L’école Française last Spring and had never taken any previous French in my life. After having taken only French 101 and 102 at L’école Française I took a trip to Québec and couldn’t believe, after only two sessions, how much French I actually knew and was successfully able to use while there.
The classes are taught in the most practical way which has been so helpful for me. You learn things that you will need and use frequently when traveling to a French speaking country such as how to introduce yourself, ordering food, purchasing airfare and/​or train tickets, etc. And it is a complete immersion experience. Meaning, the class is taught 100 percent in French, which just helps to make the learning curve that much easier. In addition to learning the language, you are also given lessons in French culture and learn about the country as well. It is an impressive well-​rounded program.
I’m currently enrolled in French 103 and have found I’m now able to have actual conversations with little need for translation apps and/​or use of English. The classes are small by design which makes it not only easier to learn, but a fun experience getting to know everyone else in the class! It has been such a great experience.
I recommend L’école Française to anyone, at any level, that has an interest in learning this beautiful language in a fun, personal, and interactive environment! Obviously, I cannot say enough.

Run, don’t walk. Sign up at l’ecole franchise. To reprise an old song: «Every time you go you’ll feel excited and every time you go you’ll feel invited». And
the professor will make you feel smart each time. In
no time you will be sashaying down the streets of Paris
speaking French comfortably. I know. It happened to me.
La Mascotte

I had french in high school and college. I’ve been trying to reteach myself on my own, and I was getting nowhere. I decided to start classes at L’Ecole Francaise because it had the best Unilocal reviews, and I have not been disappointed. I’m shocked at how much I have learned in such a short time (currently on my second semester). Erwan is funny and encouraging and the best french teacher I have had. I highly recommend L’Ecole Francaise.

I have taken classes at L’école Française for over a year now. It is a wonderful school directed by Erwan Sorel who is a native French speaker. Erwan is a gifted teacher who is passionate about the language and truly wants all his students to succeed. The class size is kept small which allows for optimal participation — you will be speaking! Each class session is packed with content which follows his well designed handouts. There will be homework which is essential to complete if you want to progress. He encourages us to speak in complete grammatically correct sentences and makes corrections in the most encouraging and kindest way possible. Everyone here wants to be here — the energy level is high and there is a spirit of comradery. The classes at LEF are absolutely results oriented and you will have fun along the way!

I have been taking classes at L’Ecole Francaise for over a year now and I am learning a lot and having fun. Erwan Sorel is a great teacher and very patient! There is a maximum of 10 students per class which makes it an ideal size for class participation and asking questions. There is homework each week and studying outside of class is a must. I am thoroughly enjoying the classes and wouldn’t take French anywhere else. I highly recommend the school!

This past spring I took a trip to Paris and fell in love with the city, people, and culture. Once I returned home, I knew I wanted to take French language lessons and began to research classes. I found L’ecole Francais through Google and Unilocal reviews and took the plunge in June!
I’m in my second series and plan to continue. The classes are fantastic – the other students are friendly and supportive and Erwon Sorel us a patient and gifted teacher. You can tell he really enjoys teaching!
Even though I had previous language experience (6 years if Spanish), I was a bit intimidated to start over with French. Plus, I wasn’t used to immersive-​style classes. But Erwon put everyone at ease by making classes fun and interactive, and now I’m a convert! I can’t imagine going back to non-​immersive.
He also suggests supplementing our weekly classes with French meet ups and other cultural outings. It’s like creating our own French community in the Windy City.

Where should I start?
I’m going to break it down so I can offer a better insight.
Location: It is in a very accessible place. Even for me that I do not have a car, and always complain about how difficult is to get to some places in Chicago, I found the location very appealing.
Instructors: I can’t talk about every instructor in detail because I have only taken one course, and it was with Monsieur Sorel. I cannot say enough good things about him. He is very dedicated, he loves what he does, and you can see that when he is teaching. As a matter of fact, I don’t feel I am in a boring and anmoying class. He makes learning fun and dynamic, plus he is a sweetheart. I consider him, the best teacher in town!
Classes: They are great. Small groups makes classes even more engaging. They are very didactic, and fun.
Homework and evaluations: Oh yeah! We have homework and evaluations, but these are the only one
I’m willing to do with ease.
Overall: I would not only recommend this to everybody, I would also thanks M. Sorel, because I have been able to learn more french in his basic course than in any other place.
THUMBS UP!

This school is special! If you want to learn French in a safe setting where you feel comfortable making mistakes, this is the place. Erwan Sorel is a gifted teacher. His style is encouraging and patient and he makes learning fun. His explanations are easy to understand and he really cares that you learn. If I can learn French here, I guarantee that you can, too! As a bonus I have made many new friends. I highly recommend L’Ecole Francaise.

This is the best school for learning French in Chicago. Erwan Sorel develops his own lessons and tailors them using daily functional French vocabulary. He present the difficult French grammar in an easy to understand method. I feel I have developed a good working vocabulary and can understand a lot of what I hear on my visits to France. In addition, Erwan is patient and nonjudgmental. One never feels stupid or hesitant to ask for help. Erwan encourages each student to work at their level. He is genuinely pleased when students progress. He is a dedicated teacher like no other I have encountered. Finally, his lessons are always interesting and current with what is happening in France and the world — as well as informative culturally.

I’m on my third course at L’école Française and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
I took French for several years back in my high school /​college days but after that, I didn’t really have the opportunity to keep up with my speaking so I lost a lot of my ability. I’d always wanted to get back into it and not too long ago, I browsed around to find something reasonably priced and found L’école Française.
The classes are generally small (no more than 10 or so people), which is great because it allows everyone time to participate. I was a bit hesitant when I first started because I realize that different people learn differently and I wasn’t sure how the group setting would be. But for me, the small class size and the laid back atmosphere is perfect. Sure, it’s technically school but it feels much more like some people getting together each week to accomplish something they each really want to accomplish. I learn well when I’m held accountable so the homework we have each week works well for me. But it’s also not a pressured environment and if you didn’t do the homework or didn’t understand something from it, it’s not the end of the world. That’s why we always go over it together in class.
Erwan is a fantastic teacher and I believe he truly wants to see every one of his students succeed. We also have Selma as a teacher sometimes in this session and she’s equally as great. Remember those teachers you had back in school and you could tell that they felt … meh … about what they were doing? Neither Erwan nor Selma are those teachers. They both seem to truly enjoy what they do, which is great.
The price is very reasonable and the cheapest I had found when shopping around for classes. They also recently moved locations and are now conveniently located close to both the Belmont Red Line and the Paulina Brown Line.
I really look forward to French class every week. And I would recommend L’école Française to anyone looking to learn French.

I started taking classes here this past summer after a somewhat erratic history of French study — high school, private tutor, Alliance Francaise classes, living in Paris for a year — that somehow got me up to level 8. This is my second term with LEF, and I plan to continue on with them, especially as my job now has me in Paris for three weeks each year.
The classes are small and convivial (my evening class frequently includes a glass of wine), and already I have learned and advanced a lot. Each course includes and then builds off of what was studied before, which makes the experience feel very organic — in each class your foundation is becoming more secure as new elements are introduced.
I am the type of person who has a million things going on at once, but my weekly French class is one of the things I look forward to every week, and would hate to miss. I always leave it in a good mood and eager to speak French. Furthermore, I really enjoy the camaraderie of the group (a camaraderie that is facilitated by Erwan Sorel, the Director). I’ve met some cool people there.
Erwan, by the way, is a delight to study with. He is super smart and well-​informed about how to teach French, but also delightful and charming.
If I were to say what sets French study at LEF apart from other programs in Chicago (and I’ve dabbled in many), I’d say that it is the combination of conviviality, high-​quality instruction, and reasonable price.

I first took Erwan Sorel (the teacher) at Loyola University Chicago and thought he was so great I signed up for his private school. I would recommend him to anyone. If you want more reviews check out his rate-​my-​professor page