Alliance Française de San Diego

While at Alliance Francaise for a French language test, Corrine, the Cultural Director, was very friendly and helpful. We chatting about the benefits of Alliance Francaise membership and my soon to be born baby girl. She generously gave me a French book about pregnancy. My husband and I will definitely join to share French language and culture with our baby girl.

Wonderful staff, very knowledgable and welcoming! I took the TEF exam there –only place in CA where you can take this exam. They boast nice offices and are quite efficient! For all your ‘French needs’, be it cultural or administrative, this is the best place to go!

Elisabeth is an excellent educator and the French classes are informative and fun! I’ve been going to the school since January and loving every class.
There are several cultural and social events and everyone at the school is fantastic especially Corinne and Svetlana!

We love Alliance Française! My daughter has been attending the bambins class for 2+ yrs, since 3yrs old, and picked up French extremely fast. We do not speak French at all but try to supplement as best we can with audio books, cartoons, and music. The teachers tell us she speaks like a native and is pretty much fluent. She will move on to the school age francophone class this fall now that she is in kindergarten. Even my husband and I, native Spanish and English speakers, are impressed with what we have picked up in French accompanying my daughter and toddler son to this class. Madame Svetlana and Madame Corinne are amazing! And the best at what they do. We are beyond impressed with Alliance Française, it is a little home away from home and we have met such wonderful people here. We highly recommend Alliance Française.

I am trying to find information about their classes but their website doesn’t work… is there a problem going on with it? Thank you!
(the 5 stars actually because I have taken classes in other cities/​countries at the alliance and they are fantastic)

French is a beautiful language. Along with it, is an often misunderstood culture. Still, it is what initially attracted me to the French. Something that I can’t explain, but I know that it goes beyond being satisfied with eating cheese, drinking wine, and wearing a beret (all horrible stereotypes by the way).
So why would I drive an hour south to San Diego for French? It is simple. After 4 years of high school French and 2 semesters in college, I realized that for all the verb drills, vocabulaire lists, and «écoutez et répétez» I learned, my professors never taught real French conversation. Quel dommage!
Sure I can tell you how old I am, where I’ve lived, my hobbies, dreams and aspirations in French (I’ve even written song lyrics!), but I want to converse about current events, la vie quotidienne (and say more than «métro, boulot, dodo» or tell people about «mes vacances»), and above all express myself freely in French without feeling like I am butchering the language (this is probably more of me being a perfectionist).
«La solution parfaite pour l’immersion totale est l’Alliance Française!»
Yes from the moment you open the door, you’ll hear French being spoken. As I filled out the rest of my paperwork, it hit me. I’m taking the next step towards mastery. With that said, if you are the type of person who didn’t do their homework in French class or thought you could «just get by,» you will not do well here. It’s 9AM on Saturday and the class just took off.
French level 20 unlocked.
The class size is small, and the setting is intimate. Even though I was the new kid on the block, my classmates and professor were quite helpful. We read and then held a discussion. Watched «les actualités», and dissected the article. I left the class with words of encouragement from my professor, a copy of «Jean de Florette» (en français bien sûr!), a DVD to watch while I drink my Veuve Clicquot tonight, and a big smile on my face.
Merci.

I’ve been a member of AF on three continents. This branch is the smallest, yet friendliest of all I’ve encountered.
The classes are very reasonably priced with a small class size and great facilities. I attend an adult’s grammar/​conversation class, my daughter has been attending a children’s song & games song for kids aged approx 6mo — 2yrs. We are very happy with the standard and quality of the teaching.
There is a decent library/​TV room with live French programs and a wide selection of French DVDs available for borrowing.
The children’s classroom is fabulous. It is very well stocked, with something for kids of all ages.
There is a change-​table in the restroom.
Parking is plentiful in the lot.