2018 | Alphab French school in France

French A-Level: Preparation Course

If you are studying French at A-Level and are looking for a programme that will help you to boost your grade, look no further than alpha.b!

alpha.b is a dedicated French language school located in the centre of Nice, that offers courses tailored to English students preparing for their final French A-Level exams.

But why choose alpha.b?

If the stunning (and sunny!) backdrop of the Côte-d’Azur is not enough to tempt you, then rest assured that alpha.b has excellent teachers who are all native-speakers with university degrees. Another advantage of choosing alpha.b is the small class size that you will benefit from – a maximum of 10 students per class ensures that your teacher will be attentive and able to respond to your individual needs.

The combination of an immersive French experience with expert teachers can only enhance your French abilities. You will be able to improve the essential skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) needed to succeed whether you’re just wanting to achieve your personal best or perhaps use French at university and beyond.

Not only will you expand and consolidate your knowledge of French, you will be able to meet students from all over the world.

There are also a wide variety of activities on offer each week, enabling you to relax after lessons and thoroughly enjoy your time here in Nice. These may include: visits to the nearby luxurious destinations of Cannes and Monaco; opportunities to take part in water-sports or group excursions to taste the local cuisine.

How does it work?

Those who have studied French at school for (at least) 4 years are eligible. Here is a brief overview of the A-Level course…

Duration: 1-2 weeks
Total 30 lessons per week which equates to 22h30 hours of teaching

Morning Programme:

20 lessons per week which equates to 15 hours of teaching
the lessons are from 9:00-10:40 and 11:00-12:20 (20-minute break) Monday-Friday

Afternoon Programme:

10 lessons per week which equates to 7h30 hours of teaching
lessons are 13:15-15:45, 3 afternoons per week (usually, Tuesday-Thursday)

What will I study?

During your morning sessions here at alpha.b, you will focus on specific topics and grammar points that are taught according to the French Continuous Course.

Whereas, in your afternoon lessons, you will focus on summary techniques and text analysis. All of the texts used within the classes will be on French literature and civilisation. You will also have some work to complete before the next lesson so that you can go over and correct the answers in class, together with the teacher. But, don’t worry as the alpha.book (a grammatical, phonetic and vocabulary resource) is provided by the school, should you be, at all, stuck.

Example Afternoon Lesson:

I spent an afternoon lesson with a group of students preparing for their A-Level exams. This particular lesson was led by Sandrine, who was engaging, encouraging and energetic, and focused on the use of opinion phrases. Expressing your opinion is an essential skill for French A-Level in order to prove to the examiner that you are able to eloquently express your personal views. As you may already know, depending on the opinion phrase used, it is sometimes necessary to use the subjunctive mood instead of the indicative and so, there was also a discussion around this fundamental area of grammar.

One of the students in the class had already mastered this topic and was alternatively set a challenging reading comprehension exercise to do. The differentiation within the class ensured that each individual was properly stimulated, and it was great to see a variety of skills, necessary to master the language, (i.e. reading/listening/writing/speaking) within the same classroom.

Each student then had to prepare a short oral presentation on the theme of love and be ready to answer questions posed by their classmates relating to their speech. Due to the small size of the class, this activity was very inclusive whilst also challenging each individual.

One student introduced the concept of age in relationships, which transpired to a discussion of French current affairs as the French president: Emanuel Macron is married to a woman 24 years his senior!

We rounded up the lesson with a game of questions, where the person in the hot seat could not answer with neither “OUI” nor “NON”, encouraging the students to put into practice what they had just learnt during the lesson.

After spending an afternoon in Sandrine’s class – I would recommend anyone considering an A-Level preparation course at alpha.b to take the plunge! Why not swap your normal classroom for one in the setting of beautiful, sunny Nice with experienced, French-native teachers?

When can I start?

The Easter A-Level revision course takes place for 1 week… commencing the 15/04/2019
The Summer A-Level revision course takes place for 1 or 2 weeks… from the 01/07/2019 to the 23/08/2019

Where will I stay?

In terms of accommodation, there are many options to explore whilst learning at alpha.b.

Whether it be a with a host family, in a student residence or in a hotel, you can find out more information here: https://www.alpha-b.fr/en/our-accommodation/

How much will it cost?

For more information about prices, visit our website: https://www.alpha-b.fr/en/prices/

Visit our website for more information on our A-Level Course: https://www.alpha-b.fr/en/preparing-for-french-exams-to-finish/

On our website, you will also be able to send an email to our office, should you have any more enquiries.

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Apprendre le français en ligne

Les articles partitifs

Cette semaine, sur Alphab TV nous vous proposons un nouveau cours pour débutant avec Patrice !

Il y a quelques mois, vous avez déjà découvert son premier cours sur les articles définis et indéfinis (cliquez ici pour lire l’article) et cette fois-ci, il va vous parler des articles partitifs.

Savez-vous ce qu’est un article partitif ?

Il s’agit des articles :

DU
DE L’
DE LA

Comme les articles définis ou les articles indéfinis, les articles partitifs précèdent un nom.

DU est utilisé devant un nom masculin :

DU pain

DE LA est utilisé devant un nom féminin :

DE LA guitare

DE L’ est utilisé devant un nom masculin ou féminin commençant par une voyelle ou un H muet :

DE L’huile (f)

DE L’eau (f)

DE L’air (m)

DE l’hélium (m)

DES est utilisé devant un nom pluriel :

DES légumes (m)

DES livres (m)

Pourquoi utiliser les articles partitifs ?

1. On utilise les articles partitifs avant un nom concret ou abstrait qu’on ne peut pas compter.

Par exemple : je mange une pomme ou je mange deux pommes.

Je peux compter les pommes : 1 ou 2

Mais si je dis : je mange du riz

Je ne peux pas compter le riz dans mon assiette, il y a beaucoup de riz.

Donc j’utilise l’article partitif.

On les utilise généralement avec de la nourriture ou des liquides.

Marie mange de la salade et boit du vin.

Paul achète du lait et de l’huile au supermarché.

Thomas a du riz, de la viande, du poisson et des œufs dans son frigo.

2. On utilise aussi les articles partitifs avec des activités comme le sport et la musique avec le verbe FAIRE

Ex: Marie fait du tennis

Paul fait de la guitare

Thomas fait de l’aviron et de l’accordéon.

3. Enfin on peut utiliser les articles partitifs avec le temps qu’il fait

Il y a + partitif + temps qu’il fait

À Nice il y a du soleil

À Paris il y a de la pluie

4. Attention avec la forme négative des articles partitifs

DU / DE LA –> DE

DE L’ –> D’

Je mange du riz –> Je ne mange pas de riz

Je bois de la bière –> Je ne bois pas de bière

Exception avec le verbe être :

C’est du riz –> Ce n’est pas du riz

C’est de la bière –> Ce n’est pas de la bière

Pour résumer :

On utilise les articles partitifs

1. Pour exprimer une quantité qu’on ne peut pas compter

2. Avec certaines activités comme le sport ou la musique

3. Avec la météo

Découvrez la vidéo en entier sur :

Pour découvrir nos cours de langue à Nice, cliquez ici.

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La vie à alpha.b

Kids Course : Museum Trip

During my time at alpha.b I accompanied one of the Kids Course classes on their trip to the Museum of Asian Arts. According to their teacher, Maria, during a week-long Kids Course one can normally expect 2 trips around Nice (provided it’s not too hot!). She ensured me that the children love these experiences and that the variety in their routine keeps them engaged and willing to learn.

Whilst there is normally a maximum of 10 students per class, for children, this is capped at 6 allowing the teacher to be more attentive with each pupil. This also guarantees their safety during these excursions which is fundamental and prioritised.

There is a mixture of ages (9-15) and nationalities within the groups. This diversity creates a fun environment and the chance to interact with others of different cultures. I noticed that the language barrier didn’t seem to matter for them, as young children they’ll get on regardless!

We embarked on our outing and arrived at the main train station ‘Gare de Nice-Ville’. From there, we took the train to ‘Gare de Nice Saint-Augustin’ which only lasted 5 minutes but made the visit feel more like an adventure. After a short walk we arrived at the modern museum which was equipped with air-con and the perfect respite from the August sunshine.

Once inside the museum, the children quickly got to work filling out their activity booklets, a great way to keep them focused and to incorporate French language into the visit.

Following this, the children began solving the mystery code booklet which they could complete by watching the videos at various stations around the museum. With the incentive of a prize (gold (chocolate coins) when they cracked the code and the interactivity of this multimedia exercise, they thoroughly enjoyed this part of the day.

Overall, my trip to the museum with Maria’s class was very fun – which I think is the key to the kids course here at alpha.b. As a result, this allows them to progress with their French in a relaxed manner during their summer holiday!

To find out more about the Kids Course or any of the other courses we offer at alpha.b, visit our website: https://www.alpha-b.fr/en/kids-and-family-course-french-for-children/

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Découvrir Nice et la Côte d'Azur

Nizza : realtà quotidiana

Stai pensando di fare un corso di francese alla scuola linguistica alpha.b? Se, la tua risposta è sì, è probabile che la sua posizione sia un fattore determinante. Nizza è estremamente pittoresca, e in realtà, è la citta più grande sulla riviera francese. Ma, cos’è veramente la vita quotidiana di questa città vivace con una popolazione di cerca 350,000 persone?

Va da sé che uno dei vantaggi veri di vivere a Nizza è il suo clima. Durante l’estate, il tempo sereno è più o meno assicurato e anche le temperature sono abbastanza miti.

Allora, perché non trarre il meglio dalla tua mattina prima dell’arrivo vero del calore, unendoti ai numerosi ciclisti, corridori e pedoni, sul famoso ‘Promenade des Anglais’? (Per chi ama usare i social network, non mancare l’occasione di fare la foto perfetta del segno #ILOVENICE, con il suo sfondo del mare magnifico!) Comincia il tuo giorno nella maniera migliore, mettendo insieme le viste bellissime del Mediterraneo e le endorfine. O è anche possibile dirigerti verso le montagne spettacolari, perché Nizza si trova, per fortuna, in mezzo delle due.

Poi, va a prendere della colazione di uno dei molti bar e boulangerie. Un croissant o un pain au chocolat non è solamente un modo gustoso ma anche semplice di sentirti tipicamente francese. Vieni a scoprire il tuo posto preferito, sarebbe anche possibile di comprare allo stesso tempo un baugette appena sfornato in preparazione per il pranzo…

Dopo le lezioni puoi trarre vantaggio dal fatto che la spiaggia è a due passi dalla città. E siccome la spiaggia è, in effetti, piuttosto pietroso, puoi evitare l’abilità spesso irritante della sabbia di trovare un modo dentro ogni capo d’abbigliamento che possiedi!

Se un’abbronzatura dorata non è la tua principale priorità, o se non riesci a sederti fermo per molto tempo, è facile godere dell’aria aperta perché Nizza ha molti parchi, dentro e fuori del centro. (Per fare degli esempi: ‘Jardin Albert 1er’, ‘Parc de La Colline du Château’, ‘Promenade du Paillon’, ‘Parc Phoneix’.)

Se cerchi la terapia dello shopping, ci sono tantissimi negozi in cui puoi concederti. Va direttamente a ‘Avenue Jean-Médecin’ dove si può trovare una mescolanza di negozi e il grande centro commerciale ‘Nice Etoile’. Ma se vuoi spendere di più, visita l’esclusivo grande magazzino ‘Galleries Lafayette’ o i negozi di grandi firme intorno alla città.

Mentre a Nizza, il centro storico: ‘Vieux Nice’ è una destinazione da visitare assolutamente. Passeggia nelle piccole strade piene di boutique e partecipa nella cultura dei caffè a cui associamo la vita sulla riviera francese. Se cominci ad avere un po’ di fame, non preoccuparti perché c’è una grande varietà di possibilità culinarie tra cui puoi scegliere. C’è sempre il tempo di mangiare un crêpe o un gelato e personalmente consiglierei ‘Fenocchio’ nella ‘Place Rosetti’ che secondo le dicerie ha più di 100 gusti, alcuni che sono abbastanza strani, creati sotto l’influenza regionale. O, esci dalla tua propria ‘zona-comfort’ e assaggia la cucina locale ‘Niçoise’ che si tratti di socca, di salade niçoise, di pan bagnat o di pissaladière.

Per quanto riguarda la cena di sera, ‘Cours Saleya’ è un posto alla moda per chi vuole mangiare fuori. Durante la mattina, ci sono i mercati locali, ma puoi anche trovare tantissimi ristoranti e bar in questa zona ch’è alla periferia del centro storico, vicino al mare. Se vuoi prolungare la serata, concediti un bicchiere di vino rosé, un aspetto fondamentale della vita a Nizza (comunque, un orangina rinfrescante sarebbe anche sufficiente).

Sei preoccupato per i tuoi piedi dato che c’è un grande numero di attività possibili a Nizza? Non preoccuparti! La maggior parte dei luoghi sono accessibili a piedi (o anche in bici), inoltre, il sistema di mezzi pubblici (tram e bus) è anche facilmente comprensibile e non costa tanto.

In aggiunta, Nizza è un’ottima scelta perché è molto vicino alle altre città mediterranee, tutte accessibili grazie alla stazione in centro. Con Nizza come locazione principale, puoi visitare lo sfarzo di Cannes e Monaco, o anche attraversare la frontiera in Italia!

Quindi, se vuoi scoprire tutto ciò che Nizza può offrire, scegli un corso di francese ad alpha.b. Migliorando il tuo francese mentre esplorando questa città fantastica – perché non? Non esitare!

Per maggiori informazioni sulla scuola linguistica che si trova in questa città fantastica, si prega di consultare il nostro sito web: https://www.alpha-b.fr/activites-a-alpha-b/#10raisons

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Apprendre le français en ligne

Agreement of the Past Participle

You are in the process of learning French in your country, or here in Nice and you will discover the passé compose (the perfect tense).

At first glance it seems like an easy tense, and it more or less is, but I’ll admit except for when it comes to learning by heart all of the irregular past participles.

You thought you understood everything:

– 14 verbs and reflexive verbs are conjugated with the auxiliary ÊTRE

– All of the other verbs are conjugated with the auxiliary AVOIR

And now, we’re announcing a new rule:

– 6 verbs are conjugated with ÊTRE AND with AVOIR: sortir, passer, monter, descendre, retourner and rentrer. You must know if the verb is followed by a direct object or not.

For example:

Je suis sorti hier soir – J’ai sorti le chien
Je suis passé chez toi – J’ai passé de bonnes vacances
Je suis monté à pied – J’ai monté les bagages

Is that clearer?

Ok, so now we are moving on to agreement. The most painful part!

The rule is simple (to begin with) -> when we use the auxiliary être, we agree the past participle with the subject.

But there’s a twist, of course we don’t agree the past participle with the subject when we use the auxiliary avoir but… we DO agree it with the direct object if it is paced before the verb.

If it is still not clear, I invite you to watch the video by FLE professor: Christian Mouret who has taught at alpha.b for many years.

He will teach you everything that there is to know in order to perfectly master agreement of the past participle!

Happy viewing!

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and give us a ‘like’ if you liked the video!

Once you have watched the video, you can do the exercise and click here for the correction.

Conjuguez au passé composé et à tous les temps composés ! Exercice gratuit au passé composé : 1. Dimanche, Jean et moi, nous sommes allé__ dans les bois et nous avons ramassé__ des champignons. 2. Nous sommes resté__ sous la pluie pendant une heure et nous avons attrapé__ un rhume. 3. Marie nous a soigné__ à sa manière : elle nous a donné__ une tisane et nous a envoyé__ au lit tout de suite. 4. Hier soir, ma soeur a amené__ ma nièce au cinéma. Elles sont revenu__ à 22h. 5. Elles ont continué__ à parler du film toute la soirée. Elles se sont endormi__ tard. 6. Les enfants de Pierre ont envoyé__ des cartes de voeux à leur grand-mère. 7. Ils les ont acheté__ dans un magasin de souvenirs. 8. Le directeur a convoqué__ les salariés et il les a félicité__. 9. Les employés ont reçu__ une augmentation. 10. J’ai partagé__ la vidéo d’alpha.b car je l’ai beaucoup aimé__ et j’ai fait__ tous les exercices.

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Apprendre le français en ligne

Comment utiliser les temps du passé ?

Comment utiliser les temps du passé ?

Comment choisir entre les différents temps du passé ?

Comment utiliser le passé composé, l’imparfait, le plus-que-parfait ?

Notre professeur Boris, enseignant à alpha.b depuis plus de 10 ans répond à toutes ces questions pour vous dans cette nouvelle vidéo de cours de français gratuit.

Commençons avec un exemple. Je vais écrire 3 phrases au tableau :

Quand je suis rentré chez moi, ma copine

1) a préparé le café

2) préparait le café

3) avait préparé le café

La question est : la ou lesquelles de ces 3 phrases sont corrects ? La 1, la 2 ou la 3 ?

Vous pensez la 1 ? Non

La 2 et la 3 ? Non

La 1 et la 3 ? Non plus.

Les 3 phrases sont corrects ? Et oui !

Ça dépend du type de copine que vous avez …

I. Observons la première phrase :

Quand je suis rentré chez moi, ma copine a préparé le café.

‘Je suis rentré’, il s’agit d’un verbe au passé composé.

‘a préparé le café’, il s’agit aussi du passé composé.

Comment reconnaitre le passé composé ?

Il y a un auxiliaire et un participe passé.

Dans cet exemple, les deux phrases sont au passé composé.

Qu’est-ce qu’il se passe dans cette première phrase ?

Je vais vous poser une question. Quand je vous demande ce que vous avez fait ce matin, depuis 8h du matin, vous me répondez quoi ?

« Je me suis levé, j’ai pris une douche, j’ai mangé, je me suis lavé les dents, j’ai pris le bus et je suis arrivé au travail. »

Vous avez utilisé 6 passé composé pour exprimer des actions qui se suivent, qui sont donc consécutives.

C’est la même chose dans l’exemple.

« Quand je suis rentré chez moi », c’est à dire quand j’ai ouvert la porte

« Ma copine a préparé le café », c’est à dire qu’elle a commencé l’action de préparer le café.

Il n’y a aucune antériorité car il s’agit de deux passé composé.

II. Observons maintenant la deuxième phrase :

Quand je suis rentré chez moi, ma copine préparait le café.

Il s’agit de quel temps ?

Le passé composé ? Non, il n’y a aucune composition.

L’imparfait ? Oui, il s’agit de l’imparfait.

Est-ce que vous savez pourquoi l’imparfait s’appelle comme cela ?

Ou plutôt est-ce que vous savez à quel moment on doit utiliser l’imparfait ?

Je vais vous donner deux ou trois exemples.

a) L’imparfait s’utilise pour la description :

Hier, j’étais dans un restaurant –> imparfait de la description

j’ai rencontré une personne qui s’appelait Jack –> imparfait de la description

il parlait bien le français –> imparfait de la description

b) Habitudes dans le passé

Quand j’étais enfant, je buvais beaucoup de coca, j’allais tous les week-ends à la plage, je faisais tous les lundis du judo.

c) Action passée interrompue par une autre action.

L’imparfait s’appelle comme cela car il vient du latin qui veut dire : non accompli, non fini, non parfait.

Ici la préparation du café est incomplète.

Ça veut dire qu’on utilise l’imparfait pour des actions passées interrompues, coupées, arrêtées par une autre action. Bien sûr qu’aujourd’hui le café il est dans mon estomac… et même dans les toilettes.

Mais quand je suis arrivé à la maison, je suis arrivé et j’ai interrompu la préparation du café. Voilà pourquoi la préparation était imparfaite.

Donc dans la deuxième situation, je rentre « Nathalie, tu es où ? » « Je suis dans la cuisine, je suis en train de préparer le café ». Et oui effectivement, on peut dire : quand je suis rentré chez moi, ma copine était en train de préparer le café. Ça donne un peu plus d’insistance sur le côté en cours mais ce n’est pas nécessaire et l’imparfait suffit à comprendre que j’arrive au milieu de la préparation.

III. Observons maintenant la dernière phrase :

Quand je suis rentré chez moi, ma copine avait préparé le café.

Vous remarquez quelque chose ?

Observez bien.

Dans la première phrase, la copine a préparé le café.

Troisième phrase, la copine avait préparé le café.

Il s’agit encore d’un temps composé, c’est le même auxiliaire mais la petite différence c’est la sauce que je vais placer sur l’auxiliaire.

Dans la phrase 1, l’auxiliaire est au présent.

Dans la phrase 3, l’auxiliaire est à l’imparfait.

C’est le plus-que-parfait. C’est un autre passé composé mais avant le passé composé. C’est pour ça qu’il s’appelle le plus que parfait.

L’imparfait est une action qui n’est pas fini car interrompue par une autre.

Le passé composé pourrait s’appeler le parfait.

Le plus-que-parfait est super fini, car fini avant une autre action.

Qu’est-ce qui se passe dans la troisième phrase ?

Où est ma copine ? Où est le café ?

Vous avez bien compris : le café est sur la table, déjà fini.

Ma copine a préparé le café avant que moi j’arrive à la maison.

Il y a bien 3 situations possibles dans le passé :

J’arrive et ma copine commence le café.

J’arrive et ma copine commence à faire le café.

J’arrive et ma copine est parfaite et le café est déjà sur le table.

Le plus que parfait est nécessaire quand on parle au passé. Par exemple pour exprimer les causes :

Max a eu un accident de voiture la semaine dernière. Pourquoi ? Parce qu’il avait bu une bouteille de whisky avant de prendre le volant.

C’est différent si vous dites : Max a eu un accident de voiture la semaine dernière parce qu’il buvait au volant.

Autre exemple, l’année dernière, je suis allé au Mexique pendant deux semaine.

Pourquoi tu es allé au Mexique ? Parce que 3 ans avant j’étais déjà allé au Mexique, et c’était tellement fantastique que l’année dernière j’y suis retourné.

Et voilà, c’est terminé.

Vous pouvez regarder la vidéo sur notre Chaîne Youtube et vous abonner :

Si vous voulez venir étudier le français à alpha.b, découvrez nos cours en cliquant ici.

4 Commentaires

La vie à alpha.b

30+ French Course

Looking for a French course that will help you to improve your language skills and expand your cultural knowledge? Tempted by the prospect of studying French on the spectacular Côte d’Azur in the heart of its most vibrant city, Nice? But… as an adult you would prefer to study with others of the same age? Then come and join the 30+ French Course at alpha.b language school!

Our 30+ French Course is designed for adult students who want to challenge themselves by taking an intensive French programme, with other like-minded pupils of a similar age. Our 30+ French Course is very similar to our general Intensive Course and focuses on practical application of your knowledge. However, you will benefit from a maximum of just 8 mature students in your class!

How does it work?

In order to participate in the 30+ Course you must already have a French level between: A2-B2.
You can follow the 30+ Course from 1 to 4 weeks.
Our 30+ Course starts every Monday from the 27/05/2019 to the 06/09/2019.

Structure…

30 lessons per week which equates to 22h30 hours of teaching
Morning: 20 lessons per week which equates to 15 hours of teaching
- Mon-Fri – 9:00-10:40/ 11:00-12:20
Afternoon: 10 lessons per week which equates to 7h30 hours of teaching
- Mon-Fri – 13:45-15:15

What are the lessons like?

Whether you choose the alpha.b Continuous, Intensive or 30+ French Course, your morning lessons will always feature grammar – an essential basis for mastering the French language.

In one particular 30+ lesson that I attended, this grammatical topic was the placement of pronouns (y, en etc.).

However, after the break, the class moved on to practice their oral skills during a debate competition. The class was organised into 3 teams to plan and put forward their winning arguments. Boris, the teacher, clearly stated that the objective of the lesson was for each student to develop their ability to defend their point of view whilst also learning new vocabulary.

To win, the teams didn’t need the right answer, they just had to be logical and eloquently explain their reasoning using phrases such as: donc, alors, par conséquent, c’est la raison pour laquelle… The teams were separated around the school which made this lesson not only fun but interactive. The questions were bizarre but this pushed the students to collaborate as a team and to be as creative as possible.

Why choose alpha.b?

alpha.b is based on the beautiful French Riviera where you can make the most of its stunning scenery and relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle. Nice, itself, is a very lively city that offers something for everyone, whether that be the quaint and bustling old town, ‘Vieux Nice’ or the contrasting modern centre with its many parks, shops and bars.

Not convinced by its gorgeous setting and need more encouragement? One of the main advantages of alpha.b is that all of our teachers are both university graduates and native speakers. Therefore, you can learn French from professional individuals who also have the upper hand as French is their mother tongue!

Life at alpha.b goes beyond the 4 walls of each classroom. There are countless opportunities to take part in a varied range of activities after your lessons so that you can continue learning French in a fun and relaxed manner. We offer: trips to the near-by cities of Cannes/Monaco/Antibes; activities such as snorkelling and water sports or excursions to try the local Niçoise cuisine or brush up on your salsa skills!

Moreover, alpha.b is a school dedicated to its students and every aspect of their time spent here. We even have our own in-house accommodation service to help you find the perfect solution for your stay in Nice. Whether you want to live with a French family so that you can discuss and learn more about the local culture over evening meals or prefer the comfort of a hotel, we are here to help.

To find out more information about this course and our language school, visit our website: https://www.alpha-b.fr/en/our-french-course-for-over-30s/

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La vie à alpha.b

alpha.b : il mio primo giorno

Nessuno può negare che quasi tutti i primi giorni possono essere spaventosi sia a scuola sia a lavoro. Infatti, ero abbastanza preoccupata per il mio primo giorno a Nizza. Comunque poco dopo essere arrivata ad alpha.b, mi sono resa conto che non era per niente preoccupante.

La scuola si trova facilmente vicino alla strada commerciale principale della città (Jean Médecin) e con le bacheche di benvenuto, non avrai nessun problema. Ma nel caso raro in cui non è così, il personale è veramente accogliente e tutti vogliono aiutarti.

In modo da avere la migliore esperienza ad alpha.b, bisogna fare una prova per determinare il corso che seguirai. La prova è composta di 3 parti – l’orale, lo scritto e la grammatica, è una maniera veloce e efficace per trovare il livello giusto per te.

Nel pomeriggio, come ricompensa per la prova, c’era una guida della bellissima Nizza! Pacôme ci ha mostrato alcune delle viste più importanti e belle della città, confermano che avevo scelto la scuola giusta per me: imparare il francese in un ambiente così animato – chi vorrebbe più?

Personalmente, amavo il “Palais de Justice”, la “Place Massena” e “Cours Saleyna” – una zona vivace con degli mercati durante il giorno e molti ristoranti e bar a notte. Per quanto riguarda il “Promenade des Anglais” un corso di 7km lungo la costa, pensavo che la storia fosse affascinante: è stato dato il suo nome a causa degli inglesi che sono venuti per passare l’inverno a Nizza scappando il freddo inglese e trovando l’aria fresca del mare.

Però, per scorpire la vista la più ottima di Nizza, non mancare la “Colline du Château”. In origine il castello venne costruito per proteggere i residenti contro le invasioni barbariche dopo la caduta dell’impero romano, oggi è il punto di osservazione perfetto per ammirare la costa e il porto mentre passeggiando nei giardini pittoreschi .

Prima che il mio giorno sia stato finito, sono andata alla festa settimanale ad un locale nel centro di ‘Vieux Nice’, l’occasione ideale per incontrare i miei colleghi futuri, mi mettendo subito a proprio agio.

Alla fine, ho passato un’ottimo primo giorno a alpha.b e consiglierei tutti che stanno pensando di fare un corso di francese ad alpha.b di farlo senza esitazione! Per maggiori informazioni su alpha.b e i corsi che offriamo, si prega di consultare il nostro sito web: https://www.alpha-b.fr/en/your-general-french-course-in-nice/

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La vie à alpha.b

Intensive French Course

If the words Intensive French Course sound intimidating to you… then rest-assured that an Intensive French Course at alpha.b is not as daunting as it might first appear! Our Intensive Course is just an extension of the Continuous Course, with the added opportunity to continue learning and practicing your French for 3 afternoon sessions per week with the help of our encouraging and supportive teachers.

Course Structure

30 lessons per week which equates to 5 hours of teaching
- (each lesson = 45 minutes)
Morning: 20 lessons per week which equates to 15 hours of teaching:
- 9:00-10:40/11:00-12:20 or 16:15-17.45/18-19:30
- (although lessons usually take place in the morning, during our busiest periods of the year we cannot always guarantee that this will be the case)
Afternoon: 10 lessons per week across 3 afternoons which equates to 5 hours of teaching
- 13:15-16:00 (with a 15-minute break)

The Intensive Course requires that you have a level of French between A2-C1.
On the first day of your course (Monday) you will complete an entrance test which assesses grammatical knowledge, oral and writing skills. This is so that we can place you in a class with others of a similar French level to ensure maximum productivity and progress. (However: don’t be put off by the test – it only aims to improve your b experience!)
Each class has a maximum of 10 students, so the teachers at b are able to be very attentive and can adapt to your individual needs.
You can follow the Intensive Course from 1-24 weeks and the course starts every Monday from 07/01/2019 to the 20/12/2019.

Course Content

As your morning lessons will follow the same structure as the Continuous Course, they will focus on key aspects that will aid you in mastering the French language. For example: teaching and reinforcement of grammar rules; gaining new vocabulary; improved oral confidence; reading and listening comprehension and writing skills.

In order to support your learning, you will always be given homework to complete for the following lesson (the next day). But again, do not worry, as you will be provided with an ‘alpha.book’ – a grammatical, phonetic and vocabulary resource created by our very own alpha.b French teachers that you can use if you are stuck.

As for the afternoon lessons, you will be able to reinforce the skills that you have learnt through practical application. You will discuss cultural, social, political and economic aspects of French life and depending on your level will tackle a variety of topics such as: opinion polls, debates, literature, history, theatre and music.

I attended a typical afternoon session which was led by Boris. There was an extremely light-hearted and fun atmosphere in the classroom which confirmed that ‘intensive’ does not mean rigid or frightening at all!

This particular lesson focused on oral expression and the theme was ‘racconte-nous une histoire’ i.e. ‘tell us a story’. The overall objective of the lesson was for each student to come up with various interesting stories and be able to present them to the class in a confident and coherent manner. Everyone received a sheet with more than 15 headings that could inspire such tales and brain-stormed independently for 5 or so minutes. After that, each member of the class took it in turns to present a story and thanks to the small class sizes – everyone was heard, and everyone received feedback directly from Boris!

As with all of the teachers at alpha.b – Boris is a native-speaker which is fundamental for our students as they are able to pick up both grammar and idioms from someone who really knows their stuff!

Overall, this was a very valuable lesson and it was evident that each student wanted to be there and was keen to learn and improve. Following an Intensive French Course at alpha.b is a brilliant way to improve your French in the company of like-minded individuals from all over the world!

Why choose alpha.b?

Apart from the amazing academic aspects that the school provides (small class size and university graduate, native-speaking teachers), alpha.b offers a complete French learning experience. With the stunning backdrop of the Côte d’Azur, and its prime location in the centre of Nice, at alpha.b you can learn French whilst also benefiting from the Mediterranean way of life in a French-speaking environment.

We also offer many activities that you can participate in after lessons, whether it be: trips to the near-by cities of Cannes/Monaco/Antibes; activities such as snorkelling and water sports or excursions to try the local Niçoise cuisine or brush up on your salsa skills – there really is something for everyone!

What’s more – we have our own in-house accommodation service which enables you to find the perfect living arrangements whilst you are in Nice. You may wish to stay in a hotel or live with a French host family to make the most of your immersive French experience. Whatever your preference, we have many options that you can explore for your time at alpha.b.

If you wish to find out more about our Intensive French Course and our French language school, head to our website: https://www.alpha-b.fr/en/your-general-french-course-in-nice/

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La vie à alpha.b

Lingua Francese: Corso Continuo

Vuoi seguire un corso di lingua francese ad alpha.b – la scuola linguistica nel cuore della Riviera Francese? Se stai pensando di seguire il nostro Corso Continuo: questo articolo contiene tutte le informazioni essenziali di cui avrai bisogno e anche descrive un esempio di una mattina – leggi per scoprire maggiori informazioni…

Il Corso Continuo ad alpha.b è il corso di base di lingua francese della scuola, che anche agisce come il fondamento di tutti gli altri corsi.

Se decidi di seguire un Corso Continuo qui, avrai 20 lezioni di francese a settimana che sono analoghi a 15 ore a settimana (perché ogni ‘lezione’ è equivalente a 45 minuti).

Normalmente le lezioni avvengono nella mattina da 9:00-10:40 / 11:00-12:20 – ma, durante l’alta stagione, è possibile che le lezioni avvengano da 16:15-17:45 / 18-19:30.

Si può seguire il corso da 1 a 50 settimane, e chiunque voglia partecipare al Corso Continuo, avrà la possibilità perché accettiamo tutti i livelli di francese (da A1 a C1).

Comunque, sta’ tranquillo che sarai in una classe con gli altri che hanno la stessa capacità (di te) per assicurare la massima produttività e i massimi progressi.

Tutti i gruppi hanno un massimo di 10 studenti e questi gruppi vengono decisi dai risultati del test d’ingresso ogni lunedì. Questo test è utilizzato per valutare la tua conoscenza grammaticale e le tue competenze di parlare e di scrivere. (Però: non scoraggiarti, il test non sarà in alcun modo spaventoso e il suo scopo è solamente migliorare il tuo soggiorno ad alpha.b!)

Il nostro Corso Continuo è incentrato prima di tutti sugli aspetti chiavi affinché tu possa padroneggiare la lingua francese. Per esempio: insegnamento e impiego di regole grammatiche; vocabolario nuovo; maggiore fiducia in sé stesso per quanto riguarda parlare; comprensione all’ascolto e alla lettura; competenze per scrivere.

In modo da rafforzare le cose che avrai imparato in classe, riceverai sempre i compiti da fare per la lezione seguente (il prossimo giorno). Ma, non preoccuparti, perché alpha.book è a tua disposizione (una risorsa grammaticale e fonetica, creata dai nostri professori francesi) se ti imbatti in problemi.

Dopo aver passato la mattina in una lezione di B1+ Continuo, avevo l’occasione di essere testimone della qualità dell’insegnamento ad alpha.b. In primo luogo, la lezione aveva una struttura chiara e ben organizzata, è stata insegnata a ritmo constante assicurando la massima efficienza. Comunque, il professore capiva quando bisognava rallentare per spiegare più profondamente alcuni aspetti della lezione perché tutti capissero. Era anche evidente che in ogni lezione ci si esercita a una varietà di competenze linguistiche attraverso attività praticali e interattivi.

Innanzitutto, il centro della lezione era il ‘Style Indirect’ un argomento grammaticale che crea spesso i problemi per chi vuole imparare il francese. Sebbene gli studenti facessero l’esercizio insieme, dovevano rispondere individualmente e ad alta voce – migliorando la loro capacità di parlare contemporaneamente a dando al professore la possibilità di osservare i suoi studenti in maniera indipendente.

In seguito, hanno cominciato a leggere un testo insieme – dimostrando l’ambiente aperto a tutti ch’è presente nelle lezioni di alpha.b. Di più, attraverso questo esercizio mettevano in pratica la grammatica che avevano già imparato e imparavano qualche vocabolario essenziale per la parte seguente della lezione! Il testo scelto ha mirato a una discussione sulle vicende di attualità come la sostenibilità e la politica.

Poi hanno fatto un esercizio della comprensione all’ascolto. Usando i tablet moderni, gli studenti hanno guardato i video YouTube basati sul testo. Il loro professore ha detto molte volte che potevano fare l’esercizio secondo la loro velocità personale – dimostrando che perfino nelle classi piccole, i professori rispettano ogni studente!

Alla fine, il professore ha fornito gli esercizi ulteriori (ma non obbligatori) sul ‘Conditionnel’ affinché potessero avere un’altra cosa da fare a casa se necessario – ch’è la testimonianza del fatto che si può veramente sfidarti ad alpha.b con il sostengo dei nostri professori laureati (al livello universitario).

Se vuoi sapere più sul Corso Continuo, si prega di consultare il nostro sito web per maggiori informazioni: https://www.alpha-b.fr/en/your-general-french-course-in-nice/

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