Alliance Francaise de Berkeley is middle of the road in terms of French-language instruction. I have taken classes over the years in other countries and states so have experience with in-classroom language learning. My 2-star review of Alliance Francaise De Berkeley comes down to a few things: 1) instructors are inconsistent 2) there is only one path to learning so those who learn outside of their "lane" may struggle 3) the study materials (book: Inspire1 by Hachette) were somewhat chaotic and hard to follow 4) The online learning portal is difficult to use, has a lot of errors that get in the way of progress and doesn't actually explain the why behind your mistakes (how else can you learn?) I really think Alliance could be much better if they invested more in development of their instructors, expanding the ways that students can learn, and investing in better learning tools & technology (while I don't work in tech, tech-savvy Bay area students expect online tools to be good not antiquated and error prone) read more

I love attending this school. I've attended for about 10 months. The teachers and staff are extremely helpful, professional and kind. They display a genuine concern for your french learning. The school promotes the appreciation of French culture as well as the language. For example many events are held that are free to members (students) or at a minimal fee. I attended one where a flamenco dancer spoke about her upcoming show. This entire event was in French, but wow I was able to follow along (suprisingly well for an advanced beginner). . . thanks to my studies at the school. As far as price, as the saying goes . . . "you get what you pay for" high quality instruction and immersion opportunities beyond the classroom setting. At this time, I'm not able to travel to a francophone place - - - for me, this school is the next best thing. read more

I had a great time in my recent spring semester class at the Alliance Francaise. At first, I started with Leah in the beginner class and was pleasantly surprised to have been recommended for the intermediate level, so I transferred over by week 2. I ended up taking an online class with Olivier, and though I thought I preferred in-person classes, it turns out online was better for my schedule and still quite lively. The professor assigned some homework at the end of every class, which I found manageable and helped reinforce my learning. The class size was small but everyone contributed and seemed happy to be there. I was able to get really comfortable using passe composé and imparfait. I'm looking forward to attending future events at the yellow house and meeting more Francophiles! read more

I took two courses at the Alliance Berkeley: Beginner Level 2 with Nicole, and Beginner Level 4 with Olivier. Nicole was a grammar tyrant, always stopping us to correct pronunciation - a good thing, in hindsight - while Olivier let us butcher pronunciation, but allowed much more practice in conversation. Both useful, but I wish that all the professors focused on both the technical and the conversational elements of French. It certainly didn't hurt my French to take classes here; it was a good way to stay polished. But, after taking an intensive course in Paris - which was both excruciating mental torture, and invaluable immersion - I realized that once a week courses are simply not enough to become strong in French (unless you have someone to practice with all week, which most aren't lucky enough to have). If they offer intensive programs here, that would be the way to go. The likeability of each course also depends on how serious the other students are. If you get a class with a lot of goofballs who don't practice or study during the week, it holds everyone back. On the other hand, when you're in a class where you can see the improvement of your classmates week by week, it's encouraging and keeps you on your game. I experienced a little of both here. I do love the environment - the AF Berkeley is essentially an old Victorian house just behind Ashby BART. Parking is easy and the atmosphere is nice and homey. But, for the price (nearly $300 for an 8-week course) I didn't feel challenged enough to continue. read more

Super nice learning center, I recommend 100%. The team is great and always wanting to help you grow and learn. Learning French can be hard especially in the US and this institution brings the best out of it. There are also organizing a lot of events which is really helpful to connect with other people wanting to learn French or that are French. The place is also easy to access and really beautiful. You can park you car around easily and public transportation is nearby. You should try it out!! read more

I wanted to enroll my kid in semi private classes and for weeks Leah brushed me off, lied about availability, or never responded. When I finally got a hold of her directly she informed me that the parents of another child were "uncomfortable and didn't want a younger child taking the same class as theirs." No further talk about any other available classes and never heard from her again. read more

This review is specifically about Stephanie Poulain at the Alliance. I've had 5 or so French teachers over the years; she is the best by far. I can't recommend her highly enough. read more

Learned how to say great french phrases like.... " Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir" and "J'ai chaud" with a perfect french accent. Zee Americains will zink you are ah tres sexy if you speakah zee French! Alliance Francaise is a non profit organization that promotes french culture by providing french classes and events to promote french culture. I took classes at the Alliance Francaise in Paris for a year and took three months at the Alliance Francaise in Berkeley. This is a great place to brush up on your French. Classes are generally five to ten people and teachers are native French speakers. read more

I love the Alliance Francaise. I took classes for about 7 months, and went from knowing about 10 words of French to being able read, write and speak French. By no means am I fluent, but that comes with time. I love the smaller classes (or individual lessons) and excellent teachers. My classmates were of all ages and backgrounds. People learning for a job or move, or just because they appreciate the French language. It is an beautiful Victorian style house, with 3 classrooms 1 1/2 blocks from Ashby BART and several bus lines. They often have conversation potlucks, seminars, movie screenings, even a gardening club! They have a 2,000 book library that students can use - as well as CD's, movies, newspapers and travel guides. read more

Great organization that has stepped up its game recently. Highly recommend!

Some wonderful people but not always. Can have some nice staff and events, but not very consistent. And often challenged by a lack of leadership or even professionalism. Especially in the social events. Some key events seem chaotic and there are even moody, unwelcoming members (apparently long term), who have no real interest in fostering strong French-American appreciation, unless there's a party in it for themselves. So it seems the place works in a manner which is not very supervised. Classes seem to be working for the students, to a point. But one notices that the beginner French speakers are not always appreciated at the events. One can see them struggling and being ignored for the most of time. And then some very disturbed old-timers, who are native speakers, can easily get upset and alienate the people, even the native speakers. It especially seems to happen if a younger crowd is some kind of an intimidation to the older crowd, who it seems would like to be worshipped. We are not in Paris! A very cute house though, and sometimes a nice ambiance. Courage! read more

This is a wonderful place to learn and/or practice and improve your skills in conversational French. The classes are small and the instruction is excellent. Students are all ages and come from a variety of backgrounds. Conversation is interesting, real and always IN FRENCH! Instructor Ingrid Rombaut is warm, welcoming and helps each student stretch in the acquisition of French language skills. I highly recommend this school if you are serious about learning the language. read more

Sixteen years ago, I decided to revive my high school and college French. I had made several attempts to do so over the years, none of them consistent. I began at the Albany Adult School, but a year or so later, when I felt I wasn't being pushed enough, I switched to the Alliance Française de Berkeley. I regard this as one of the best decisions of my life. I love going to the little yellow house; I love how warmly I'm greeted; I love walking into the foyer and hearing French spoken; I love seeing students of all ages. My own experience suggests that you need more than one lesson a week to become fluent, no matter how good the lessons are--and the lessons are more than good. I've studied with several of the teachers, all of whom are excellent and engaging in different ways, all of whom help you make significant progress towards fluency. Being a student has other perks: you get to meet new friends and interesting people, participate in stimulating events, and deepen your understanding of the world and others. I may have spent a bundle on lessons over the years, but I'm all the richer for it. read more

This place has a warm and welcoming atmosphere and is great for people at all levels of French. Events are either free or really cheap and there are lots of opportunities to find speakers at your level and meet some pretty interesting people. There are "regulars" so you can connect with people over time but always some new faces too. It's in an old kind of funky very Berkeley house. Don't come expecting sleek and modern...might not seem super professional at first, but the staff are really friendly and also know what they're doing. read more

This is a great place to learn French. I'm taking a 4 week accelerated course and already my comprehension has improved tremendously. I plan to continue with more classes in the future. If your looking to work and live in France a year of classes here will prepare students for taking the B-1 proficiency exam read more