Are you a complete beginner? Start your French journey with one of our A1.1 classes here, no assessment required!
Not sure which level is right for you? Take a placement test with a short oral assessment with our Education Director. They will recommend the class that best matches your skills and goals. Or just pick up the phone and contact us at 403-245-5662, we’ll be happy to help you explore your options.
Become a member of the Alliance Française Calgary, a self-funded non-profit & charity organization established in Calgary since 1947.
Membership gives you access to all our classes and services, as well as a wide range of free social and cultural activities.
This is the start of your French journey in Calgary and beyond!
Explore our wide selection of French courses and find the class that matches your goals, level and schedule!
Join one of our friendly group classes or enjoy a personalized learning experience with one of our amazing instructors through private lessons. It’s that easy!
More than 1,500 learners join us every year. Beginners, slightly less beginners, newcomers, kids, lifelong learners and people who still panic when someone says “Ça va?” all meet here! We know that learning French is easier, livelier and much more fun when you have an entire community cheering you on!
Learn with passionate, qualified and experienced instructors who make every class a fun experience. Some learners sign up for one course and are still with us three years later (and basically bilingual!). The secret? Our teachers are simply exceptional! We know you'll love your class!
Our group classes generally include 6 to 14 students, the ideal size for interaction, personalized attention and plenty of opportunities to speak French. No hiding in the back row, you’ll be speaking en français right from the start!
As a self-funded nonprofit organization, we carefully reassess our prices every year to keep high-quality French classes accessible to as many people as possible. We strive to keep our group fees accessible to everyone!
Our communicative approach puts conversation, participation and fun at the heart of every class. You will learn a lot, laugh a lot, make mistakes and keep progressing, often without realizing how much you are learning. Because French should never feel like just another academic subject. We want you to enjoy every step and create a special connection with the language.
Learn it. Speak it. Your French journey continues beyond the classroom. Taking a class is only the beginning: we organize activities every week (sometimes even every day!), for you to practice French and meet new people. And yes, beginners are definitely welcome, we create these opportunities for you! It is a unique way to learn and practice French in Calgary!
When you learn French with us, you are not doing it alone! Ask our Education Director for personalized guidance, practise with different teachers with our FREE French Bonus, join activities created by our cultural team, or get reading advice from our librarian. You get more than one teacher, you get a whole team behind you! Think of it as learning French with your own team of cheerleaders!
French is not just vocabulary, weird conjugation and mysterious silent letters. It is a gateway to cultures, stories and communities around the world. With us, you do not simply learn how to speak French. You experience the many cultures that bring the language to life.! You may come to learn the language, but you will leave with a much bigger world to explore!
Alliance Française is the only centre in Calgary accredited to administer the TEF, TCF and DELF exams. These accreditations are not easy to obtain. Our qualified team has the expertise to administer these exams so they are the best to help you prepare with confidence. When you need trusted French expertise, this is the place to come. After all, we are officially qualified to make your level official!
We are a self-funded nonprofit organization, so yes, our course fees help keep the association running. But teaching French is not a business opportunity for us., it's our mission. As Calgary’s only nonprofit association dedicated to teaching French, we work with integrity and purpose. If another organization or a private tutor is a better fit for you, we will happily tell you. We are not competing for your business. We are cheering for your French, even if it means learning French somewhere else!
Explore more than 8,500 French-language resources, including books, films and materials created specifically for French learners (even beginners!). Not sure where to begin? Our wonderful librarian Maëlys will give you personalized recommendations based on your level and interests. Honestly, our library is just soooo cool! Check out our pictures!
We have been teaching French in Calgary for nearly 80 years. That is a long, long, long time! Generations of Calgarians have trusted us to help them learn French, build connections and discover French-speaking cultures. Of course, the team has changed a little since 1947, but the AFC spirit remains!
| Common European Framework of Reference for Languages | Beginner | Elementary | Independent | Advanced | Proficient/Academic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | A2 | B1 | B2 | C1 | C2 | |
| Levels at Alliance Française |
(A1.0) A1.1–A1.4 |
A2.1–A2.4 | B1.1–B1.5 |
B2.1–B2.10 + B2 Review |
C Levels | C Levels |
| Instruction Hours (Approx.) | 100 hours | + additional 100 hours | + additional 120 hours | + additional 240 hours | + additional 290 hours | N/A |
| Types of Classes Available at AFC |
Standard Group Classes Conversation Groups Private Classes |
Same as the previous level, plus: Grammar Classes |
Same as the previous levels, plus: Professional French Classes, Exam Preparation and Cultural Classes |
|||
| Textbooks Used for Adult Group Classes | Inspire 1 | Inspire 2 | Inspire 3 |
Inspire 4 + Édito B2 |
N/A | N/A |
| Government Levels | 0 → A | A | B | C | C | Exemption |
| DELF/DALF Diplomas | DELF A1 | DELF A2 | DELF B1 | DELF B2 | DALF C1 | DALF C2 |
| CLB / NCLC |
1
2
|
3
4
|
5
6
|
7
8
9
|
10
11
|
12
|
| TEF Canada Scores | ||||||
| Reading and Listening |
——
|
—
306–351
|
352–392
393–433
|
434–461
462–502
503–545
|
546–699
10+*
|
10+*
|
| Writing |
——
|
—
268–329
|
330–378
379–427
|
428–471
472–511
512–557
|
558–699
10+*
|
10+*
|
| Speaking |
——
|
—
328–386
|
387–421
422–455
|
456–493
494–517
518–555
|
556–699
10+*
|
10+*
|
| TCF Canada Scores | ||||||
| Reading |
——
|
—
342–374
|
375–405
406–452
|
453–498
499–523
524–548
|
549–699
10+*
|
10+*
|
| Listening |
——
|
—
331–368
|
369–397
398–457
|
458–502
503–522
523–548
|
549–699
10+*
|
10+*
|
| Writing and Speaking |
——
|
—
4–5
|
6
7–9
|
10–11
12–13
14–15
|
16–20
10+*
|
10+*
|
| * NCLC 10+: IRCC does not publish separate TEF Canada or TCF Canada score ranges for NCLC 11 and 12. NCLC–CEFR equivalencies are approximate and may vary by language skill. TEF Canada ranges apply to tests taken after December 10, 2023. | ||||||
