Arlington Community Education

Spanish is the most widely-spoken Romance language in the world, with 410 million native speakers. This convivial class is taught by a native speaker and offers conversation and culture for those who want to refresh their Spanish, take it to the next level, or just miss speaking the language. We will improve your spoken Spanish and vocabulary by encouraging discussions on a variety of topics involving the culture of Spanish-speaking countries: art, literature, music, cuisine, travel and current events. To enjoy this class, students should have some experience with conversational Spanish.

Lay the foundation to become a confident French speaker. Learn pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and verbs with a focus on describing the world around you. Level 1 Beginners or anyone wishing to review the fundamentals should take Level 1, where we will learn basic vocabulary, present tense verbs, and useful everyday words and phrases. Part of each class will be spent practicing with oral dialogues, to gain comfort in speaking. Level 2 Level 2 will focus on improving conversational precision by developing vocabulary and learning present and immediate future tenses. We will also practice oral dialogue and learn common and irregular verbs, possessive and demonstrative adjectives, comparatives and superlatives, and imperatives. Level 3 Level 3 is for those who feel comfortable operating in a mostly immersion (French-only) context. This intermediate level class will work on past and present tense, while also reinforcing the use of object pronouns. Most of the class time will be spent on dialogues designed to improve oral skills and comprehension. Please note:Levels 1–3 requires the additional purchase of a textbook, Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French All-in-One, Premium Second Edition, by Heminway. The book will also be used in Level 4 when offered.

French Book Club Deepen your understanding and appreciation of the French language in this fun and interactive book club, where we will discuss our thoughts and questions about Marguerite Duras’ international best seller, L'amant. Set in prewar Indochina, where Duras grew up, this romantic tale centers around a young woman who falls in love with a Chinese man nearly twice her age. This autobiographical tale explores power dynamics and issues of colonialism through an unforgettable intimate romance between two unlikely characters. After the book club, join your instructor in a one night discussion of the film adaptation of the novel, Jean-Jacques Annaud’s 1992 movie, The Lover. Please note: Before the first class, please read up to page 20. The book is available on Amazon. April 6–June 1 | 2:30–4:00 pm French: Une Discussion de Film en français Silence, moteur, action! Join other French language enthusiasts in a lively guided discussion—in French—analyzing The Lover by Jean-Jacques Annaud. Based on Marguerite Duras’ international best seller, L'amant, this film adaptation tells the tale of a young nameless woman living in Vietnam who falls in love with a man twice her age. Their illicit affair is set in a time where issues including race, colonialism, and wealth all come into play, interfering with the durability of their relationship. Winner of the 1992 Academy Award for Best Cinematography, this film is available to watch online. Please note: Students should have a conversational command of the French language. Idiomatic expressions will be reviewed during the class. Wednesday, June 2 | 6:00–7:30 pm