Conversational French

Fall, Winter and Spring: One 3-hour class per week, evenings or Saturday mornings. Most courses run for 11 weeks (some are 10 weeks long with 3.25 hours per week).

Summer: A more intensive schedule runs over 2 weeks (mornings) or 4 weeks (evenings). 

Courses are 32.5 to 33 hours in total.

Conversation circles are 10 weeks long, with class 2 hours per week for a total of 20 hours. 

Each level: $328 (student handbook and taxes included)

Conversation circle: $204 (taxes included)

Acquire essential language skills through a variety of interactive activities using Canadian course material developed by Université de Saint-Boniface’s Continuing Education Division. Designed for adult learners, the curriculum covers the themes and subthemes most likely to arise in conversation and other common oral interactions.

Beginner 1	Food Description	Identity, family, occupations, basic numbers
Beginner 2	Clothing Description	Seasons and weather, shopping, giving directions
Beginner 3	House and Home Description	Daily activities, chores, hospitality
Beginner 4	Community Description	Describing objects, describing people, community events
Intermediate 1	Travel Description	Tourist attractions, transportation, describing a landscape
Intermediate 2	Leisure Activities Description	Sports and exercise, volunteering, emotions
Intermediate 3	The Arts Description	Description and critique, French-Canadian artists, biography
Intermediate 4	Francophonie Description	Francophone countries, immigration, customs
Advanced A	Well-Being Description	Physical and mental health, careers in healthcare
Advanced B	From Yesterday to Tomorrow Description	Technology, work, life stages
Advanced C	The Media Description	Current events, advertising, entertainment

Note: Advanced levels can be taken in any order. 

Improve your fluency by speaking French in a relaxed atmosphere that includes both structured and spontaneous conversation, along with games and exploration of Francophone culture.

Le cercle de conversation intermédiaire is offered during the fall session, and is open to learners who have completed a Français oral course at any Intermediate level in the previous 12 months.

Le cercle de conversation avancé is offered during the winter session, and is open to learners who have completed a Français oral course at the Intermediate 4 or Advanced level in the previous 12 months.

What are placement interviews?  

Unsure which level to register for? We offer placement interviews for French and Spanish classes. Once you have scheduled your interview, an assessor will telephone you for a short chat (10-15 minutes) to determine your level.  

IMPORTANT: If you already know your level, it is not necessary to schedule a placement interview. When registering, simply select your level.  

How do I schedule a placement interview?   

Steps for scheduling a placement interview:  

1. Register for one of our French or Spanish programs. Select Unknown Level when completing the online registration form. 
2. Check your registration confirmation email. Once your registration is completed, paid for and submitted, you will receive a confirmation email with a placement interview link. Click on the link and an online calendar will appear.  
3. Book your placement interview by selecting a date and time from the available options.  
4. Be ready for a call from our assessor on your chosen date and time.  

IMPORTANT: A placement interview will ONLY be conducted once you have registered (by selecting Unknown Level), paid for your course and booked your placement interview.  

Please do not wait to schedule your placement interview! We strongly encourage you to book it as soon as possible following your registration in Unknown Level. Our course offerings for a session are always subject to sufficient enrollment, and so we need to know your ideal level as soon as possible.  

I clicked on the link to schedule a placement interview, but I do not see any more availability. What do I do?   

Check back later or get in touch with us.  

Our assessors regularly add availability throughout the registration period. Please check the availability again the following business day or email us at DEP@ustboniface.ca.  

I booked a placement interview, but I need to cancel or reschedule it. What do I do?  

Check your confirmation email for the placement interview or get in touch with us.  

When you initially booked your placement interview, a message was sent to you confirming your chosen date and time. Scroll down to the bottom of the message to cancel or reschedule the interview. If you prefer, you can contact us at DEP@ustboniface.ca for assistance.  

I booked a placement interview, but I didn’t receive a call. What happens now?  

Send us an email at DEP@ustboniface.ca and we will forward you the link to reschedule.  

I booked a placement interview, but I missed it. What happens now?  

Send us an email at DEP@ustboniface.ca and we will forward you the link to reschedule. 

I am a true beginner and have never studied French or Spanish before. Do I still need to do a placement interview?  

No.  

If you have no knowledge of the language, you do not need to book a placement interview. In this case, choose Beginner 1 (French) or Nivel 1 (Spanish) when completing your registration.    

I know a little bit of the language, but am not sure of my level.  

If you don’t know what level to enroll in, choose Unknown Level when completing the registration form.   

Once you have registered and paid, you will be able to schedule a placement interview in order to assess your ideal level.  

I took classes a while ago with Université de Saint-Boniface. Should I still schedule a placement interview?  

Yes.  

If it has been more than two years since you last took a class with us, we recommend scheduling a placement interview as your level may have changed since then.  

I recently took a class with Université de Saint-Boniface. Should I still schedule a placement interview?  

No.  

If you took a class with us in the last two years, you can find which level to take in the instructor’s recommendation section of your final progress report. If you cannot find this recommendation, feel free to contact us at DEP@ustboniface.ca so we can look it up for you.