I began this beautiful and enriching online French Book Club adventure a year ago, for both beginner and intermediate level students. It has been an absolute blast and never in a million years could I have guessed that a Zoom meeting would grow to feel so warm and connected. I feared it might be weird, awkward, cold, and I’m thrilled to realize I was SO wrong! To celebrate this one year anniversary, I want to launch something new, exciting, and a tad challenging… vous êtes prêt pour le défi?
So far, with my intermediate group, we have read together seven books of French and Francophone literature. Maintenant, we feel like exploring something new and a little different… such as… un club de philosophie!
RELAX! You do not need to have a philosophy degree or even any kind of philosophy knowledge to join us as I am building this new course using a very popular French radio program meant to be enjoyed by the average French listener. You will have the written text of course, while being able to listen to the corresponding short radio episodes. Click HERE for a little sneak peek, or should I say, a sneak listen!
This France Inter radio program was a huge success here in France. It is called “Un été avec…” = “A summer with…” a great thinker, writer, poet.
Let’s begin with Michel de Montaigne, one of the greatest, and one of my favorite French philosophers : deep and revolutionary, yet easy and pleasant to read. I’ve been studying philosophy à l’Université de Reims since 2016 and I’m really excited to finally share my love for philosophy with you!
Intermediate level students 2022 February 8, 15, 22, March 1 – 6pm French time
Beginner level students Next one coming soon so stay tuned!
If you’re unsure of your level, contact me to schedule a free Skype / Zoom call.
Intermediate group
Voici donc le livre que j’ai choisi for the intermediate group : Un été avec Montaigne d’Antoine Compagnon.
Each short chapter of the book revisits one 4 minute long radio episode so it’s clear, concise, and thought provoking. Each episode is a like a little philosophy easily digestible bite about topics such as la vie, la mort, la guerre, la paix, l’amitié, le nouveau monde, la conversation, l’ignorance, le livre, l’autre, l’art, and so forth.
Michel de Montaigne est un philosophe, humaniste, et moraliste français from the 16th century. Il a vécu dans une période extrêmement noire de notre histoire : les guerres de religion entre catholiques et protestants. Il est l’un des inventeurs de la liberté moderne, de la liberté de conscience, de la tolérance, du libéralisme, et a combattu bien avant l’heure le racisme, le sexisme, et même le spécisme.
“Un été avec Montaigne” was written by Antoine Compagnon, professeur au prestigieux Collège de France à Paris.
Join us for our very first Club de Philosophie, en Français!
Intermediate level students 2022 February 8, 15, 22, March 1 – 6pm French time
Beginner level students Next one coming soon so stay tuned
If you’re unsure of your level, contact me to schedule a free Skype call.
Benefits
Improve your French comprehension skills in a completely safe & friendly environment with me and a French classic must read.
Practice reading, speaking, and listening to French while bursting out laughing at every page. This will ensure a rich discussion as well as expand your French vocabulary and sentence structure.
Learn French grammar & conjugation in a natural way thanks to a practical context.
Relax knowing that I’m here to manage our time together and make sure everyone gets a fair opportunity to participate.
Testimonials
I love Virginie’s book clubs. Pourquoi? Because they have helped me so much with my Français; with my verbal comprehension, my pronunciation and my understanding of grammar. The books are challenging to read but very fun. And I love all my new book club friends. Highly recommend.
Robert Gordon
Are you into reading books? Do you enjoy exchanging opinions with friendly people from various parts of the world? Do you want to be more confident in French? The French Book Club with Virginie will satisfy all these desires for everyone. The questions and discussions in the Club are at times quite challenging, but are mostly fun, humorous, intelligent and are guaranteed to inspire your “Esprit Français”!
Takeshi
“The very best teachers are those that bring laughter and fun to the subject and teach you things you never anticipated learning. Virginie’s enthusiasm is contagious and her sense of humor and fun make the book club one of the best parts of my week! Learning a foreign language is not only about vocabulary and grammar, but also about culture, colloquialisms and interpretations. Virginie introduced us to a great French author and explained nuances of the book that I would have completely missed had I just read the book on my own. The environment is relaxed and Virginie is incredibly patient, so I never felt intimidated or nervous. I will definitely be joining again for the next book!”
Christina Foote
“Thanks Virginie, I loved this French book club class on Zoom! I looked forward to each session. You spent a lot of care in preparing questions that led us to an in depth discussion, which was also a lot of fun!”
Gary Duvall
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Beginner Book Club. It is a wonderful way to refresh your knowledge of the French language, improve your grammar, and refine your pronunciation. Virginie is a very patient, pleasant and fun moderator. She makes everyone feel comfortable, and encourages any and all questions. The atmosphere is light and very enjoyable. I highly recommend this Book Club. Merci. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Catherine Keller
“My interest in reading in french was killed-off long ago by my university french professors… or so I thought. Then, this wonder of french language teaching, Virginie Paradis, insisted that I read a book by Belgian author Amélie Nothomb. Reluctantly, I did it. And what? Suddenly, I was addicted and wanted to read more, even if I had to “work at it”. When Virginie formed a book club to read books with others, she invited me to join and again, though nervous, I followed her advice. Like-minded and equally motivated co-readers mixed with thought-provoking “homework”; we are gently guided to where our french (language learning) “truly” wants to go. Highly recommend.
Hildie Sheftel
Virginie is a warm and gifted teacher. She inspires language learners with thoughtful and engaging prompts. Her book club format is a fun way to learn new vocabulary, discuss grammar points and express ideas with a small group of students. In the beginning level, we have read several fairy tales and The Little Prince. Mistakes are simply learning opportunities and questions are always welcome. Virginie is not intimidating and understands the struggles encountered when learning a new language. She helps us with proper pronunciation and offers helpful pointers throughout the class. Her goal is to guide us towards communication – not necessarily perfection. I highly recommend trying the book club – you will be hooked!
Missy A.
How much I love my French book club for beginners! I have never been one to enjoy sitting down to a grammar book (even a French one), yet through the charming childrens’ stories we are reading I am learning French grammar, vocabulary, and even spelling. We are halfway though our study of The Little Prince, and I so enjoy answering the homework questions Virginie gives us and I totally look forward to Thursday mornings when I get to gather with her (who doesn’t love spending time with Virginie?!!), and the group– we are now all friends in the quest for French. I hope the sessions will keep coming with new books to explore, and new friends to meet 🙂
Sharon Ray
“I love the page-specific questions you submit in advance of our reading, which helps us understand items on that page that we might have missed. Reading back the questions and giving our oral responses in class also helps us to practice our French. You also have an infectious “joie de vie,” a strong background in literature and an instinctive understanding of what we non-french speakers might miss or confuse and an ability to explain it clearly. The class is awesome!”
William Baker
“Virginie selected a classic French book, Métaphysiques des tubes, for her first French book club via Zoom. If there were a photo in a dictionary for a French bookclub online the screen shot of Virginie and her devoted students would be the perfect photo. Each week we received a list of questions that captured the essence of the book. By answering all the questions before our discussion a lively discussion was assured. Virginie managed her 8 students skillfully making sure that everyone had many opportunities to speak. Virginie managed to get through all the questions each week, a not so small miracle. My adult French school hosts a monthly book club but alas we read the books in English and discuss in English! I now have confidence to read more books in French and discuss them with my French-speaking friends. I plan to take every book club that Virginie offers.”
Susan Schultz
Well, where to start! It was a huge challenge to participate in the Intermediate Book Club. In fact, it was a first for me.The text by Amelie Nothomb, was immensely interesting on all levels: poetic, historical, philosophical and just plain funny! Virginie is a teacher with a lot of enthusiasm and energy who made me feel welcomed and included and I really enjoyed learning with the other participants who were generous and supportive. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their confidence in speaking French. It was lots of work thought so be sure to check your level and be prepared to give some time to this rewarding activity.
Clare Mc Cann
As an intermediate student, It was really a joy to take a class on something other than French grammar or improving your French. By reading a charming book by Amélie Nothomb we were able to continue to learn by using the language for entertainment. Our prof Virginie is very talented. She is an experienced and natural teacher. She and every student were very patient. They waited for every student/speaker to express themselves. So refreshing.
Kathleen de Montlebert
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