11/10/07

One of the most unexpecxted pleasures of Francophile Seattle!

by droitiere

For five years, I studied French at intermediate and advanced levels here, in a delightful (if slightly incongruous) location: the Good Sheperd Center right in the heart of Wallingford. Courses are less expensive and invariably had a more interesting mix of students than in the language schools closer to me on the Eastside (I tried them also). Here I was around genuinely French teachers who respected and involved their students. When I eventually left to do business in France, what I had learned served me well and I had been given the confidence to interact in many different arenas.

Advisory: do not be put off by the premises (for instance, adults use the same study room for large classes as do small children) or the lack of glitzy promotion. This would still be my number one choice of school for learning French and learning about the French. It is also very accessible from either 99 or I-5, with ample free parking.