This is an update to the topic of free (or almost free) French classes in the GTA.
I enrolled in a beginner level French Alliance class, and a friend enrolled in a beginner level government-sponsored class offered by the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board.
The first issue is that the DPCDSB does an awful job advertising their courses online, to the point that most of their information is graphics with text placed on a webpage buried in several subdirectories and search engines like Google do not seem to index them. So here's the direct link to their French classes:
http://www.dpcdsb.org/CEC/CNE/ESL/FS...d+Language.htm
Another issue is that the information on their website is normally way outdated up until the week before classes start. Also, at least one of the centers seems to have a policy of not answering the phone and instead returning calls to those who leave a message...if they have the time. When the issue was brought up to them one of their representatives said they were understaffed and that they preferred to favor walk-ins.
In sum, you only get the right information and get to enroll in the courses you really want if you go to their office in person. If not, you'll have to wait for them to call back, and take whatever dates/times are available, if any.
The French classes at DPCDSB are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, so technically they are free. However, when my friend took the class they did charge $40 for the textbook/exercise manual, and there was an optional DVD for $10. Still, compared to the $300 the equivalent French Alliance class cost me, it's affordable.
Classes at the DPCDSB were large initially (around 40 students), but numbers dwindled over time, and by the end of the course there were around 20 students. It's not the intimate setting you get at the French Alliance with 8-12 students per classroom sitting around at individual tables, but it's not terrible either.
The pace at the DPCDSB classes is fast, and with so many students (at least initially), there are few opportunities to talk, or get feedback on your performance, or ask too many questions. The instructors rely on a lot of work being done at home (reading grammar rules, practicing/memorizing vocabulary, practicing pronunciation). For those who have the time, the system works. For those who need handholding, constant support and motivation, and time to assimilate things, it may be hard.
As we compared notes, we noticed that although the grammar points covered in both classes were similar, the topics were different: the AF focused on personal information, introducing yourself, asking and answering questions about age, origin, likes, dislikes, etc., while the DPCDSB classes focused on cooking, kitchen utensils, and recipies (personal information was only briefly covered). Again, there were sharp differences in how much practice students had during class, so the results (students remembering vocabulary or being fluent during short interviews) reflected that.
I'd say that if someone wants to refresh their French, the DPCDSB classes may be just fine. If someone else wants to have their first experience with French, a large, fast-paced class may be too frustrating, to the point that the whole experience may be ruined.
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Update on French Classes
