We are very pleased to once again partner with Living Room Theaters for an outstanding movie night premiere for Portland's Francophile community! On Wednesday, March 18, at 6:30 p.m., come see the movie which was the winner of four César awards (including Best Director and Best Movie) and which was also the top-grossing movie in France last year -- "La graine et le mulet" (The Secret of the Grain). All proceeds from the ticket sales will benefit the Alliance. Tickets are just $8 for this special event; order tickets directly from the Alliance at 503.223.8388. Make a fun evening of it: Arrive a few minutes early to enjoy a glass of wine in the cocktail area before the movie, and order your dinner for enjoyment before or during the movie, in the theater's luxurious seating. (This event sold out last time we did it, so reserve early.)  Merci, Living Room Theaters.

We're getting lots of great questions on the upcoming Spring Term of the Alliance, so here are the top five:

1.  I'm not sure of my level -- how do I figure out which class is best for me? Come to our open house at 6:00 p.m. on March 19 for a one-on-one evaluation, or call us at 503.223.8388, or visit our Assessment page for interactive tests.

2. What is the deadline for the 10% early bird discount? March 19, 2009.

3. Can I take multiple classes? Yes, and some of our students do so on a regular basis. And yes, enjoy the early bird discount on all classes that you sign up for.

4. I have a really weird schedule, what to do? Consider private lessons or doing "French with Friends" so that you get a better rate by partnering on lessons together.

5. Because of travel I will miss a couple of classes at the beginning or end of the session -- any options? Call our office at 503.223.8388. Depending on your situation, we can offer make-up classes, private lessons or pro-rating. We take these on a case-by-case basis and try to work a solution that fits your needs.

The Alliance Française of Portland is seeking host families for a university student from France who will be in Portland May through July 2009. Marine is 20 years old and is completing an internship at the Alliance as part of her degree program. You do not have to be able to host Marine for the full three months; if you have 3-4 weeks that you can host, we could meet her lodging needs from several host families in a row. What is important is that Marine has access to public transportation (the MAX or streetcar, preferably) so that she can get to the Alliance office near Goose Hollow. Marine is a non-smoker and has no dietary or health restrictions; she speaks English and German in addition to her native French. She comes recommended by family friend Claudine Fisher, who is the Honorary Consul of Portland. For more information, email info@afportland.org or call 503.223.8388.

The DELF (Diplôme d'études en langue française) and the DALF (Diplôme approfondi de langue française) are  standardized tests for measuring fluency in French, corresponding to the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (see article #1 in last week's bulletin for more on CECR).  The certificates are issued by the French Ministry of Education, and in the Northwest, the testing is coordinated by Emmanuelle Burk, head of Gilkey International Middle School. Alliance teachers Oana Talpalaru and Nathalie Gerts participate as certified examiners, and several Alliance teachers have been preparing students for these exams at all levels for the past two years.
       For the February 2009 round of testing we are pleased to recognize Alliance students Jim Hollcraft, who passed the A2 exam, Alexandra Gritta, who passed the B2 exam, and also Alliance member Mongkhon Kol, who passed the A2 exam. Jim studied with Alliance teachers Sandra Seguinot and Lucie Bonvalet; Alex studied most recently with Marie-Pierre Wolfe for the exam preparation. Congratulations to all! The next testing is set for June; look for updates in this bulletin.