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French Blossoms in the Summer in PDX
While many folks head out on vacation in the summer, it seems that many Portlanders take up French, if statistics are any indication. Summer enrollment in classes, workshops, immersion pr ograms, camps and private lessons at the Alliance is well over 300, and more than 7,000 attended the Bastille Festival. If your French has yet to blossom this summer, consider the intensive Beginner French 101 set to start on July 29, or private tutoring. In contrast to schools that shut down en été, Portland's Alliance is staffed nearly 12 hours a day, 5 days a week, plus Saturdays. Call 503.223.8388 for information on classes, tutoring or membership, and look for the fall term class schedule to be put online in early August.
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L'Etoile Immersion School Gains Accreditation
L'Etoile French Immersion School, located in SW Portland, has earned accreditation from the French Ministry of Education, as documented in France's Journal Officiel of July 14, 2013. L'Etoile is now one of just 44 schools in the United States and one  of two in Oregon with this status. Accreditation means that the school has met rigorous standards and has passed inspection by officials responsible for oversight of these select schools in the U.S., all of which follow a defined French-based curriculum promoting critical thinking, problem solving, and the acquisition of civic responsibility within an international community. Bravo to the staff at L'Etoile for this accomplishment, the latest in a string of developments that confirms a flourishing landscape of French education options in the Portland region.
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Les questions récurrentes . . .
At the Alliance we field a number of recurring questions - here are just a few. How to get information about visas for  France? The Consulate of France in San Francisco's website has comprehensive information online. Click here to go directly to the visa page. Plan well in advance; the appointment schedule is at times fully booked 4-8 weeks out. How to find the free French conversation groups around town? Visit the conversation group web page on the Alliance site. Note that the Lapellah and Lake Oswego groups are on break; consider joining the popular St Honoré (NW Thurman) and Chez Machin groups. Those groups are led by board members Richard Sullivan and Jennifer Coyne. How to arrange a U.S. home-stay for a teen from France who is a friend of a friend? Consider going through an authorized agency such as www.andeo.org, for peace of mind. Does the Alliance have an annual calendar of all term dates, Open House and major event dates? Yes, those dates are all listed on the About page.
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Vocab Enrichment: Authorized and More
Accredited, approved, authorized - in English we have many ways to communicate an official status, and of course in French, there are many ways as well. Here, we'll look at real-life examples that relate to Portland-based organizations. First example: La FAIS et l'Etoile figurent sur la liste des établissements homologués parue au Journal Officiel de la République Française." Homologué(s) thus refers to the accredited establishments. Second: Virginia Anderson du groupe Oregon Translation est la traductrice agréée par le Consulat de France. In that context, agréé(e) similarly reflects a status of authorized or approved. Third example: "Les examinateurs DELF-DALF ont obligatoirement participé à des stages organisés par un formateur habilité par le CIEP." In this example habilité means authorized, in a scholarly or training context (similar to the usage in the red graphic). Interested in more nuances? Come take a class at the Alliance!
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TV5Monde Movies Now Available On Demand
Just last week, Comcast/Infinity added TV5MONDE Cinema On Demand to its services, at no extra charge to folks who subscribe to the premium channel ($9.95/month). The new on-demand service features award-winning French language films, including recent releases and classics; selections will change periodically; many of the films are subtitled. Look under Premium Channels and scroll down to "TV5MONDE Cinema" to see the list of nearly 15 films currently available. For other French movie sources: Netflix has a large French film selection, Comcast sometimes has free French films in its movie libraries, and the Alliance has an extensive DVD library for members.
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Summer Term in progress - some late enrollments possible.
Visit www.afportland.org
or call 503.223.8388.
Conversation Groups
Hosted by Alliance staff or board members. Drop-ins welcome; membership is encouraged but not required.
NW Portland
St Honoré on NW Thurman on Wed., Aug. 7 & 21 at 6:00 p.m.
SE Portland
At Chez Machin, Mon., Aug. 12 at 7:00 p.m. & at Vie de Bohème weekly on Sundays, 4-5:30 p.m.
SW Portland / Vancouver
The Lake Oswego & Lapellah/Vancouver groups are breaking for the summer.
Bastille/Event Sponsors
Annual In-Kind Sponsors
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e Veuve Clicquot tasting at Zupan's held last Wednesday. Longtime Alliance members, Sharon Kitzhaber and Elaine Cuyler, were among those enjoying the dégustation; they are shown here with visiting winemaker Pierre Casenave from Veuve Clicquot.
Perrier Limited Edition Warhol: At the Bastille Day Waiters Race, the Perrier bottles were some of the first limited-edition Andy Warhol bottles to reach this area. 
a few for sale ($12) at the Alliance office. Pick yours up in the next 2 weeks and as a bonus, select either a French flag or "Je parle fra
y's sometimes less-than-stellar reputation for friendliness), a website and a manual were recently developed for Parisians who work in tourism. The 
reported to have surged, and police are attempting to crack down. If you haven't already read the guidelines published on the U.S. Embassy's site, click 
ncours de Tartes aux Fruits on August 8: A few tickets are still available for Portland's citywide contest of pastry chefs, to be held on August 8 at Multnomah Athletic Club. Complete details are online; click