Les visages de Paris
Advanced C1 course
Why Paris?
At innerFrench, we love topics that combat clichés.
We’re the first to say that French isn’t just about France, and France isn’t just about Paris.
So why did we choose Paris as the theme for our advanced course?
Every year, the French capital is one of the top 3 most-visited cities in the world.
But beyond the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Montmartre, few tourists know the reality of Parisian life.
- Why the arrondissements are so important for Parisians?
- Why do they say that the left bank is the bank of culture, and the right bank the bank of money?
- Why is Paris the European capital most vulnerable to global warming?
- Why do 60% of Parisian workers decide to live outside of the city?
- Why does Paris have such a complicated relationship with its suburbs?
- What is the Grand Paris project and how will it affect the lives of local residents?
These questions are as fascinating as they are complex.
They touch on a variety of fields, from history to urban planning to sociology.
That’s why it’s the perfect subject for an advanced French course!
“Never before have I learned so much about Parisian culture, history, and the educational and social disparities between neighborhoods, not to mention the wealth of vocabulary I’ve acquired. I consider this course to be the best I’ve taken to date.”
Fascinating discussions with experts and locals
To answer these questions, Hugo and Ingrid interviewed several experts: architects, historians, sociologists, tour guides, activists and even a theater director!
They also asked Parisians what they think of their city.
The result?
Authentic, captivating conversations that use a rich vocabulary from both formal and colloquial French.
Thanks to the course’s interactive quizzes, you’ll be able to test your understanding and learn lots of new expressions.
These are exactly the kind of activities you’d find on a C1 exam!
“Not only have I enriched my vocabulary and my knowledge of French, but I’ve also learned a lot of new things about life in the capital of fashion and inequality – I discovered other faces of Paris that I didn’t know! I really enjoyed the walks through the streets of Paris and its suburbs and the interviews with experts – really, really interesting. Each lesson is full of information, expressions and explanations.“
“This advanced, in-depth course is truly dazzling. Hugo and his team filmed several fascinating interviews with experts on various subjects concerning Paris and its suburbs, as well as short interviews with pedestrians in the street. There are also quizzes (on comprehension and vocabulary) and videos on grammar. The subject matter is a little complicated, but at the same time intriguing and understandable. That makes it all worthwhile!”
“The course is quite demanding, but not to the point of discouraging you. It consists of very interesting, sometimes revealing interviews, followed by quizzes that made me realize how much I still have to learn: vocabulary, grammar, expressions, nuances, etc. It was hard to tear myself away from it, and I’m already missing it. I intend to watch the videos more than once, just for fun!”
“I followed the course with great interest and enthusiasm, not only because it broadened my vocabulary enormously, but also because it introduced me to other facets of the city of Paris. Thanks to the lively interviews with interesting people, you learn a lot about urban development, but also about the projects launched to better face the future in terms of climate change and social problems.”
“I learned so much about Paris, a candid, comprehensive, perspective on the most beautiful city in France that not many people have. I know a lot about Paris that perhaps French people do not know. I was delighted with this course. Just to say I applaud and congratulate your team for a wonderful, instructive, intelligently presented course. I recommend it to everyone I know who studies French. Bravo!”
“For learners who aspire to make the transition from intermediate to advanced level, this course is a must. The content consists mainly of interviews with a group of Parisians and other inhabitants of the Île-de-France region, and we hear all the accents, vocabulary and colloquial expressions that are part of normal conversation between French people. What’s more, the content is fascinating, and you learn a lot about the history and sociology of the region while improving your listening comprehension.”
Meet your teachers
Hugo
I started my career 10 years ago at the Institut français in Warsaw. In 2017, I created innerFrench to help people learn French naturally through topics that speak to them.
Ingrid
Journalist by trade, I started teaching French after moving to Peru. I joined the innerFrench team in 2020 to develop the podcast and support our advanced students.
“After completing the intermediate courses, I decided to enroll in the advanced course. The course is difficult but well worth it. I have progressed a lot thanks to Hugo and Ingrid’s efforts, not only improving my understanding of French to a new level, but also learning new things about Paris. I highly recommend this course.”
What about grammar?
To create Les visages de Paris, we took the opposite approach to traditional courses (writing phony dialogues whose sole purpose is to illustrate a grammar rule).
Because let’s face it, what we call “advanced grammar” is usually a set of obscure rules that even native French speakers haven’t mastered.
So before recording our interviews, we had no idea which grammar points we were going to present in the course.
We decided that the most important thing was to have good “raw material”: rich and authentic conversations.
Then we analyzed this raw material to look for elements of syntax that advanced learners still find difficult.
At the end of each interview, you’ll find a short lesson explaining these subtleties and nuances of French.
Some examples of what we’ll cover
- when near future does not express the future
- la mise en relief, a structure that French speakers use constantly
- the most common French verbal tics
- « quand même » and « justement »
- formal and informal logical connectors
- different uses of the subjunctive
- And much more!
“Although I have a B2/C1 level in French, I had no intention of enrolling at first, as I was afraid it would be too difficult. Now that I’ve finished it, I’m happy to say that I found it exceptional! The grammar lessons are always well done and easy to understand.“
Is this course for you?
✅ Who this course is for
- You’ve completed the Raconte ton histoire course. It’s not mandatory, but we strongly recommend it.
- You have a B2 or C1 level and want to improve your listening comprehension and enrich your vocabulary.
⛔️ Who this course is NOT for
- You don’t have a B2 level yet. In this case, we recommend you start with one of our intermediate courses.
- Your main goal is to practice conversation (there are no live lessons with teachers in the course).
Lifetime Access
199€ one-time payment
Your success matters to us.
If you’re not satisfied within the first 30 days (and haven’t completed more than 50% of the course), we’ll refund your purchase.
Frequently asked questions
“Having lived in Paris for a while, I can honestly say I learned more from this course than my time there.
If you are strongly intermediate and looking to get to the next level, you MUST take this course. There is just so little out there for intermediate to advanced learners. Especially for advanced learners you are often just dropped into “french content for native speakers” which is of course a good challenge but sometimes you need a minute to ask some questions, get some background and understand how to really speak and understand current, native French.
I really feel I have improved my level or at the very least I have more confidence in my abilities, which is half the battle!”
Course syllabus
Contenu Cours
“The course offers invaluable benefits beyond improving one’s French listening and writing skills. It explores French culture, delves into its rich past and talks about how it is moving towards an ecological society by adapting to global warming and population growth.”
“In the course, I discovered an authentic Paris, the most cosmopolitan and diverse. The one that tourists don’t see. I recommend the course because, by listening to different specialists explain the current reality of this great city, you can greatly improve your oral comprehension. A journey into the real Paris.”
“The course allowed me to practice my French by listening to dialogues at normal speed. At the same time, I learned a lot about Paris and its surroundings, which was not at all conventional, thanks to the interesting people in the interviews.“
“What I really like about this course is that you can learn French while broadening your point of view. All the interviews are really interesting.”
“Thank you for creating a wonderful program for the C1 level! It’s fun, interactive and perfect for improving one’s comprehension of the French language.”
“I don’t usually watch videos more than once, but as with “Raconte ton histoire”, “Les Visages de Paris” pushed me to do so. Understanding spoken French was very difficult, but I learned a lot!”
“The course really improved my understanding and motivation! If you’re looking for a course to get to the next level, do it!”
“It’s the perfect course to improve your French and a very interesting introduction to the Paris tourists don’t see.”
“Wow, the course was challenging but very interesting and beneficial!”
“I’ve finally learned what PARIS is! The course is super interesting and excellent for improving your French.”
“The course was really effective in raising my level of French and the process was interesting and entertaining at the same time. It gave me a new understanding of the different faces of Paris and it also made me want to visit this city. I highly recommend it!”
“I really enjoyed the course. I discovered a lot of aspects of Paris that I didn’t know. The summaries I had to do, the quizzes and grammar explanations all helped me improve my French. Thanks to Hugo, Ingrid and the others who created this course!”
“I can really recommend the “Les Visages de Paris” course. It’s a course that talks about Paris that you wouldn’t know as a tourist. By learning French, you can discover many of the individual stories of Paris. I like the online format and the flexibility it gives me.”
“This course teaches us a great deal about certain socio-economic and cultural aspects of Paris and its suburbs that we often miss during our visits as tourists. We can also enrich our vocabulary and learn new French expressions through discussions with experts in various fields.”
“I’d recommend the course to anyone who wants to get to know Paris in a more authentic way, beyond the monuments and tourist sites. Everything was informative and great.”
“I enjoyed learning so much about Paris and its arrondissements, cultural life in the suburbs, Paris architecture, climate issues, demographics and social problems etc.”
“What I always love about your work is the depth of everything you do and the fact that you think outside the box.”
“If you want to get off the beaten track and look at Paris and its inhabitants in a different, deeper way, I highly recommend this course!”
“I found this course extremely interesting. I didn’t expect all the things I learned. There were lots of very special interviews. I think I’ll do the course again in 6 months’ time because there are lots of little tips that are very useful.”
“Hugo’s latest course is, as usual, full of very interesting and useful information for getting to know today’s Paris! I enjoyed all the lessons. The people who tell us about Paris are varied and perfectly chosen. The course helped me to advance my level in a very enjoyable and rewarding way.“
“What I liked about “Les Visages de Paris” was the mix of interviews with experts on the one hand and people on the street on the other. This way, you’re exposed to a wide range of French on many different subjects.”
“As with Hugo’s other courses, I improved my comprehension and enriched my vocabulary. It was an experience I highly recommend!”
“This course was challenging but very rich in opportunities to widen my vocabulary, listen to various accents, expressions, and understand murky grammar nuances. The content and interviews were fascinating: urban development, social disparities, global warming. I felt as if I were studying French, rather than learning it.”
“This course has given me lots of new perspectives on the City of Light. There’s a good mix of social history and analysis of today’s city. That’s what fascinated me most of all. The grammatical tips were also very useful.
“This course is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the real-life culture of the city, to get the urge to visit it off the beaten track, while learning the language of Molière in a motivating, effective and intriguing way, with adorable teachers.”
“Hugo and his team always present interesting topics in a very professional way. The level was perfect for advanced learners.”
“I’d been to Paris several times before, but thanks to the course I’ve got a better understanding of the “other side” of the city, and I can’t wait to visit it again.”
“This course was an eye-opener! It offers a behind-the-scenes look at Paris, beyond the tourist attractions. The perspectives of the interviewees are rich and instructive. A unique experience!”
“The course is of great quality and interest. You forget that it’s a French exercise and instead focus on the topics. It helped me learn with pleasure, without stress and efficiently.”
“The course is meticulously compiled and offers a unique way to explore the city, meet its residents, and immerse yourself in the language with clear and concise grammar lessons.”
“The course was very stimulating and instructive, not only in terms of French, but also the lessons regarding the city of Paris. Highly recommended!”
“Just about the ideal course for anyone who needs to combine French learning with really interesting content. And as a bonus, you can feel proud of yourself for having understood all those authentic conversations!”
“The course was excellent. It was a real challenge and I learned a lot about Paris. I think this type of course with interesting topics and grammar points and new vocabulary works very well for me. It makes learning fun and inspires me.”
“In the course, you learn about the city’s successes (like the bike lanes) and failures (inequalities), always while practicing the language.”
“I really enjoyed the choice of topics and speakers. The length of the chapters was just right.”
“I really enjoyed the interviews with the experts and Hugo’s explanations on various subjects.”
“This course has enabled me to acquire new knowledge about Paris, its history and social problems, expand my vocabulary and improve my understanding of the spoken language.”
“I recommend all InnerFrench courses. I love the structure of each course – listening comprehension, vocabulary, different quizzes, etc. Hugo is a wonderful teacher – he speaks so clearly and sincerely. The content is so well thought out and very interesting. I’ve learned a lot and I think my French has definitely improved. I’m 66 and it’s never too late to learn a new language. These courses have helped me a lot!”
