Frenchas a Second Language

FRENCHAS A SECOND LANGUAGE

Dear student,

Welcome to Académie Linguistique Internationale! Our mission is to teach you French, and to make it an enjoyable experience. You are important to us, and we will do everything possible to make your stay here a positive one. This document will provide you with guidelines and information about A.L.I. Please read carefully!

Contents

Classesp. 3-7

Student Policiesp. 8-10

Program Changesp. 11

Vacation Requestsp. 12

Servicesp. 13

Administrative Staffp. 14-15

Refundsp. 16-17

Early Departuresp. 18

Medical Insurance p. 18

Student Records p. 19

Grievancesp.19-20

Emergency Procedure p.21-22

Classroom Emergency Exit Plan p.23

Class Schedule

TUESDAY-FRIDAY (Super Intensive): 8:15 – 9:25

MONDAY-THURSDAY (Regular program):

10:40 - 12:30Grammaire

12:30 - 1:30 Lunch Break

1:30 - 3:30 Conversation

FRIDAY (Regular program):

11:30 - 12:30Grammaire

12:30 - 1:30 Lunch Break

1:30 - 3:30 Conversation

MONDAY-THURSDAY (Intensive program):

9:30 - 10:30Habiletés

10:40 - 12:30Grammaire

12:30 - 1:30Lunch Break

1:30 - 3:30 Conversation

FRIDAY (Intensive program):

9:30 - 11:20Habiletés

11:30 - 12:30Grammaire

12:30 - 1:30 Lunch Break

1:30 - 3:30 Conversation

How long is a Session at ALI?

Each session last 4 weeks And…a Level?

Levels 1-8: 4 weeks each

70%*After each session, you may move up to the next level if you achieve a final average of 70%and a minimum of 65% per class!!

CLASS DESCRIPTION

1)Skills (Habilités)Monday to Thursday from 9:30am to 10:30am & Friday 9:30am to 11:20am

This class includes reading, writing, speaking, listening, vocabulary development and pronunciation.

When?

Week 1

Week 2

Friday

Week 3

Week 4

Thursday

Testing

__

DELF

Quiz 1

__

/ DELF
Quiz 2

Marks attributed

/ __ / 50% / __ / 50%

Homework

/ **A minimum of 30 minutes of assignmentsper week will be given to you by your teacher.

2)Oral Grammar (Grammaire) Monday to Thursday from 10:40am to 12:30pm & Friday from 11:30am to 12:30pm

This class is meant to help you use accurate structures when communicatin in French. Although it will be necessary for you to do some written work in your grammar class, the emphasis is on applying grammar rules when communicating orally.

When?

Week 1

Friday

Week 2

Friday

Week 3

Friday

Week 4

Thursday

Testing

Quiz 1

Quiz 2

Quiz 3

/ Quiz 4

Marks attributed

/ 25% / 25% / 25% / 25%

Writing Assignments

/ ** A minimum of 30 minuteof homeworkper day will be given to you by you teacher.

3)Conversation Monday to Friday from 1:30pm to 3:30pm

Oral Fluency and Listening Comprehension are the targets of the conversation class.

You will do a variety of activities that practice oral production: games, role plays, debates, presentations, skits, information gap activities, songs, improvisation activities, surveys, and so on.

When?

Week 1

Week 2

Friday

Week 3

Week 4

Wednesday

Testing

___

Speaking

Evaluation

___

/ Final Speaking Evaluation

Marks attributed

/ 50% / 50%

Homework

/ There is generally no homework for this class.

4)Super Intensive (30hr/week program only)Tuesday to Friday from 8:15am until 9:25am

This class has a maximum of 16 students per group. The curriculum is divided into Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced and uses a variety of conversational themes which change weekly.

Levels 1-4: The focus is on pronunciation practice.

Levels 5-8: You will study Civilisation Québécoise or TCFQ (test de Connaissance du Français pour le Québec). These two classes alternate each session.

5)Advanced Level Option Classes

WHO? Levels 5 and 6 can choose between different Skillsclass.

WHEN DO I CHOOSE? Your teacher will give you the Selection Sheet on week 3 of each session, and will collect the selection sheets by Tuesday of week 4. You may also leave it at Reception.

NOTE**Do not forget to give your sheet back! If you forget, you may not be accepted in your favorite class!!

Skills Options

Classes / Description / Weeks / Requirements
Français des affaires / This course is specialized for the Business French Environment. The focus is on business vocabulary and expression. How to prepare a CV, how to prepare for an interview etc. / 4 / None
D.E.L.F. / This class is the equivalent of TOEFL. It will prepare you for the D.E.L.F. exam. You will be exposed to different types of documents that will help you practice all necessary aspects for you to successfully pass the test. / 4 / None

STUDENT POLICIES

1)Respect policies

Students are expected to be respectful towards their classmates, their teachers, and the administration.

Please remember:

2)Language policy

Our Language Program follows the principle of linguistic immersion, because we believe that the best way to improve a new language is to use it to communicate at all times. It is particularly important that you use breaks and social occasions to practice the language you are learning. When talking with friends, you are using real language in real situations, and this is a unique opportunity to improve.

**While at A.L.I. you must communicate with other students, teaching staff, and administrative staff at all times in French OR English only.

2)Attendance Policy

We have high standards for our students, and we expect you to attend class regularly.

3)Punctuality Policy

Any student who is more than 10 minutes late will not be admitted to class. They will be marked absent on the teacher’s list and the attendance policy will apply.

4)Books policy

Books are mandatory. You must buy your books in your first week. If you need to change levels in your first week, you may buy your books on Monday of your second week.

Schedule to buy books:

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

8:15am-9:15am

11:30am-12:00pm

1:00pm-1:30pm

4:00pm-4:30pm

5)Extension Policy

Students must pay for study extensions before 12:00 pm on Friday, their last day.

PROGRAM CHANGES

Type of Program Change / Examples / When? / How much?
Language Change / French → English
English → French / Before 12:00pm Friday on week 4.
Any program change for current session must be requested during your first week at A.L.I. / The first change is done free of charge. There will be a fee of $75.00 for every subsequent program change.
If there is a price difference, no refund is granted, but you can use the difference of cost as credittowards extension of your course.
Program Option / Regular →Intensive
Intensive → Super Intensive / Before 12:00pm Friday on week 4.
Any program change for current session must be requested during your first week at A.L.I. / The first change is done free of charge. There will a fee of $75.00 for every subsequent program change.
If there is a price difference, no refund is granted, but you can use the difference of cost as credittowards extension of your course.

NOTE:you cannot make changes from group classes to private classes or from one group to another.

VACATION REQUESTS

If you wish to take a vacation from your studies, you must make an official request with the Program Coordinator. If enrolled in the Homestay or Residence program, then you must also advise the Homestay Coordinator.

Vacation of one complete session is only available to students studying at ALI for six months or more.

Vacation must be requested by12:00pm Friday before the start of the vacation period.

Vacation must be 4 weeks(one complete session). There are no extensions allowed for vacation periods.

The Program Coordinator will provide you with a return date at A.L.I. after your vacation. Program selections, if applicable, must be made before the vacation period. Your new end date will be later than scheduled, due to the vacation.

If you do not return to school on your expected return date, you will still be included in our class lists as enrolled in the session, and you will be paying tuition for the session.

There is no refund policy for unauthorized vacation.

SERVICES

Free Homework Help

The head teacher is available after class every day for one hour of homework help to all levels combined.

Student Cards

You can take your picture for a student card on Tuesday or Thursday from 2:30 to 4:00 at reception. This card can be used for discounts at some restaurants, cinemas, shops, long distance bus travel, etc.

Free Survival Language Classes

If you are registered in the English or French program you can sign up on the 8th floor to take survival classes of the opposite language. Survival classes are every Tuesday and Thursday after class.

Wireless Internet

There are many internet stations at school that you can use at any time. A.L.I. also has wireless service, but we have a limited bandwidth, so please do not download. You may ask for the password at reception.

Certificates

We are proud to offer all our students an official certificate upon completion of your study period at A.L.I. .

If you are leaving in the middle of the week, you must notify Administration the week before, so that we can prepare your certificate in advance.

Insurance

Note that insurance is mandatory while staying in Canada. If you have ordered insurance with ALI, please come and pick it up at reception.

If you go on this page and have insurance with Guard Me, you will have access to a lot of information :

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Receptionist, Erica Henriques

general questions
appointments for administrative staff
student cards
transcripts ($15)
requests for attestation letters
book sales

Homestay Coordinator, Natalia GonzalezTuesday to Friday, from 1:20pm to 4:15pm

residence or homestay issues
extensions, reservations, refunds for homestay or residence
medical insurance
airport drop-off reservations

Department Coordinator, Alex Makar, Nayla Traboulsi

program changes
level changes
vacation requests
option class questions/requests
complaints about teachers

Activities Coordinator, Roshan PatrooMonday to Friday 2:30pm to 3:45 in activity area on the 8th floor.

extra-curricular weekly activities in Montreal (movie night, sports, museum visits, etc)
weekend trips (Quebec City, New-York City, etc)
seasonal activities (ski trips, sugar shack, cycling, soccer games etc)

Manager of International Programs, Amélie Emard

Pathway Program planning
cultural adaptation
internship program questions
refund requests/early departures
complaints
vacation requests (Korean students)

Marketing Team: Cesar (Sales & Marketing Director), Guillermo (Mexico), Keum-Yeo (Japan, Korea and European countries), Stella Park (Japan & Korea),Marly (Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela), Vinicius (Brazil), Stella Carolina (independent students), Daniel (Visa, CAQ, Immigration)

agent representative issues
translation help
VISA and CAQ issues
payments for program changes and extensions
CADIVI issues

Note:

If your questions or concerns cannot be solved by anyone on that list or by the General Director of the school, you may contact Languages Canada for further assistance.(

REFUNDS

General Guidelines:

To apply for a refund: students must submit a written refund request stating specifically one or more valid reasons for the request.
After a refund is granted students receive the refund payment by bank transfer, in the currency in which the tuition is paid, within 30 to 60 business days.
If a letter of acceptance has been issued by Académie Linguistique Internationale (ALI), the refund request must be accompanied by the original acceptance letter.

The following servicesare non-refundable:

Registration fees
Accommodation placement fees
Medical insurance fees
School books
Downgrading a program ex: Super-Intensive to Intensive

Tuition - requests made after scheduled course start date:

If the refund request is made within the first 10% of the study period, then A.L.I. will refund half (50%) of the tuition the student will not use.

If the refund request is made within 11% to 25% of the study period, then A.L.I. will refund half (40%) of the tuition the student will not use.

If the request is made after 25% of the total study period has been completed, no refund will be granted and no credit will be given for the remaining amount.

Note that the price per week may change in consideration of the number of weeks taken. Partially used weeks will be considered as complete weeks.

Accommodation - requests made prior to scheduled accommodation start date:

Refund request received 21 days or more prior to scheduled start date:
A.L.I. will refund all accommodation fees paid in advance minus $CDN 200 administration fee.

Refund request received less than 21 days prior to scheduled start date:
A.L.I. will refund all accommodation fees paid in advance minus a $CDN 300 cancellation fee.

Accommodation - requests made after the scheduled accommodation start date:

Any student requesting a refund or change in accommodation arrangements must advise A.L.I in writing a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the change.

Once 4 weeks advance notice is given, A.L.I will refund all unused accommodation fees.

If there is no 4-week notice, a cancellation fee corresponding to the price of 4 weeks of accommodation will apply and all remaining accommodation fees will be reimbursed. Non-refundable items will also be deducted from the student’s refund amount.

EARLY DEPARTURE

If you need to leave the school earlier than your planned end date, your departure will be processed like a refund. If you notify us before 30% of your study period is complete, you will be able to apply half of the remaining tuition as credit at the school. If you notify us after 30% of your study period is passed, there will be no credit for the lost tuition after your departure.

MEDICAL INSURANCE

Medical insurance is mandatory for all international students. Students may choose to obtain their insurance via A.L.I. (Student Guard) or an external resource that they find themselves. For more information or guidance, students can refer to the Homestay Coordinator.

STUDENT RECORDS

Student records are kept in a secure and locked space. Only administrators and concerned student can have access to these files.

Documents kept in student file:

Registration form

Invoices for requested services

Oral and written assessment results

Signed language policy contract

Proof of medical insurance

Release of information forms

GRIEVANCES

In the case of any grievance, students can meet with:

The Program Coordinator to try and resolve the issue

A member of the Marketing team to communicate with agents in home country

The General Director, Gregory Matteiappointments made with reception, or in writing, or via e-mail -

Note:The nature of the grievance should be clearly stated at the time of the meeting request. Students will be granted an interview with requested person. A decision regarding the grievance will be made and discussed with the student 48 hours after the meeting.

Emergency Procedures

In case of emergency during class time - 8th floor:

Students leave classroom first
Teacher brings class list with noted absences for that class and classroom number
Teacher closes classroom door
Head Teachers turn the lights off
Head Teachers are the last ones to leave floor: Nayla (French Dept) and Nancy (English Dept)
Students and teachers regroup in front of CGI building
Teachers have to find students and make sure that everyone who was present in class is also present outside.
Once the teacher has verified and found students, he or she has to bring class list to Managing Director (if Managing Director is absent, lists are to be given to Program Coordinator)
Teachers must notify Managing Director or Program Coordinator if someone is missing.
Teachers must stay with group until Managing Director gives further instructions

In case of emergency outside of class time - 8th floor:

Teachers stay on 8th floor to direct students to emergency exits
Teachers close classroom door
Head Teachers turn the lights off
Head Teachers are the last ones to leave floor: Nayla (French Dept) and Nancy (English Dept)
Students regroup in front of CGI building and must report to Managing Director or Program Coordinator in order to keep track of who has exited the building
Teachers must report to Head Teacher to make sure all teachers are outside. Head Teachers must inform Managing Directors of any missing teachers.

In case of Emergency - Ground Floor:

Students exit the first floor offices first
Administrative staff leaves once all students are gone
Office doors must be closed when the last person leaves their office
Managing Director or General Manager are last ones to leave and close door.
Students regroup in front of CGI building and must report to Managing Director or Program Coordinator in order to keep track of who has exited the building
Managing Director and Program Coordinator will verify names of students with master student list (list of all students studying during the session)