ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE of the LAKE CHAMPLAIN REGION

09/14/2026

AFLCR French classes resume soon!

Our Alliance Francaise Fall Session kicks off the week of September 21! To meet high demand, we've added two new sections at the early A1 level (101 & 102). And there's still room for more advanced beginners (A2) and advanced intermediate students in Le monde d'aujourd'hui and online Advanced Conversation.

Don't let the fall fly by without speaking French! Online, in-person, and hybrid classes offer many options.

Should you need help with placement, contact Marc via [email protected]. Otherwise, full course listings and descriptions can be found online at www.aflcr.org.

09/06/2026

Enjoy the chic new look of our space at 43 King Street!

08/28/2026

What lies behind the chocolate that most of us savor? This episode of French Exchange, "Cacao, Culture and Connection," explores cacao sourcing in West Africa. Host Eric Agnero interviews Cheryl PInto, global head of values-led sourcing for Ben & Jerry's. They discuss the nature of cacao farming in Francophone West Africa, the challenges farmers face, ethical considerations, the importance of community and "linked prosperity," and more. Bonus: Cheryl describes how she navigates working with Francophones with only modest French ability. A delightful episode--be sure to watch it to the end!

Co-sponsored by the AFLCR and Global South Watch. Producer: Janet Biehl, executive producer: Pamela Hunt.

In this episode of French Exchange, host Eric Agnero interviews Che...

08/27/2026

08/21/2026

Our fall classes start September 21

C’est bientôt la rentrée! School is almost back in session!

Begin your journey to learning French, or pick up where you left off in the past. We offer a standard beginner through intermediate curriculum.

Advanced beginners and B2+ level learners, develop your reading and speaking skills. Choose from specialty options: French Club, Advanced Conversation, Le monde d’aujourd’hui, and two courses based on the Bien-dire cultural magazine.

Find the full class listings online at www.aflcr.org or contact Marc for help with your placement via [email protected].

Sign up soon as space is limited!

08/10/2026

French Exchange is a public affairs discussion series that aims to bring Vermont and the Francophone world into dialogue. Hosted by AFLCR instructor Eric AgneroEric Agnero, the series uses language, culture and conversation to make French-speaking people who live thousands of miles apart feel a little less distant.

In this episode, we’ll talk about chocolate production in Côte d’Ivoire, a Francophone country in West Africa, where most of the world’s cacao is produced, mostly by small farmers and communities using traditional methods. But cacao production faces challenges, especially in forest loss, low pay, and even child labor. Ben & Jerry’s is among the Western chocolate purveyors that is committed to sourcing cacao in terms of values. In this episode of French Exchange, Cheryl Pinto of B&J’s will discuss how the company fulfills that goal.

We’ll film this episode at the Media Factory, 208 Flynn Avenue in Burlington, on Friday, August 14, at 6pm. We have space for a live audience of about six. If you’d like to join us, it’s free—but please register on our website.

If you can’t join us in person, the episode will be available on Media Factory’s local access “Create” channel BTV 15 & 215, Comcast 1074, and soon thereafter on our YouTube channel and that of our co-sponsor, Global South Watch.

07/22/2026

Today on Vermont Public's public affairs show "Vermont Edition," our instructor Eric Agnero will join Mikaela Lefrak to talk about French language and language instruction in Vermont. Tune in to VP at noon to listen, or listen to the rebroadcast tonight at 7pm!

Vermont Edition description

07/08/2026

Many of us enjoy traveling, to France and elsewhere, but not all of us take the time to write down our thoughts. As it happens, writing is a good way to reflect about and process an experience. AFLCR member Wayne Senville is doing just that with his eighteen-part series on his recent trip to Alsace-Lorraine. We're publishing the series in the month of July. Best of all, by reading them, you'll visit Alsace-Lorraine vicariously, through Wayne. See the collection so far here: https://www.aflcr.org/culture/france/?fbclid=IwY2xjawS7GNpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe14rAd3-loYde8haZsqY9oVRScjlhRCwDLPtxTnMsqNSssa6qkheTP47r_nQ_aem_4Pps042bk3s-70wM0NgfSA

07/06/2026

... And on a related topic, the historian Leslie Choquette, who will also appear on our French Exchange panel Register for the event on our website!

07/06/2026

Our upcoming speaker Patrick Lacroix is a leading scholar of French Canadian immigration to Vermont

The centennial of Barre’s granite strike is a reminder that it is within our power to foster dialogue and understanding across our differences. Helping other groups find representation in public monuments, sites of power, and cultural events can help us achieve that.