WICE member Valerie Helmbreck-Mascitti (knitting on the left) opens her lovely apartment in the 1st arrondissement every Thursday afternoon to WICE members for an afternoon of needlework: knitting, crocheting, creweling, embroidery, etc..

Any and all WICE needle workers are welcome to attend. Bring your project, and if you're so inclined, something to nosh on (by no means necessary).

Valerie's apartment is conveniently located near the Louvre. For more information, contact Valerie directly at vhelmbreck@gmail.com.                

Friday In-Person French - English Conversation Group

Looking for a relaxed and welcoming place to practice and improve your French or English? WICE conversation groups allow you to practice your language skills in an easy, convivial atmosphere with native speakers.

The Friday group meets upstairs at the Le Nelsons, near Les Halles, from 15:00 - 16:30. Participants are divided into small groups of 5 - 6 people, and the conversations are 45 minutes in French and 45 minutes in English. The subjects are of  the group’s choosing. Though an intermediate level of English and French is expected, there is a wide range of abilities.

There is no need to register, just show up and look for the WICE tables upstairs.

Le Nelsons, 16 Rue Coquillière, 75001. Metro lines 1/4/7/11/14, RER A, B, D, and buses 74, 85

Participation is free with WICE membership.

Friday Online French - English Conversation Group

There is no better way to practice your foreign language than by conversing with native speakers, and WICE can help you do just that.

We meet online (Zoom) every Friday evening (Paris time). Participants are divided into small groups of 5-6 members. We converse 45 minutes in French and 45 minutes in English. Conversations are free-form and address topics of interest to the individual group members.

The group is open to WICE members at all language levels. However, to get the most out of the conversations, an intermediate level in both languages is helpful. 

Participation is free for WICE members.

To participate, contact Mike Franks at: mike.franks@wice-paris.org

Course Description

This course is designed for post-bonjour beginners, either for first-time learners or those who want to refresh their French at a basic level.

Throughout the course students will acquire the essential French skills (writing, speaking, pronunciation) needed to function in everyday-life situations.

Each class will take place in a lively and friendly atmosphere that encourages students' enjoyment and active participation. Along with  linguistic exercises, references to French culture and gastronomy will also be presented.

The course meets twice a week for 90 minutes (a total of 3 hrs/week) and is conducted in French. When necessary, supplementary explanations may be given in English.

Mondays we meet in person in a private classroom at Impact Café, 67 rue Beaubourg, 75003 Paris; Thursdays on Zoom. Class will not meet te 20th and 23rd of October during the second week of vacances scolaires. 

Contact Languages@wice-paris.org with any questions

About the instructor

Nathalie Allain is a native French speaker with a master’s degree in FLE (French as a foreign language) who is also fluent in English, German, and Japanese. To future students, she says: “In addition to textbooks, I like to make French come alive by using the language to discover the culture and history of Paris in one field trip each month.”

 
Contact Languages@wice-paris.org with any questions.

 

Course Description

This lively French course will improve your ability to deal with an array of everyday life situations in French. This level is for students who understand simple, straightforward information and can express themselves in familiar contexts and take part in an everyday conversation on simple, predictable topics.

Using interactive methods to ensure learner engagement and lasting progress, the course will help you develop your vocabulary, oral and written expression, comprehension, and pronunciation.

Geared for learners with an intermediate knowledge of French, the 90-minute class will be held in French, twice a week for a total of 3 hours per week.

The class will not meet on the following dates: 27 and 30 October (vacances scolaires).
Contact Languages@wice-paris.org with any questions.

About the Instructor

Audrey Charmont has a Masters in Marketing and Communications as well as a DAEFLE (French as a Foreign Language). She has years of French teaching experience in France and abroad.

Course Description

This English Guided Discussion Group is open to people who have a strong intermediate or advanced level of English. Our group leaders suggest interesting topics and readings prior to each group discussion. If you enjoy reading, speaking, presenting, and engaging in diverse topic-centered discussions, this group is for you. In addition to learning and developing through guided conversation with other participants, you will also have the opportunity to get personalized constructive feedback. The group speaks only in English for one
hour.

The class will not meet on 30 October (second week of vacances scolaires) or 27 November (Thanksgiving). 

Note: A Zoom link will be provided the day before the
course begins. Be sure to check your email for it.

Contact languages@wice-paris.org with any questions.

Ce groupe de discussion guidée anglaise est ouvert aux personnes qui parlent anglais presque couramment (niveaux intermédiaire-avancé ou avancé). Nos animateurs proposent des sujets intéressants et des textes avant chaque groupe. Si vous appréciez la lecture, la communication, la présentation et la participation à des discussions
diverses, ce groupe est pour vous. En plus d’apprendre et se développer à travers des discussions guidées avec d'autres participants, vous aurez également la possibilité d'obtenir des
commentaires constructifs. Ce groupe de discussion guidée est un endroit idéal pour rencontrer d’autres passionnés de la langue anglais. Le groupe ne parle qu’anglais pendant une heure.

Facilitators

The group will be led by several native English speakers of varying interests and backgrounds.

Course Description

This French Guided Discussion Group is open to people who have a strong intermediate or advanced level of French. Group leaders provide participants with engaging weekly readings on a wide range of topics prior to each dynamic and fast-paced seminar. If you enjoy reading, speaking, presenting, and engaging in varied, topic-centered discussions, this group is for you. In addition to learning through focused conversation with other participants, you will also have the opportunity to get personalized constructive feedback. The French Guided Discussion group speaks only in French for 90 minutes which gives participants an excellent space to practice.

Classes do not meet during the two weeks of vacances scolaires: 18 October - 3 November.
A Zoom link will be provided the day before the course begins. Be sure to check your email for it
Contact Languages@wice-paris.org with any questions

About the Instructors

Brice Dardel and Brigitte Le Quéré, both native French speakers with extensive experience leading discussions, alternate weekly sessions.

Course Description

This dynamic course will fine tune your abilities in an array of everyday life situations in French. Students at this level have the ability to express themselves on a range of topics. They are comfortable in most situations and have a strong vocabulary with few mistakes. Using interactive methods to ensure learner engagement and lasting progress, the course will facilitate your progress in vocabulary development, oral and written expression, comprehension, and pronunciation. Geared for learners with prior advanced-intermediate French, this course will be held in French once a week for 90 minutes. 

This class will not meet during the second week of school vacation: 24 October. Contact languages@wice-paris.org with any questions. 

About the Instructor

Audrey Charmont has a Masters in Marketing and Communications as well as a DAEFLE (French as a Foreign Language). She has French teaching experience in France and abroad.

Course Description

This dynamic course will fine tune your abilities in an array of everyday life situations in French. Students at this level have the ability to express themselves on a range of topics. They are comfortable in most situations and have a strong vocabulary with few mistakes. Using interactive methods to ensure learner engagement and lasting progress, the course will facilitate your progress in vocabulary development, oral and written expression, comprehension, and pronunciation. Geared for learners with prior advanced-intermediate French, this course will be held in French once a week for 90 minutes.

This course will not meet during the second week of vacances scolaires: 24 October.

Please contact languages@wice-Paris.org with any questions.

About the Instructor

Audrey Charmont has a Masters in Marketing and Communications as well as a DAEFLE (French as a Foreign Language). She has French teaching experience in France and abroad.

Course Description

Discover and discuss masterpieces of American cinema in this class for intermediate and advanced English speakers. You’ll watch a film at home on streaming, or borrow the DVD from your local library, before a lively and engaging discussion in class. You’ll be assigned one scene to watch at least three times! Every month you’ll view a film from an influential director so you’ll come to know the stylistic hallmarks of favorite genres and filmmakers.

If you love the movies, this course is an enjoyable way to increase vocabulary, get comfortable with idiomatic expressions, improve your conversational skills, and deepen your understanding of American culture and cinema.

Films for the Autumn 2025 trimester:

We know all about the (male) “Buddy Films” in the United States—just think of the adventures of two men in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. But where are the woman buddy films? This trimester, we'll be discussing three films about women friendships.

Girlfriends, 1978, by Claudia Weill, with Melanie Mayron (Susan Weinblatt), Anita Skinner (Anne Munroe), and Eli Wallach (Rabbi Gold). Girlfriends was a ground-breaking, influential independent film, made in in New York City in the early years of second wave feminism. It shows a complicated friendship in the context of its time, with twists and turns and ups and downs. The film is described by one critic as “intelligently written and beautifully acted,  [capturing] the rhythms of female friendship -- and late '70s New York -- with a deftly assured hand.”  It can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV, among others. 

Tootsie, 1982, by Sidney Pollack, with Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, and Teri Garr.

A chronically unemployed actor finally hits it big when he presents himself as a woman... but his personal life quickly gets out of hand. 

Thelma and Louise, 1991, by Ridley Scott, with Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, and Brad Pitt.

Two friends set out for a weekend road trip which leads them into complex and unforeseen circumstances. A commercially and critically successful film that, deservedly or not, became a feminist classic

About the instructor:

Ellen Feldman grew up in Philadelphia and currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She holds a Ph.D. in cinema studies from New York University and has taught film studies at the State University of New York, Geneseo campus, and Brooklyn College.

Can you imagine a life where your mind is a source of peace and strength, where calmness flows through you like a gentle river even amidst daily challenges? What if you had the power to observe your thoughts without judgement, steady your emotions, and tap into a deeper well of wisdom within yourself? What if you could have moments of freedom between the triggering events of your life and your responses to them, moments of choice?

The pressure of daily life can leave us feeling overwhelmed and trapped, with no space for movement or reflection. Meditation offers us a more spacious life, an opportunity to descend to a more profound and rich experience of our lives and our relationships with ourselves, others and the world we inhabit.  In terms of daily life and routine activities, regular practice can help the body regulate itself more effectively. It can help with getting a more relaxed and sound sleep or decreasing the severity and/or frequency of migraine headaches. It’s a pathtoward mental clarity, emotional resilience, and enriched creativity.

WICE members can join us for a biweekly hour of meditation practices. One variety is Vipassana,  a mindfulness practice focusing on direct nonjudgmental observation of body and mind in order to cultivate greater awareness and ease. Others include heart practices such as generation of lovingkindness, compassion and equanimity. These  practices are available as non-sectarian techniques, open to anyone seeking to understand their mind and body. 

We’ll meet for about an hour on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month.  We’ll start with a few minutes of self-introduction, then some guided meditation, followed by a period of silence, then finishing with some final minutes of conversational reflection. Whatever level you are, beginner to advanced, you are welcome! Hosted by Lori Zeller and Cheryl Purvis, who have been meditating on and off for a total of over 70 years between the two of us, all the while taking classes, joining groups and going to retreats.

Each month, we come together to celebrate the friendships and community that make WICE special. Join us for an evening of lively discussions with fellow members, where you can share ideas, reflections, and experiences. Our Board of Directors is eager to hear your insights and visions for the future of WICE. Enjoy a nice selection of beverages and snacks, perfect for sparking conversation and connection. And don’t miss the chance to win our special door prize!

Come and celebrate our community – we look forward to seeing you there! (And no, it's not the Winter Solstice, but it's close enough.)

Note: Registration required. Registration opens on Friday, 21 November.

The fees are as follows:

• 10€ for regular members
• €5 for new 1-year members attending their first apéro
• €5 for WICE volunteers

If you are having trouble registering, please contact wice@wice-paris.org.

Join fellow WICE members for morning coffee at Le Sarah Bernhardt, hosted by WICE members Caroline Harvey and Rick Jones.

Open to all WICE members, but registration is required. This is a public restaurant, and anyone can go, but WICE reserves 10 seats together, and if you don't register you may not be able to sit with us.

Registration for this event opens on Sunday, 07 December.

Also, it is expected that all attendees will purchase at least one beverage or other item appropriate for sitting around a café.

Le Sarah Bernhardt is located at 2 Place du Châtelet. It can be reached by metro lines 1, 4, 7, 11, and 14 (Châtelet, Secteur Seine, Sortie 17),  and buses 38, 67, 69, and 72.

Tea and Tattered Pages: Adventures in Poetry

 “Poetry is the journal of the sea animal living on land, wanting to fly in the air.”  -Carl Sandburg

Program Description:

Tea and Tattered Pages is a multi-faceted program designed to bring poetry closer to the fore in our lives, and perhaps create a small community around it. Our activities include reading, writing, discussing, reciting, and trying to live poetry.

You can get a sense of what sorts of activities we will be doing on the program's web page:

Tea and Tattered Pages

December Agenda

December will be our first foray into writing poetry. Our poet-in-residence, Heather Hartley, will lead the session with readings and provide writing prompts that will serve as departure points for creating a poem. The goal is to prepare us for a measured, step-wise process over the coming months that leads to us writing the one poem we have inside us that we've always wanted to write.

This session will accommodate sixteen attendees: eleven in person, and five on Zoom. We've set up a pricing structure that acknowledges the two different modes. Cancellation with a refund is only available until Monday, 15 December.

Note: This is the first of four inter-connected poetry writing sessions that will culminate in May 2026. Due to this modality, the sessions are only open to 1-year WICE members and WICE volunteers. 

If you have any questions, please contact literature@wice-paris.org

Our Poet-in-Residence: Heather Hartley

Heather Hartley’s poetry collections include Adult Swim and Knock Knock, both published by Carnegie Mellon University Press. She was Paris Editor for Tin House magazine for over fifteen years.

Her short fiction, poems, essays and interviews have appeared in or on PBS Newshour, The Guardian, The Literary Review and other venues. She teaches creative writing at the University of Kent’s (UK) Paris School of Arts and Culture and has also taught at the American University of Paris and the University of Texas El Paso MFA program.

www.heatherhartleyink.com

Course Description

This course is designed for "post-bonjour" beginners, either for first-time learners with a smattering of French or those who want to refresh their French at a basic level.

Throughout the course students will acquire the essential French skills (writing, speaking, pronunciation) needed to function in everyday-life situations.

Each class will take place in a lively and friendly atmosphere that encourages students' enjoyment and active participation. Along with  linguistic exercises, references to French culture and gastronomy will also be presented.

The course meets twice a week for 90 minutes  (1.5 hours in person downstairs at the Impact Cafe on Mondays and 1.5 hours on Zoom on Thursdays) and is conducted in French. When necessary, supplementary explanations may be given in English.
The class does not meet during the second week of French school holidays: 2-6 March 2026.
Contact Languages@wice-paris.org with any questions

About the instructor

Nathalie Allain is a native French speaker with a master’s degree in FLE (French as a foreign language) who is also fluent in English, German, and Japanese. To future students, she says: “In addition to textbooks, I like to make French come alive by using the language to discover the culture and history of Paris in one field trip each month.”

 

Course Description

This lively French course will improve your ability to deal with an array of everyday life situations in French. This level is for students who understand simple, straightforward information and can express themselves in familiar contexts and take part in an everyday conversation on simple, predictable topics.

Using interactive methods to ensure learner engagement and lasting progress, the course will help you develop your vocabulary, oral and written expression, comprehension, and pronunciation.

Geared for learners with an intermediate knowledge of French,  the course meets twice a week for 90 minutes  (1.5 hours in person downstairs at the Impact Cafe on Mondays and 1.5 hours on Zoom on Tuesdays) and is conducted in French. 
The class does not meet during the second week of French school holidays: 2-6 March 2026.
Contact Languages@wice-paris.org with any questions.

About the Instructor

Nathalie Allain is a native French speaker with a master’s degree in FLE (French as a foreign language) who is also fluent in English, German, and Japanese. To future students, she says: “In addition to textbooks, I like to make French come alive by using the language to discover the culture and history of Paris in one field trip each month.”

Join fellow WICE members for coffee on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday mornings  of the month (and occasionally the 5th Tuesday) at Les Editeurs with hosts Mary Bartlett and Hilary Kaiser. It's a great opportunity to hang out with fellow WICE members, make new friends, and enjoy those special experiences unique to Paris.

Open to all WICE members, but registration is required. This is a public restaurant, and anyone can go, but WICE reserves 10 seats together, and if you don't register you may not be able to sit with us.

Registration opens on Wednesday, 17 December.

Also, it is expected that all attendees will purchase at least one beverage or other item appropriate for sitting around a café (and pay for it before leaving).

Les Editeurs is located at 4 Carrefour de l'Odéon, 75006. It can be reached by metro lines 4 and 10 (Odéon), and busses 58, 87, and 89.

Come enjoy a lively lunch with fellow WICE members. Catch up with old friends and meet new ones over a fun and leisurely meal in a charming café in the Latin Quarter.

We normally stand, mingle, and chat for 30 - 45 minutes, and then sit down to eat at about 12:30 or 12:45. So please plan accordingly.

You pay for what you eat and drink, no extra fees, but registration is required.

Served by metro line 10 (Sorbonne-Cluny), metro line 4 (Saint Michel), and busses 21, 27, 38, 63, 86, 87, and 96.

Registration opens on Friday, 05 December.

Course Description

This English Guided Discussion Group is open to people who have a strong intermediate or advanced level of English. Our group leaders suggest interesting topics and readings prior to each group discussion. If you enjoy reading, speaking, presenting, and engaging in diverse topic-centered discussions, this group is for you. In addition to learning and developing through guided conversation with other participants, you will also have the opportunity to get personalized constructive feedback. The group speaks only in English for one
hour.

The class will not meet on 6 March (vacances scolaires).

Note: A Zoom link will be provided the day before the
course begins. Be sure to check your email for it.

Contact languages@wice-paris.org with any questions.

Ce groupe de discussion guidée anglaise est ouvert aux personnes qui parlent anglais presque couramment (niveaux intermédiaire-avancé ou avancé). Nos animateurs proposent des sujets intéressants et des textes avant chaque groupe. Si vous appréciez la lecture, la communication, la présentation et la participation à des discussions
diverses, ce groupe est pour vous. En plus d’apprendre et se développer à travers des discussions guidées avec d'autres participants, vous aurez également la possibilité d'obtenir des
commentaires constructifs. Ce groupe de discussion guidée est un endroit idéal pour rencontrer d’autres passionnés de la langue anglais. Le groupe ne parle qu’anglais pendant une heure.

Facilitators

The group will be led by several native English speakers of varying interests and backgrounds.

WICE member Valerie Helmbreck-Mascitti (knitting on the left) opens her lovely apartment in the 1st arrondissement every Thursday afternoon to WICE members for an afternoon of needlework: knitting, crocheting, creweling, embroidery, etc..

Any and all WICE needle workers are welcome to attend. Bring your project, and if you're so inclined, something to nosh on (by no means necessary).

Valerie's apartment is conveniently located near the Louvre. For more information, contact Valerie directly at vhelmbreck@gmail.com.                

Course Description

This French Guided Discussion Group is open to people who have a strong intermediate or advanced level of French. Group leaders provide participants with engaging weekly readings on a wide range of topics prior to each dynamic and fast-paced seminar. If you enjoy reading, speaking, presenting, and engaging in varied, topic-centered discussions, this group is for you. In addition to learning through focused conversation with other participants, you will also have the opportunity to get personalized constructive feedback. The French Guided Discussion group speaks only in French for 90 minutes which gives participants an excellent space to practice.

Classes do not meet during the two weeks of vacances scolaires: 21 February - 9 March.
A Zoom link will be provided the day before the course begins. Be sure to check your email for it
Contact Languages@wice-paris.org with any questions

About the Instructors

Brice Dardel and Brigitte Le Quéré, both native French speakers with extensive experience leading discussions, alternate weekly sessions.

Course Description

French 4 is designed for upper-intermediate learners who want to move toward advanced proficiency. The course strengthens fluency, accuracy, and confidence while expanding students' ability to express complex ideas with nuance both in formal and informal settings.

Real-Life Situations Practiced:

• Participating in professional or academic meetings
• Presenting and justifying a project or idea
• Managing misunderstandings and clarifying meaning
• Writing formal emails or structured texts
• Debating cultural or social issues with well-supported arguments.

This course will not meet 6 March, the second week of vacances scolaires, 

Contact Languages@wice-paris.org with any questions. 

About the Instructor

Audrey Charmont has a Masters in Marketing and Communications as well as a DAEFLE (French as a Foreign Language). She has many years of teaching experience in France and abroad.

Course Description

French 5 is an advanced conversation-focused class created for learners who already communicate fluently and aim to reach near-native mastery. The emphasis is on rhetorical finesse, persuasive speaking, and highly nuanced comprehension.

Focus of the Conversation Training:

• Persuading, negotiating, and convincing with credible arguments
• Defending a viewpoint under pressure
• Handling complex, fast-paced discussions
• Subtly adjusting tone, register, and rhetorical strategy depending on audience

This course will be held in French once a week on Zoom for 90 minutes. It does not meet on 6 March, the second week of French school vacation. Please contact Languages@wice-paris.org with any questions. 

About the Instructor

Audrey Charmont has a Masters in Marketing and Communications as well as a DAEFLE (French as a Foreign Language). She has many years of teaching experience in France and abroad.

The Silver Pigs, the first novel in Lindsey Davis’s long-running Marcus Didius Falco series, introduces readers to a wonderfully sardonic “private informer” operating in the bustling, dangerous world of ancient Rome. When Falco encounters a frightened young woman, Sosia Camillina, he stumbles into a conspiracy involving stolen silver ingots—“silver pigs”—and high-level political intrigue. The investigation leads him from Rome’s teeming streets to Roman Britain, where a mining plot hints at treason and where Falco’s undercover work shows him the brutal realities of slavery and imperial power.

Along the way, Falco clashes—and eventually connects—with Helena Justina, a sharp-witted senator’s daughter whose social status makes her an unlikely match. Their relationship begins in mutual irritation and class resentment, but gradually develops into one of the series’ most engaging threads. Davis mixes mystery, humor, and historical detail, giving readers a vivid sense of daily life under Vespasian while poking fun at Roman politics, bureaucracy, and snobbery.

This first book sets the tone for the whole series: part detective story, part adventure, part social comedy. A great discussion angle is how Davis uses wit and irreverence to humanize history and expose the hypocrisies of empire—while giving us a reluctant, endearingly flawed hero to root for.

Two spaces are reserved for new WICE members. If no new WICE members have registered before 02 January, those two spaces will become available to the general WICE membership.  

Registration opens on Thursday, 18 December.

Friday In-Person French - English Conversation Group

Looking for a relaxed and welcoming place to practice and improve your French or English? WICE conversation groups allow you to practice your language skills in an easy, convivial atmosphere with native speakers.

The Friday group meets upstairs at the Le Nelsons, near Les Halles, from 15:00 - 16:30. Participants are divided into small groups of 5 - 6 people, and the conversations are 45 minutes in French and 45 minutes in English. The subjects are of  the group’s choosing. Though an intermediate level of English and French is expected, there is a wide range of abilities.

There is no need to register, just show up and look for the WICE tables upstairs.

Le Nelsons, 16 Rue Coquillière, 75001. Metro lines 1/4/7/11/14, RER A, B, D, and buses 74, 85

Participation is free with WICE membership.

Friday Online French - English Conversation Group

There is no better way to practice your foreign language than by conversing with native speakers, and WICE can help you do just that.

We meet online (Zoom) every Friday evening (Paris time). Participants are divided into small groups of 5-6 members. We converse 45 minutes in French and 45 minutes in English. Conversations are free-form and address topics of interest to the individual group members.

The group is open to WICE members at all language levels. However, to get the most out of the conversations, an intermediate level in both languages is helpful. 

Participation is free for WICE members.

To participate, contact Mike Franks at: mike.franks@wice-paris.org

Join fellow WICE members for morning coffee at Le Sarah Bernhardt, hosted by WICE member Georgia Gruen.

Open to all WICE members, but registration is required. This is a public restaurant, and anyone can go, but WICE reserves 14 seats together, and if you don't register you may not be able to sit with us.

Registration opens on Sunday, 14 December.

Also, it is expected that all attendees will purchase at least one beverage or other item appropriate for sitting around a café.

Le Sarah Bernhardt is located at 2 Place du Châtelet. It can be reached by metro lines 1, 4, 7, 11, and 14 (Châtelet, Secteur Seine, Sortie 17),  and buses 38, 67, 69, and 72.