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Original poster

Please help: A question for anyone working in an office, or who has done or will do

28 replies

Frenchgirl · 03/03/2006 09:56

Do you think that you or your colleagues might be interested in having lunchtime french lessons once a week at work, if that was on offer? Could be tailored to your business, or simply for pleasure, before holidays, etc...

Just wondering if there is any mileage in this idea...

thanks for your help!

OP posts:
dinosaur · 03/03/2006 09:59

My firm does already offer language lessons, Frenchgirl, so there is definitely mileage in the idea.

prettybird · 03/03/2006 10:00

Not much help for you, as I am in Glasgow - but to give you an idea: our Scoial and Recreation Class did run some lessons like this and they were very popular.

Think they offered a choice of French and Spanish and there were takes for both.

bubbly1973 · 03/03/2006 10:01

i used to work in an office, i personally wouldnt have been interested as usually at lunchtime all i wanted to do is wind down and chill out, and give my brain a rest, and if sunny i used to like to go into town and have a look around shops and stuff.

acnebride · 03/03/2006 10:01

oh YES i think this is a brilliant idea

though i don't get a lunchbreak as am pt

would personally want quite informal format

Original poster
Frenchgirl · 03/03/2006 10:03

thanks for that, keep them coming please!!!

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Original poster
Frenchgirl · 03/03/2006 10:13

dinosaur and prettybird, can you tell me a bit more about how these classes operate in your company? Are they subsidised by the company? Totally and partially? How long are the classes?
Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
Frenchgirl · 03/03/2006 10:13

Totally or partially.....

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 03/03/2006 10:15

Whereabouts are you? Yes, definitely mileage in this idea - good luck!

Original poster
Frenchgirl · 03/03/2006 10:25

Bristol

OP posts:
dinosaur · 03/03/2006 10:26

Hi Frenchgirl, have just emailed the person who organises it for more info but basically the firm pays but you have to demonstrate a business case for learning and the classes are quite business orientated.

WideWebWitch · 03/03/2006 10:26

Yes Frenchgirl, and if I were you I'd approach Orange in Bristol since they're owned by France Telecom and anyone wanting to climb the greasy pole may well decide it'sa good idea to speak French.

Original poster
Frenchgirl · 03/03/2006 10:31

www I had thought of Orange, agree that they would be a great company to approach
thanks Dinosaur, much appreciated!

OP posts:
NotQuiteCockney · 03/03/2006 10:33

Lots of City firms supply language lessons like this. Not on the lunch hour, generally, they're counted as work time, iyswim.

I assume larger firms contract with some sort of language teaching firm for this, but smaller firms might be happy to deal with a single person ...

fairyjay · 03/03/2006 10:35

Sounds like a great idea.

We design and fit out offices, and so many of our larger clients are now taking staff breaks and welfare very seriously.

Some offer massages or health treatments for a nominal fee on certain days, or encourage book clubs etc. I think a French class would be a brilliant idea!

WideWebWitch · 03/03/2006 10:37
Marina · 03/03/2006 10:38

Tres bonne idee. Dommage que tu n'habites pas Slough...t'as vu qu'Amazon vont quitter la ville, parce que les habitants ne parlent ni Francais, ni Allemand?
C'est honteux. J'ai honte d'etre Britannique parfois :(
Bonne chance pour ton projet FG

Original poster
Frenchgirl · 03/03/2006 10:45

Merci Marina! Time to bring more culture to Bristle Wink

dd made up a poem about Slough the other day (not sure why), it went like that:
'Slough oh Slough
I don't know how
but you look like a cow'

Encouraging responses so far, I should look into what city firms do, not to replicate as I would do this on a small scale of course but to give myself some convincing arguments

any more ideas??

OP posts:
prettybird · 03/03/2006 10:46

It's been a while since they were run (it tends to be if someone on the Soc &Rec committee has an interest, or if people lobby for them).

Think they were for an hour. Think they were run at 6pm.

They were 50% subsidised by the Soc & Rec (which in turn is subsidised by the company). Only Soc &Rec members could go. It costs £2/month to become a member of the Soc & Rec.

katierocket · 03/03/2006 10:47

sounds like a great idea, I would definitley have taken this up when I worked in an office

Original poster
Frenchgirl · 03/03/2006 11:07

thanks prettybird
not so keen on the 6pm lessons.....

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Original poster
Frenchgirl · 03/03/2006 11:07

thanks prettybird
not so keen on the 6pm lessons.....

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prettybird · 03/03/2006 11:22

There may have been some at lunch time - can't remember. Suspect I would have been more interested in lunch time classes- evening is difficult with a faimly! Wink.

(Didn't need the French classes, as they were "basic" French - and I have a degree in it! Grin)

I remember when I worked for ICI, there were classes that ran at lunchimte.(no, that was 20 yeatrs ago, so don't ask fo rmore details than that! Grin)

fairyjay · 03/03/2006 11:25

www - no, I'm in the Midlands.

Original poster
Frenchgirl · 03/03/2006 11:29

oh go on prettybird!!!! Grin

waht I'd like to offer would be 2 or 3 different levels:
business related- beginner - medium/advanced conversation for medium/advanced
basic french for beginners

OP posts:
dinosaur · 03/03/2006 15:19

Frenchgirl, here's a summary of the policy here:

The current language training policy of the London office is to focus training on German, Italian and Spanish (the priority languages) while developing and maintaining other languages where there is an identifiable business need. (We have sufficient numbers of French speakers at present so that specific focus on French is not currently required. This position will be kept under review.)

That probably doesn't help much!