Beginning French Part One

This was my first French class ever and I loved it. Zsombok is a very chill and understanding professor. There are daily online homework assignments that are do-able and 8 exams throughout the semester which are usually pretty fair but takes a good amount of studying. He doesn't play with his deadlines so he'll knock points off for late stuff unless it's excusable but he won't give you a hard time about it. The class was very engaging and you really do learn so much French, more than I expected in a 101 course. I'm looking forward to taking another French course with him in the future. 10/10 recommend.

This was my first French class ever and I loved it. Zsombok is a very chill and understanding professor. There are daily online homework assignments that are do-able and 8 exams throughout the semester which are usually pretty fair but takes a good amount of studying. He doesn't play with his deadlines so he'll knock points off for l …Read more

Professor Poulin-Deltour is an amazing man. He loves the French language and culture, he has an amazing sense of humor. His teaching isn’t the best, most of the learning was on homework online. I enjoyed the class because I wanted to learn a new language, but the professor made it worthwhile.

Most people in this course likely have prior experience in learning French. Professor Poulin-Deltour always bring delightful sense of human, you will always get to laugh in class. He also incorporates music videos in his teaching, which makes the learning more enjoyable. The Pearson Lab HW is a lot, involving daily assignments with 4-5 exercises covering listening, grammar, vocabulary, and writing. The exam, while fair, tend to be above the average difficulty level. Exam happens every week so the workload is intensive. However, you will find yourself improving a lot. The movie screening and language tables offered are really helpful, it is worthwhile to learn a language through Middlebury's language teaching approach!

Most people in this course likely have prior experience in learning French. Professor Poulin-Deltour always bring delightful sense of human, you will always get to laugh in class. He also incorporates music videos in his teaching, which makes the learning more enjoyable. The Pearson Lab HW is a lot, involving daily assignments with 4 …Read more

Very work intensive. Sometimes, the corresponding course materials (mainly the textbook) to the assignments were made in a way that is hard to comprehend, so the time consumed varies every day. I feel it is not a truly beginner-friendly course, especially in the first few weeks. Many students are people who have learned French before and can understand some level of French. I was a complete beginner, and when the class proceeded based on their pace, it was hard to keep up. Also, the professor speaks entirely in French most of the time, so I would have to take more time out of the class to really digest what went on. Nevertheless, it was a fun and chill class with a lot of activities. It was a great experience to actually learn a new language, and the level of engagement/enthusiasm the professor showed was excellent!

Very work intensive. Sometimes, the corresponding course materials (mainly the textbook) to the assignments were made in a way that is hard to comprehend, so the time consumed varies every day. I feel it is not a truly beginner-friendly course, especially in the first few weeks. Many students are people who have learned French before …Read more

Excellent professor, really fun to start a new language as someone with prior language experience. Homework every night, but not difficult. Very accommodating professor. You will learn French as long as you keep up.

Introductory French was far more manageable than I thought it would be at Middlebury, but there was still a lot of outside work that had to be completed. Homework for this class was a bit tedious, and there were a total of 8 exams, but if you put in the work and show that you're trying to learn, you'll do well. I came into this class with no previous experience in French, and it is was certainly the class where I saw the most improvement.

Introductory French was far more manageable than I thought it would be at Middlebury, but there was still a lot of outside work that had to be completed. Homework for this class was a bit tedious, and there were a total of 8 exams, but if you put in the work and show that you're trying to learn, you'll do well. I came into this class …Read more

This is probably one of the hardest yet most fulfilling classes I’ve ever taken. This class is very hard, simply because learning a new language is hard. But it’s also sooooo rewarding. I guess it’s Middlebury’s approach, but I can confidently say I have learned more French In 8 weeks than I probably would have anywhere else in 1-2 years. It’s a very fast-paced class with a stern professor. He is very fair (even lenient) with his grading, but it’s a lot of work. The tests are very difficult and the class itself moves very fast. Pay attention and get ready to spend time on YouTube and Duolingo because, it’s rough out here. Overall would recommended Prof Zsombok (even tho I think he doesn’t like me) he’s still a great professor and you will learn a lot very quickly. and on a very honest note: prepare yourself; learning a lap ew language (especially French) is very very veeeerrrryyyy hard and frustrating.

This is probably one of the hardest yet most fulfilling classes I’ve ever taken. This class is very hard, simply because learning a new language is hard. But it’s also sooooo rewarding. I guess it’s Middlebury’s approach, but I can confidently say I have learned more French In 8 weeks than I probably would have anywhere else in 1-2 y …Read more

Very enjoyable class! 5x per week lectures were a mix of drills and practice conversations, plus a weekly phonetics session and language table attendance. Prof. Weber is very funny, helpful, and engaging. Homework is annoyingly constant but light - about 30 min each night. Tests are weekly with relatively easy grading. Given the workload, you'll be miserable if you're not ready for French to consume your life, but if you're into languages then this class is great.

Very enjoyable class! 5x per week lectures were a mix of drills and practice conversations, plus a weekly phonetics session and language table attendance. Prof. Weber is very funny, helpful, and engaging. Homework is annoyingly constant but light - about 30 min each night. Tests are weekly with relatively easy grading. Given the work …Read more

I'm very glad I took my first French class with Professor Weber. He is very enthusiastic about his lessons and wants to give everyone the opportunity to participate. There is a lot of work, daily homework, language tables, weekly exams and short projects often. I will say that the exams can be a little bit challenging if you don't study often and know the material well. If you are going to take this course you must be ready to put in the work, but I guess it goes the same for all languages here.

I'm very glad I took my first French class with Professor Weber. He is very enthusiastic about his lessons and wants to give everyone the opportunity to participate. There is a lot of work, daily homework, language tables, weekly exams and short projects often. I will say that the exams can be a little bit challenging if you don't st …Read more