Karim · Student journeyFrom zero to practical autonomy, in 5 months
Egyptian software engineer, working for a Luxembourgish company. Complete beginner, A0 - with a real deadline: integrate into a 100% Francophone team. One lesson every two weeks.
- Egyptian · Luxembourg
- Started A0 · complete beginner
- 1 lesson / 2 weeks
Lesson 1
The nuance textbooks forget
From day one, we establish what generic courses almost always overlook in professional contexts: formal vs. informal tone.
Je m'appelle Karim - we don't roll the “r” in French
Et vous ? - formal, for someone older
Lesson 10
The professional pitch, word by word
Ten lessons later, Karim delivers a professional speech. Structure already solid, pronunciation still guided.
Je suis software engineer… Mon rôle consiste à [a] comprendre [kon-pran-dr] les requêtes [rökät] des [dé] clients [kli-an] et [é] de [dö] développer [dév-lo-pé] des produits en [an] réponse [ré-ponss] à leurs [lör] attentes [za-tante].
“I'm a software engineer… My role is to understand clients' requests and to develop products in response to their expectations.”
Office life
The version nobody finds in textbooks
Alongside technical vocabulary: the informal daily office - so Karim stops feeling like an outsider in colleague conversations.
Bonjour, tu vas bien ? (Hello, are you well? - to a peer) vs Bonjour, vous allez bien ? (the formal version, to an older colleague)
Tu veux un café ? (Want a coffee?) → Je préfère le thé (I prefer tea - an opinion) or Plutôt un thé s'il te plaît (Tea instead, please - an order), with the nuance s'il te plaît (informal) vs s'il vous plaît (formal)
La pause clope [poz-klop] (the smoke break) → Tu veux aller en pause clope ? (Want to go for a smoke break?) / Ça ira, merci (I'm good, thanks)
On va en pause. Tu nous rejoins ? (We're taking a break. Joining us?) → Ouais ok (“way okay”) (Yeah, ok) or Ça ira, merci (I'm good, thanks)
On va manger ensemble à midi ? (Shall we eat together at noon?) - broken down word by word: on / va / manger / ensemble / à / midi, with le déjeuner (lunch)
Bonus module · free downloadable sheet
Ordering at the bakery
A ready-to-use sheet for the counter: greetings, what to order, the questions you'll be asked, and how to pay - every phrase with its English translation.
Today
A0Work autonomy · 5 months
In 5 months, at one lesson every two weeks, Karim went from zero French to practical autonomy at work. He handles technical presentations, casual office interactions, and daily life with growing confidence.
Need French for work, on a deadline?
We build the plan around your industry vocabulary and your daily reality - technical and informal both. Tell me your goal and timeline.