AFM Update: COVID-19 & frequently asked questions

Updated 19 October 2020

Bonjour,

Due to current restrictions in Melbourne, all courses are being held online for the remainder of 2020 and our St Kilda & CBD premises are closed until further notice.

Our team is working remotely and you can still contact us by email at info@afmelbourne.com.au or by phone on (03) 9525 3463.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Are you still running French courses? Yes, we certainly are! All classes in Term 4 (Oct 5 - Dec 15) for adults, high school students and children are being held online.

Is the Alliance Française French Film Festival still running? The 2020 Alliance Française French Film Festival was suspended for Melbourne, due to the closure of cinemas as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. Cinemas in Sydney, Canberra, Byron Bay, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide did continue to show the AF FFF as planned from 14 July - 4 August 2020.

How can I purchase the required books for my course? Until our premises reopen, we suggest that the most effective way to get your books is by purchasing them directly from Language International Bookshop online or over the phone (03) 9857-0030. Hard copies and digital books are available.

I still have resources that I have borrowed from the library. What do I do with these? If you currently have any resources from the library, please continue to look after them for us and you can return them when we reopen. No fines will be added to your account.

In the meantime, all AFM members and current students have access to the Culturethèque (the IF/AF digital library) where you will find thousands of French-language resources that you can enjoy from home - books, magazines, videos, comics, audio books and more! You can find further support for our online courses and suggestions for digital resources on our #EnsembleEnLigne page. Follow us on Facebook & Instagram too for regular recommendations on tools, language resources and French language & culture inspiration!

I requested access to Culturethèque, what do I do now? Hold tight! Please allow a couple of days to have this service activated.

I am interested in joining your book club. Is it still taking place? Yes, our book club is now taking place via Zoom! Find out more information here.

I recently took the DELF/DALF, TEF, TCF or TEFAQ and I have a diploma/certificate to pick up. When can I collect it? As our premises are currently closed, diplomas/certificates are not available for collection. If it is urgent, please email headteacher1@afmelbourne.com.au and we will do our best to assist. In the meantime, we thank you for your patience and understanding.

Je suis un.e citoyen.ne français.e et je cherche des renseignements. Si vous êtes un.e citoyen.ne français.e et vous désirez des informations sur la situation actuelle du Coronavirus, merci de contacter directement French Assist ou le Consulat au (03) 9690 6075.

If the above information does not answer your question, please send us an email at info@afmelbourne.com.au or call us on 9525 3463.

Merci de votre compréhension, patience et soutien durant cette période difficile. Thank you for your understanding, patience and support during this challenging time.

Alliance Française de Melbourne

Updated 9 July 2020

Bonjour,

As announced by the Victorian Government on Tuesday 7 July, metropolitan Melbourne will return to Stage 3 restrictions for six weeks from midnight on Wed 8 July. In light of this, we have had to make the following changes to our planned in-person courses for Winter (6-10 July) and Term 3 (13 July-19 Sept):

WINTER (6-10 July): All impacted students have been contacted.

St Kilda courses
- For adults, classes will still be held as planned on Wed 8 July, but classes on Thurs 9 or Fri 10 July will be held online.
- For children, classes will still be held as planned on Wed 8 July. There will be no classes on Thurs 9 or Fri 10 July. Students will be provided with pro-rata credit for these two days (valid for 12 months).

CBD courses
All classes will be held online from Wed 8 July. All affected students have been contacted regarding this.

TERM 3 (starting 13 July): No classes will take place in-person at St Kilda or CBD in Term 3.

- In-person 'petite' adult classes - all students enrolled in these courses have been contacted regarding class options.
- Children's courses will move to an online format and parents of all enrolled students have been contacted regarding this change.
- There are no changes to scheduled online classes.

Enrol for Term 3 here!

Our St Kilda and CBD premises will be closed from Thurs 9 July; however our team will be working remotely and you can still contact us by email at info@afmelbourne.com.au or by phone on (03) 9535 3463.

We will keep this page updated with further information as it comes to light. We thank you once again for your patience, understanding and continued support at this challenging time.

Merci de votre compréhension -

Alliance Française de Melbourne

Updated 29 May 2020

Bonjour!

We are looking forward to reopening our St Kilda and CBD premises from Monday 6th July. Please see below some frequently asked questions on how we will be managing the return to in-person classes for children and for a selection of adult courses for Winter (6 - 10 July) and Term 3 (13 July - 19 Sept). We will still be running a wide range of courses online as well.

Please note that the Eildon Mansion (main St Kilda building), including the library and the gallery, remains closed to the public until further notice. All St Kilda in-person courses will take place in our secondary building, located to the right as you enter the front gate.

Frequently asked questions

What measures will be put in place to ensure that the premises will be safe for everyone? The health and safety of our students and staff remains our primary concern. To support this:

There will be increased cleaning of all classrooms and common areas
Antibacterial wipes and hand sanitiser will be available at the building entrance and in all classrooms. On arrival, we ask that all students sanitise their hands before entering the building.
Classrooms will be set up to help students maintain appropriate physical distancing
In-person adult courses are limited to a maximum of eight students
Class start times at AFM St Kilda and CBD are staggered so that several groups of students will not be arriving and leaving at the same times
No classes are scheduled to begin immediately after another class in the same room, to allow time for the classrooms to be cleaned.

If you feel unwell or experience any cold or flu-like symptoms, even if they are very mild, please stay at home. You can find further information on good hygiene for COVID-19 from the Australian Government Department of Health here.

Are children returning to in-person classes? Yes – all Childrens courses will be held in-person for Winter and Term 3. This includes Les Bébés, Les Maternelles, Les Preps, Children 1-6, Lauriston, French Is Fun & Les P’tits Loups.

Are teenagers returning to in-person classes? It depends on the course. Find out more information about High School Courses here.

Are online courses continuing? Yes! We are still running a wide range of our courses online in Term 3 – find out more information and enrol here. Adults online courses will now run as two-hour virtual classes via Zoom.

Why are course fees higher for in-person "petite" courses? It was necessary for us to transition our lessons online due to the COVID-19 situation however, as restrictions ease, we also want to offer the opportunity for students to return to in-person lessons at our St Kilda and CBD premises, with appropriate measures in place to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

These measures include:

Reducing the maximum number of students per class from 15 to 8, to ensure appropriate physical distancing can be implemented
Increased cleaning of all classrooms and common areas
Reducing the number of in-person classes offered, so that no classes are scheduled to begin immediately after another class in the same room
Providing antibacterial wipes and hand sanitiser at the building entrance and in all classrooms
Staggered class times so that several groups of students are not arriving and leaving at the same times

The above-mentioned changes are essential at this stage, but represent significant additional costs for classes of fewer students. As a result, we have had to increase the course fees for our in-person ‘petite’ courses to $35 per hour for non-members and $31.50 per hour for AFM Members.As a not-for-profit organisation – all course fees contribute directly towards balancing the cost of running courses, including paying our qualified teachers, other fixed costs and now also putting measures in place to reduce the risk of any potential spread of illness.

How can I purchase the required books for my course? Until our premises reopen, we suggest that the most effective way to get your books delivered is by purchasing them directly from Language International Bookshop online or over the phone (03) 9857-0030. Hard copies and digital books are available.

What will happen to my in-person course if restrictions are heightened again? If tougher restrictions are imposed again, we are prepared to transition all in-person courses online. However we hope that this will not be the case!

Will there still be parking available at St Kilda? Yes, our small carpark will still be open for students (and parents of students) to park. For parents of children who take classes with us, we ask that you drop your child(ren) off at the internal gate, near the bathrooms, without entering the premises. Our staff will take children from there to wash their hands and then to their classrooms.

Can I come to Reception at AFM St Kilda or AFM CBD to ask questions, organise my enrolment or purchase books? Please contact us first by phone/email for assistance. Our reception in St Kilda and in the CBD will be operating during reduced hours, but our phone lines will be open during extended hours and emails will be monitored regularly.

I still have resources that I have borrowed from the library. What do I do with these? Thank you for looking after them for us! Please return them to the library returns box at St Kilda between Monday 6^th July and Friday 31^st July. No fines will be added to your account.

I recently took the DELF/DALF, TEF, TCF or TEFAQ and I have a diploma/certificate to pick up. When can I collect it? From Monday 6th July - please contact reception@afmelbourne.com.au first to organise a time to collect your documents.

If the above information does not answer your question, please send us an email at reception@afmelbourne.com.au or call us on 9525 3463.

Merci de votre compréhension et à bientôt !

Alliance Française de Melbourne

Updated 1 April 2020

Bonjour! As the current COVID-19 situation evolves, we will be doing our best to update you on our courses and how we are operating. Please see below some information that may help to answer some of your frequently asked questions.

Can I visit your St Kilda/CBD premises? No. Our premises are currently closed to the public until further notice.

How can I get in touch with you? Our phone lines are open from Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm. You can call us between these times on (03) 9525 3463. Alternatively, you can send us an email to reception@afmelbourne.com.au. Please note that due to the current situation, our Reception is operating on reduced hours. We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we try to get back to you as promptly as possible.

Are Term 2 classes going ahead? Yes! We are excited to announce that all our Term 2 classes will be held 100% online. We are offering exactly the same course content as previous terms, just taught in an online 'classroom' rather than a physical one. Course fees remain the same. You can find out more about specific courses on our website here.

What are your Term 2 dates? Term 2 will be running from 20 April to 4 July. All courses are open for enrolment. You can find out more information and enrol here. If you notice that a class is sold out or would like for classes to run on a different schedule, please send us an email to reception@afmelbourne.com.au and we will try our best to accommodate your request.

I am interested in joining a class in Term 2, but I am not entirely sure about the online format. We understand that online lessons might be new to many of you, so we have decided to run some free trial classes for you to have a clearer idea of how lessons will be held. For more information and to book a spot in a trial class, please click here. Please note these are reserved for adults only.

I am not sure what my level is. You can book a level assessment here. One of our teachers will contact you shortly.

I have resources that I have borrowed from the library. What do I do with these? If you currently have any resources from the library, please look after them for us and return them once we reopen. No fines will be added to your account.

I requested access to Culturethèque, what do I do now? Hold tight! Please allow a couple of days to have this service activated.

Is the Berthe Mouchette poetry competition still running? The Berthe Mouchette poetry competition is still going ahead and the enrolment deadline has been extended. Please visit our website here for updates and information. For any questions, please email competition@afmelbourne.com.au.
Je suis un.e citoyen.ne Français.e et cherche des renseignements. Si vous êtes un citoyen Français et que vous désirez des informations sur la situation actuelle du Coronavirus, merci de contacter directement French Assist ou le Consulat au (03) 9690 6075.

If the above information does not answer your question, please send us an email at reception@afmelbourne.com.au or call us on 9525 3463 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 11am to 2pm.

Merci de votre compréhension et à bientôt !

Alliance Française de Melbourne

Published 18 March 2020

Bonjour à tous,

As you are already aware, Victoria declared a state of emergency in response to the current COVID-19 outbreak on Monday 16^th March.

The health and safety of our customers and staff is our primary concern. With this in mind, the Alliance Française de Melbourne Executive and Building Committee decided on 16th March that:

VCE Immersion Day scheduled for Sunday 22 March will be cancelled
Autumn Intensive courses and Express A courses in Term 2 will be cancelled
AFM CBD and St Kilda premises will close to the public for four weeks, from Sunday 22 March to Sunday 19 April inclusive
Term 2 will be postponed by one week and will run from Monday 20^th April to Saturday 4^th July

What does this mean for me?

Students enrolled in Term 1 courses

Classes this week (until Saturday 21^st March) are running as usual. For next week, the final week of Term 1:

Adults & Teenagers – Your teacher will upload learning material for the final week, including extra ideas for activities/content that you can use during the break, to your class Padlet. On the Padlet, you can comment, ask questions and continue the conversation with your teacher and other students!

Children – Some engaging learning materials will be sent to you by email, with instructions for you to assist your child with the activities. Our Children’s Course Coordinator will be in contact with you with further information soon.

Students enrolled in Autumn Intensive classes, VCE Immersion Day or Express A session in Term 2

Credits will be organised for your cancelled course(s) and you will be contacted soon by Reception with more information.

Private tuition students

Private tuition will continue as scheduled for this week. From next week onwards, you can continue your private tuition lessons as scheduled, if you are happy to have your lessons online (via Zoom or another similar platform) – you can discuss this with your teacher. You will be contacted soon by our team to confirm how you would like to proceed.

What does this mean for Term 2 (starting Monday 20 April)?

We are prepared to hold online lessons for all Term 2 classes if required, until we are once again able to hold our classes on-site. We will keep you updated on this as we approach the beginning of Term 2. Online lessons may seem daunting to some of you at this stage, but please be reassured that your teacher(s) and our team will be here to support you with this new and exciting way of having lessons!

Please keep in mind that the Alliance Française de Melbourne is an independent, not-for-profit organisation – the best way that you can support us and your teachers is by re-enrolling for Term 2.

We appreciate your understanding and patience at this unprecedented time. The health, safety and wellbeing of our students and staff is our priority, but it is also important to us that you can continue your enjoyment and learning of the French language. Now is the perfect time to think, escape and dream… En français!

Merci beaucoup for your continued support,