Become a member of our Executive Board | | Anyone wishing to be part of the Board, run for any office, or help with programming, send an email to alliancefrancaisenh@gmail.com. We are looking for a candidate for Secretary, since Shaundolyn Slaughter is now Vice President. We are also looking for an Events Coordinator to plan interesting activities. | | |
Join our Meetup conversation group every other Sunday morning from 10:30 to noon for fun and French discussion. To register for this event, send an email to: alliancefrancaisenh@gmail.com. Beginning in MAY we will meet at BOOK TRADER CAFE (1040 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06511). May 3, 17, 31, June 14, 28, 2026.
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French-with-Art
May9, 2026 4-5PM on Zoom
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Join us on Saturday May 9, 2026 for an introductory session of ArteLing’s French and art programs. Perfect your French through our guided viewing of master artworks from the world’s great collections. Refine your knowledge of art, meet other Francophiles and have fun! From 4 to 5.00 pm, space is very limited to ensure interactivity. Register early to reserve your spot!
The program will be led by Anne Willieme, creator and leader of ArteLing. ArteLing combines language acquisition and art viewing to support French language learning. Through our unique language methods, participants perfect their French with ease while increasing their capacity to perceive.
For more information, contact Anne at: info@arteling.net ArteLing’s website is: www.arteling.net
To register for the is event, send an email to alliancefrancaisenh@gmail.com
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Café Littéraire sur Zoom
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 @ 6:30 PM
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Voici un club pour les membres qui voudraient lire et discuter d'un livre en français (reservé aux gens qui ont un niveau avancé). Nous nous rencontrons par Zoom à 18h30 chaque mois. On discute des thèmes et des idées dans les romans avec le groupe. Si vous voulez les liens ou si vous avez des questions, envoyez un email. En mai on lit "Angélique" par Guillaume Musso. Paris, Noël 2021. Après un accident cardiaque, Mathias Taillefer se réveille dans une chambre d’hôpital. Une jeune fille inconnue se tient à son chevet. C’est Louise Collange, une étudiante venue jouer bénévolement du violoncelle aux patients. Lorsqu’elle apprend que Mathias est flic, elle lui demande de reprendre une affaire un peu particulière. For further information and to receive the Zoom link, send an email to alliancefrancaisenh@gmail.com .
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Ciné Club sur Zoom
Thursday, May 21, 2026 @ 6 PM
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Fan of French movies? If so, this club is for you. Join the Alliance Française for a discussion of a French movie on Zoom. If you have a favorite movie or any suggestions for future viewings, send us an email. Clay Howe will lead the conversation. Upcoming films to be announced. We meet on the third Thursday of the month. The film for May is "Les Visiteurs" "Just Visiting". In 1122, a brave soldier and his right hand man are sent to the future by a sinister witch and an absent-minded wizard. Hilarity ensues as they try to find their way back to their own time while dealing with the confusion and chaos of 20th century France. It is available on for rental on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, free on Kanopy and Hoopla. For further information and to receive the Zoom link, send an email to alliancefrancaisenh@gmail.com .
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Annual Celebration
Silent Presence: The French in New England
Sunday, May 17, 2026 from 3:00 – 5:00 PM
Atlantic Works Conference Center
57 Charter Oak Ave.
Hartford, CT 06106
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Venez nombreux à notre Célébration Annuelle de l’Alliance Française de Hartford.
Come learn about the history and diaspora of French Canadians and Acadians. Jeanne Douillard will be our guest of honor at the Alliance Française Annual Celebration on Sunday, May 17 from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. The title of her lecture will be “Silent Presence: The French in New England.” She will include music as part of her presentation.
Cost $25.00 for Alliance Members.
To register for this event, click HERE.
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Social Hour at Atelier Florian
Thursday, May 28, 2026 @ 4:30 PM
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Hello, I hope all is well. My name is Samar. I am a high schooler from Guilford High School and my school was wondering if you were willing to do a pen-pal with our 12 IB French students so that our students benefit and learn firsthand about culture and language from the French-speaking countries. If you are interested email me back or my number is +1 475-280-1809. Feel free to contact me through messages phone or whatsapp. Have a nice day!
samar.maula.09@gmail.com
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The new French Like Moi newsletter
by Scott Dominic Carpenter
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The inaugural post deals with how Voltaire’s Candide can help us survive the tumultuous era we’re living through. Below you’ll find a quick intro to the piece, along with a link to the full essay on Substack.
The goal is to use France as a way for understanding the world today.
I hope you like it — and if you do, please subscribe to receive all the irreverent-but-uncannily-insightful readings to come. (Subscriptions are entirely free.)
In the meantime, good luck navigating this crazy world. At least we’re all in it together, right?
Scott Dominic Carpenter
CLICK HERE to read the first issue and/or to subscribe.
| | Our Partnership with Frantastique | | |
Try Fantastique for a whole month for free! The interactive, daily lessons only last 10 minutes and allow you to immerse yourself playfully and tailored to you in the French language.
After an assessment test, the lessons adapt to your level and interests, for optimal learning progress.
Discover Aimigo at the end of your lessons, your new AI-powered virtual friend with whom you can practice speaking. Aimigo helps you feel more confident when speaking and can discuss a variety of topics with you!
Click HERE TO TEST FOR FREE.
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Save the dates, More info to follow:
June 14, 2026 Cheese Tasting Gouveia Vineyards 3:30 PM
July 14, 2026 Bastille Day Apéro 6:00 PM
August 2, 2026 Pique-nique en blanc and Family Swim Rain Date: August 9
August 22, 2026 Outdoor movie event 8 PM
September 24, 2026 Apéro Atelier Florian 4:30-6:00PM
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Dear Colleagues,
Memberships are from Sept.-August. If you have not already renewed your membership,
renew now.
Your benefits include:
-Participation in the events of the Alliance Française (See programs on our website https://www.alliancefrancaisenewhaven.org/
-Close communication with the Alliance (emails, newsletter, Bulletin)
-Exclusive and free participation in Le Café Littéraire
-Access to the French classes at the Alliance Française of New Haven
-Participation in Le Ciné-Club
-Access to Culturethèque Your French multimedia e-library!
-Links to other Francophones and Francophiles .
Cost: Student: $30, Senior: $35, Individual: $45, Couple: $55, Family: $60
You may pay online at https://www.alliancefrancaisenewhaven.org/online-payment or you may pay with a check. If full membership is difficult for some due to financial constraints, please let us know. Send us an email at alliancefrancaisenh@gmail.com Please make checks payable to the Alliance Française of New Haven. Send payment to Alliance Française of New Haven, P.O. Box 207333, New Haven, CT 06520.
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Co-sponsored by the Federation of Alliances Françaises USA
| | Apéro National French Conversation Group (en français) – Every Wednesday | | |
The group is for high-intermediate to advanced (or fluent) speakers who are current members of an Alliance Française chapter in the U.S. (if you are not a current member of an Alliance chapter, visit the Chapter’s page and sign up for membership at one of your closest AF chapters) or AATF members. Native speakers are welcome. This group conversation is for adult participants, ages 17 and up.
Note that conversation groups are not substitutes for taking an official French class. Conversation groups are for informal practice and for sharing the joy of conversing in French with other like-minded Francophiles or Francophones.
The national group meets by Zoom for an hour every Wednesday, and meets to accommodate our after-work Apéro theme:
Every Wednesday @ 5:00 PT / 7:00 pm CT / 8:00 pm ET
The group is hosted by a member of the Federation of Alliances Françaises board – Linda Witt. Attendees will be assigned to breakout rooms of 4-5 people, with each breakout session lasting 14 minutes. The rooms are then are re-created (for a different mix each time). In this way, participants get to meet and chat with a variety of participants from different backgrounds, regions, and fluency levels.
Participants will need to use Zoom (a free videoconferencing service). To get on the invitation list for the “Apéro-National” sessions, click here.
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The Real Cost of Living in France—What It Actually Costs (and Why It May Surprise You)
May 16, 2026 2:00pm - 3:00pm
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Is it really cheaper to live in France?
The answer is… yes—and no.
After more than 30 years of living, working, and helping clients relocate to France, Adrian Leeds can tell you this with certainty:
The cost of living in France is not just different—it’s structured differently.
And unless you understand how it works, you can easily misjudge what your life here will truly cost.
In This Webinar, We’ll Break It All Down
Join Adrian, along with our partners at AFUSA, for a candid and practical look at what it really costs to live well in France—based on real experience, not theory.
Adrian will talk about:
- Housing costs: Renting vs. buying, what you actually get for your money, and why Paris isn’t the whole story
- Daily living expenses: Groceries, dining out, transportation—and how lifestyle choices change everything
- Healthcare and insurance: One of France’s biggest advantages—and what it truly costs (and saves)
- Taxes and hidden costs: What surprises Americans the most (and how to plan for it)
- France vs U.S. –– The real comparison: Why a direct dollar-for-euro comparison doesn’t tell the whole story.
Many Americans arrive expecting France to be either dramatically cheaper or impossibly expensive. The truth lies somewhere in between.
France offers something far more valuable: A different way of living—where quality of life often outweighs raw cost.
Reserve your spot now. You will have a chance to ask questions. This webinar will be recorded for viewing at a later date on YouTube.
Click HERE to register.
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French Cinémathèque: Un homme et une femme
May 18 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm
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May 18, 2026: Un homme et une femme / A Man and a Woman (1966)
Director Claude Lelouch
Cast Jean-Louis Trintignant, Anouk Aimée, Pierre Barouh, Valérie Lagrange, Simone Paris, Antoine Sire
Genre Drama, Romance
A man and a woman meet by accident on a Sunday evening at their children's boarding school. Slowly, they reveal themselves to each other, finding that they have both lost a spouse. While this initially draws them together, it also poses a challenge as they struggle to leave the past behind and begin a new relationship.
Discussions will usually take place on the fourth Monday of each month. Participants are encouraged to watch the film via streaming before attending the discussion. The Zoom link will be sent out via email after registration.
Click HERE to register.
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The Paris Effect: Its Power to Inspire and Seduce
May 21 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm
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What is it about Paris—and French culture—that so powerfully moves and inspires people around the world?
In this engaging talk, journalist and longtime Paris resident Elaine Sciolino explores the answer in one compelling word: seduction. She reflects on the emotional pull of France and invites us to consider how a simple street, the source of a river, or the hush of a museum can awaken curiosity, imagination, and connection. What makes Paris more than a destination? Why does French culture continue to captivate across generations and borders?
Elaine Sciolino, best-selling author of six books, including La Seduction, The Only Street in Paris, The Seine and most recently Adventures in the Louvre, is a contributing writer and former Paris bureau chief for The New York Times, based in Paris. In 2010 she was decorated chevalier of the Legion of Honor, the highest honor of the French state, for her “special contribution” to the friendship between France and the United States.
Click HERE to register.
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The History of the Parisian Bistro and Paris Bistro Life Today
Jun 11 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm
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The Paris bistro is at its heart an unpretentious neighborhood gathering place serving traditional cuisine, having an active bar counter, and open beyond meal hours, with an ever-watchful owner on the premises. Yet use of the term has also evolved over the past 150 years. In this illustrated 1-hour lecture, Gary Lee Kraut examines the development and evolution of bistros in Paris since the late 19th century and tells of the place of old-fashion restaurant-bar bistros in the French capital today. Gary will also talk about various organizations devoted to defending and promoting traditional bistros, cafés and brasseries as essential vectors of sociability and art-de-vivre à la française.
Click HERE to register.
| | INFORMATION FOR SHARING AND FUN | | Members and attendees at events/cultural programs should be aware that their picture might be taken and used for our website, advertising, etc. If you’d prefer not to be photographed, just wave the photographer away. | | | | |
