La Petite Ecole Française

Fantastic experience: I am so happy I came across La Petite Ecole Française! Caroline is a fantastic teacher and I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to learn French! Although I was originally looking for an in person format, the online classes have proven very effective and I don’t feel like I’m missing out on any learning from the class being online. I enjoy that Caroline focuses on being able to speak French (starting from day 1!) in addition to reading and writing it. As a native speaker from France she teaches the lessons with cultural context which has been extremely helpful when learning a new language. The online classes are engaging and interactive as well as fun! I appreciate the pace of the curriculum as it allows me to grasp each week’s lesson before adding a new topics. I’m looking forward to many more French lessons with Caroline!

Fantastic experience: I can’t recommend this French language school enough. I have tried language apps and multiple online French tutoring platforms where I just couldn’t retain anything. I thought that I simply could not learn a language online - but then I found Caroline and her French school. Caroline is a phenomenal instructor she genuinely cares about your success and breaks it down to the phonetics level. She is kind, funny and efficient in her teaching. From the first lesson I could tell she is highly experienced and dedicated to teaching not only French language but also the culture. I have taken 101 and am at the tail end of 102 and have seen great progress in my reading, writing, understanding and speaking of French. I will continue my French journey with Caroline as long as I can. She is a true natural skilled teacher that communicates and listens with far more precision via zoom than most people do in person. If you’re wanting to start your French journey La Petite Ecole Françoise is your biggest support. Merci beaucoup Caroline!

Fantastic experience: Caroline is a wonderful teacher. She is very patient and fun to work with. I am learning conversational French as well as textbook grammar. I look forward to our classes together and I am seeing weekly improvements.

Fantastic experience: I highly recommend La Petite Ecole Française for French language studies. Caroline is a thorough and dedicated teacher who infuses her lessons with interesting resources about French culture. She cares about students' success and fosters a supportive learning environment, encouraging camaraderie between students. Her classes are very enjoyable! Merci beaucoup, Caroline!

Fantastic experience: Caroline has been teaching my high schoolers for almost three years now. She individualizes the classes and makes it fun and interesting for them. They love working with her.

Fantastic experience: I have really enjoyed taking class with La Petite Ecole Française. Caroline is very clear and takes her time to make sure everyone in the class is comprehending each lesson. It's nice to have a weekly reason to speak French with other people and I appreciate that the homework isn't too time consuming.

Fantastic experience: Caroline is a wonderfully patient and encouraging teacher. Her classes feel more like a meet-up with a friend-- she is always willing to spend more time on a topic that you as a student find interesting, or chat in French to improve your conversational skills. She is also incredibly thorough and provides her students with skills early-on that other teachers might overlook-- for example, being able to provide someone with my email address in French didn't seem important until I was traveling in Paris and needed a French-speaking clerk manning the desk at the Palace of Versailles to re-send me my tickets via email! Caroline inspires her students to have a passion not just for the French language, but French culture. I would highly recommend her class to anyone who is interested in learning more about this fascinating country and their language.

Fantastic experience: My teacher, Caroline Busse, is a really good instructor. I enjoy the class and the way Ms. Busse guides us each week. She provides interesting and fun lessons. We have opportunities for conversations within the class, writing exercises, grammar lessons, cultural and historical information about France, all within the context of the class. The homework is manageable and definitely helps the learning process. I highly recommend French classes at La Petite Ecole Française with Ms. Caroline Busse.

Fantastic experience: I'm so glad I had taken French 101 at La Petite Ecole Française. Caroline has the experience and patience to help open doors to the wonderful world of the French language, without making the process daunting at all.

Fantastic experience: Caroline is a great teacher and I am enjoying her classes! Because of the way she structures the course, I am able to learn French as a hobby without being overwhelmed by the work and complexities of learning another language. The weekly homework and exercises to practice what you learn in lessons are manageable and fun. I hope to continue taking more classes in the future.

Fantastic experience: Caroline is an outstanding teacher! She makes learning French very accessible with her warm, supportive presence. Taking her classes virtually has been great. Highly recommend her!

Fantastic experience: Wonderful French class. I look forward to each session. Caroline teaches in such a fashion that each lesson comfortably builds on the next. I'm finding that this is not the academics we're so used to being taught in school, but this is a class that, while introducing the delights and insights into the culture, is also giving us understanding as to how the people actually speak. And voila (!), what do you know, we are doing just that! Speaking!

Fantastic experience: Caroline was a great teacher. I took French 101 and really appreciated Caroline’s attention to the little things - like tongue placement and lip movements - to make sure I pronounced everything perfectly. She also made me confident that doing the class virtually was just as good, if not better, than taking it in person.

Fantastic experience: Learning French at La Petite Ecole Francaise has been a valuable investment and great addition to my lifestyle. My partner, a native French speaker, often remarks how impressed he is that I have picked up the language this quickly. I couldn't have done it without Caroline's consistent, straightforward, and attentive instruction. I also love how the class is very structured; with clearly planned lessons, light homework, and a wealth of resources (like Quizlets), it has been a logical learning process. I look forward to my Monday night French class because of the relationship I have with my peers and Caroline, the discussions about Francophone culture, and the ability to put into practice all the incredible French skills I am developing.

Fantastic experience: I always wanted to learn French, and now that I am, I am glad I found La Petite Ecole Française. Learning French from Caroline has been the best investment I have ever made this year. The thing that I like is how honest and patient she is with her students. I am pleased, and for anyone who is thinking about taking French, I strongly recommend La Petite Ecole Française for all levels of French.

Fantastic experience: I'm a regular at the Saturday mornings adult conversation class. It's excellent. It just doesn't get any better than this. Try it!

Fantastic experience: I have really enjoyed my time in class here. It is so good to learn the language from a native speaker. Over the past few weeks my French has gotten a lot better. Highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: Caroline is a gifted language teacher. The lessons make sense, are conversational and easily build on each other. Also, she teaches us about French culture. It is really fun!

Fantastic experience: I highly recommend working with Caroline at La Petite Ecole Français. You will not only learn the fundamentals of the French language, Caroline also takes it a step further by integrating everyday spoken phrases. She provides a modern touch to the French language! The class moves at a pace that’s perfect for working professionals. Best of all, the small class environment provides an optimal opportunity to build long-lasting friendships with your cohort. Throughout the course, Caroline provides a wide array of additional resources, from recommended films, books and music. You’ll have the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the French culture in a fun, welcoming and creative environment.

Fantastic experience: Growing up in the French Concession area in Shanghai, I always adored French culture, architecture, and the language. I took two semesters of French back in high school and got engaged in Paris recently, so I thought it would be the perfect time for picking it up again. I have had the pleasure of working with Caroline on a weekly class. She is exceptionally attentive to my personal needs and keeps the lessons challenging and yet fun. She provides a wide variety of learning activities and exposure to authentic materials, including music, movies, drama, and all sorts of things you don't get from just textbooks. I can't recommend Caroline highly enough: she was just what I needed - relaxed, professional, full of enthusiasm, and offers inside information on the French culture that I so enjoy. Unfortunately, due to COVID, we had to take the course online via Zoom. I hope we will be able to see each other in the classroom in the future when the time is right. Merci beaucoup, Caroline!

Fantastic experience: I am 41 and have always wanted to learn a new language particularly French. My sister and I have always been fascinated by the French culture - you can say that we are big Francophiles! So when my sister persuaded me to sign up with Caroline’s class I couldn’t resist. Despite my age, I decided to give it a go and try something new. People always say it’s hard to pick up a new language unless you’re a child but I can say with full confidence that I am just delighted to have found a new hobby and interest. Caroline runs an amazing program. And I am so fortunate to have enrolled in her class. In my opinion, Caroline is dedicated to her students. She is knowledgeable, professional, honest and builds on her student’s confidence. Her style of total immersion has definitely made a positive impact on my journey. I look forward to class each week. For anyone who is interested in learning French, I highly recommend Caroline!

Fantastic experience: I am so glad that I found La Petite Ecole Française! Caroline (a native French speaker from France) is an incredible teacher who brings a high level of passion and enthusiasm for teaching French language and culture to her students. I love the way she structures her curriculum, as she artfully scaffolds the process of learning a new language in a very accessible way. I look forward to our weekly online group classes, and I love studying French on the days in between class by reviewing the many resources Caroline recommends to her students (film, TV shows, books, magazines, etc.). I look forward to continuing my learning journey at La Petite Ecole Française and I highly recommend that anyone who is considering learning French do so with Caroline -- she is the best!

Fantastic experience: La Petite École Française is a wonderful place to learn French. French language, French culture, French thoughts. The instruction is very enjoyable and incredibly effective - I feel like I grasped the language quickly and was able to run off and use it with all the enthusiasm in the world. Passion is at the heart of this school which provides the best kind of motivation to learn.

Fantastic experience: Caroline is simply THE BEST! My son, a Sophomore in high school, was taking an online French course thru UC - and he was struggling to understand it. He started tutoring with Caroline to help him and have not looked back. She is an excellent instructor and truly cares about and understands what teens need to learn a language. We could not be happier with her services!

Fantastic experience: My son said this “is fun and a nice class,” which is high praise from a 10 year boy.

Fantastic experience: My children ages 7 and 6 have been studying with Caroline at La Petite École Française 1x per week for the last 3 years. I cannot recommend Caroline enough as a French teacher. My children continue to grow and develop their understanding and use of the French language. As important as their learning is, one thing I love is that Caroline has an ability to connect with my children as students and as individuals in a way that supports a fun, structured, and confidence building learning experience. I am writing this review during the social distancing days of COVID19. My children have been taking class online with Caroline through Zoom and it is going as well as it did for in-person lessons in Pasadena. I also take French with Caroline in her adult class and I look forward to it and have found that my French keeps improving every week. I also love the cultural learning that Caroline includes alongside with language lessons.

Fantastic experience: Learning is unhurried and adjusted to the student’s understanding. The contextual aspects of conversational French is emphasized. For example, there are more than ten ways to say “see you soon” depending on how soon and who you are talking to! Caroline goes into such details so that you will not make a faux pas talking to the French. She clearly has the passion and enthusiasm to share her country with all its quirks and customs with us, and this makes learning enjoyable. One of the unexpected treats is her get togethers with other students to celebrate French traditions and festivals. What a treat to try out our newly acquired skills with others on the same journey. Take her classes. You are in for a wonderful treat. Passez une bonne soirée.

Fantastic experience: I have been going to little French school for almost 3 years . Caroline is a passionate , attentive , clear and always encouraging . Caroline is very friendly , not only teaching the language but also introducing the French culture . I highly recommend little French school if you’re thinking about learning French .

Fantastic experience: I have been taking classes with Caroline for several years and I cannot say enough positive things about my experience. She is patient and works tirelessly to make the lessons interesting and to incorporate real life scenarios. She organizes cultural activities such as getting her students together to celebrate French themed parties or an outing to French restaurants. It’s never too late to learn. I took my first French class with Caroline at age forty-something and hope to continue as long as I can.

Fantastic experience: Caroline is a superb teacher. She's a native speaker of France that curates great classes to incorporate French culture -- art, film, philosophy -- and not just from France but of the Francophone world. I have recommended others interested in maintaining their French to seek her out and will happily continue to do so.

Fantastic experience: I have been a dedicated Francophile for many years and I finally signed up for French classes with Caroline 2 1/2 years ago. Her class has exceeded all of my expectations - she is an excellent teacher, teaching both French culture and useable practical grammar. She is very patient and easy to learn from; the class sizes are small and one learns a great amount of working French. She arranges for extra curricular activities, assigns fun projects, all dedicated to deepening our understanding and appreciation of French culture. Learning French from a native French speaker who has intimate knowledge of French culture is invaluable and I cannot recommend her class enough. I have made many wonderful friends in her class and look forward to continuing her class for many years to come.

Fantastic experience: I worked with Caroline both in person and online and both were pleasant, enlightening experiences where we learned French but also about French culture and had French experiences. My wife had been taking it for years and finally talked me into it, I just wish I had joined sooner.

Fantastic experience: I’m a high school student and I came to Caroline in order to boost my French grade. I’ve taken about 10 lessons with her and I’ve noticed a dramatic improvement. She’s very sweet, supportive, and helpful and I would definitely recommend her as a tutor.

Fantastic experience: I love Caroline's french class, she is patient, engaging but more importantly she makes learning French FUN! I highly recommend taking her class if you want to learn the language and also French culture.

Fantastic experience: I love La Petite Ecole. I've taken six classes so far, and am now at Level 107. Caroline is a wonderful teacher. She makes learning French fun, and teaches you about the culture as she teaches the language. The small class size allows for personal attention, and gives you a chance to get to know your fellow students. I also think it's really special that Caroline schedules social events that help you learn about French culture: authentic French cabaret performances, wine tastings, outings to French movies. I'd been looking a long time for a French class that I enjoyed; that felt doable time-wise; and that was challenging but not SO difficult that it was discouraging. I feel lucky to have found La Petite Ecole! Also -- I just went abroad (to Italy) for the first time since starting French at La Petite Ecole, and was thrilled to be able to actually converse with French tourists I met along the way. It's so exciting, and shows me the incredible progress I've made in a year!

Fantastic experience: I should have wrote this review three years ago when I first started learning French with Caroline at La Petite École Française in Pasadena. I was impressed from the very first day with Caroline's gentle teaching style with added humor and real-life situations. Caroline's method includes cultural understanding with a thorough knowledge of grammar, conjugations, etc. and even spoken French. Caroline is a French native and therefore you know the pronunciation is spot on and the stories she tells, pertaining to the lessons, are true cultural experiences. Classes are small allowing a lot of one-on-one time with a lot of interaction with fellow students. Caroline cares and ensures that you are understanding the curriculum. In addition to class time, Caroline arranges French-themed events to enhance your learning experience. Classes are available for children, adults, novice, intermediate and advanced with convenient class times to accommodate any schedule. I work for a French company and didn't know much French at all when I began studying at La Petite École Française. Taking these classes have helped me to improve my French and advance my career. I highly recommend Caroline and La Petite École Française for whatever your reason is to learn French easily and proficiently.

Fantastic experience: I have been taking French lessons at La Petite Ecole Française for 5 years and also private lessons with its owner, ma chèr amie, Caroline Busse. La Petite Ecole Française has made my dreams come true of speaking French. The French language has been something that has sparked something beautiful inside of me all my life and often in my dreams I would speak it fluently. Since I have a busy lifestyle I tried learning it on my own, but but that only took me so far. In looking online for in-person French lessons, I looked for a school that offered activities where we could experience the culture, private lessons, group lessons and a class schedule that gave me flexibility and choices. I was so lucky to find La Petite Ecole Française. After meeting Caroline at my first class, her passionate and creative way of teaching gave me confidence that I knew I had found the place where I would become a part of a French community. I have enjoyed learning not only the language, but I have made beautiful friendships while enjoying French theatre, food and wine, music, conversation, French book signings and French films! When my husband and I travel back to France, we experience it in a totally new and more familiar way. Now, after a few years of consistently studying under Caroline, I’m a part of a book club where we’re reading French books and we get together to discuss them exclusively in French! At the end of one of those sessions, I pinched myself! I could not believe I was in Pasadena having this incredible experience surrounded by a beautiful group of people, enjoying friendships, tea and pastries and in the middle of all this, Caroline...with her commitment to excellence to teach passionately and creatively in a small group setting where she can impact each one of her students. Merci mille fois, Caroline!

Fantastic experience: Caroline is an amazing instructor! She provides a supportive, relaxed, and friendly environment to learn. She is not only beyond qualified, but she makes the students feel very at ease...which is not always easy when learning something new! The classes are very interactive, practical, and address not only the language, but also the culture. In my opinion, the classes are personal and unique, because for her, teaching is personal. I'm about to complete my second series and I cannot imagine a better place to learn French! Claudia

Fantastic experience: I discovered that learning French is so much fun! Not only did I meet friends but I also learned French culture thru our teacher Caroline. I always look forward in attending our French class. The topics are interesting and fascinating. Our learning experience extends outside of class: we meet at french restaurants and Caroline will teach us the culture practice in France. So glad I found La Petite Ecole Francaise.

Fantastic experience: La Petite École Française is a true gem. Caroline Busse carefully tailors the instruction to match the levels of her students and is responsive to their needs. I studied French in school and lived in France for two years -- forty years later I am grateful to have found a personalized setting where I can practice, get immediate feedback, and enjoy French once again.

Fantastic experience: This school is the kind of place you would daydream about when wanting to take French class but then think "oh I'm sure that doesnt exist "well it DOES exist. Caroline is affordable, fun, friendly and most importantly, patient. I have made some wonderful friends along the way and always look forward to class when I am enrolled in a session. Other perks are all the outside of class activities she plans and that it is located in one of the best parts of LA--- Pasadena! So much to do nearby. Do yourself a favor and look no further. I can't wait to go back!

Fantastic experience: My son who is 9 years old has been taking French language lessons with Caroline for 8 months now and we couldn't be happier. Both my husband and I speak French as a second language but we were struggling to teach it to our child. Once he started taking a class with Caroline, his ability to speak French has expanded at a rapid rate. I am really impressed. He really enjoys going to French class and he has a really nice rapport with Caroline and likes and respects her. I would recommend La Petite Ecole Francaise to anyone -- child or adult.

Fantastic experience: I've been taking French classes at La Petite Ecole with Caroline for over a year now and it has been a fantastic experience. I started with French 101 after having visited Paris a few times and I'm now almost finished with the 100 level series. Caroline is a skilled teacher with exceptional attention to detail tailored to each student. The curriculum for each class level progresses naturally, reinforcing previous classes/lectures, and homework assignments are practical and align with material taught in the classroom. As a native French speaker and having studied the English language, Caroline is able to explain French language concepts to native English speakers in way that resonates and allows for critical learning of the language as opposed to simple memorization. The dynamic of the classroom environment is cheerful and fun, with tidbits of French culture sprinkled through lessons. If you're thinking about learning French, don't hesitate and enroll here, you won't be disappointed!

Fantastic experience: What a great experience it has been! Caroline has been helping me to learn a beautiful language and appreciate an amazing culture. Since visiting Paris in 2015 on my honeymoon, I'd been inspired to learn French but time went by and I never got around to taking a live course. Books and videos weren't enough. Thank goodness I came across La Petite Ecole Française! I've completed 7 classes and have no plans to stop! Caroline is a skilled instructor and a consummate professional. One of the most valuable things about her teaching style is the way she helps me practice speaking the language. When in class, she often shares experiences and paints a picture of French culture that makes me imagine actually being in France. The once/week sessions are perfect for me. Outside of class, Caroline hosts a variety of really fun get-togethers, and it feels like I’m with friends versus classmates only. In addition, she's patient and always available if I ever have questions. She truly goes out of her way to help. I'm a huge fan of La Petite Ecole Française. Looking forward to continuing onto the intermediate level and beyond!

Fantastic experience: I am a Francophile. I have taken a French class in another part of Los Angeles but that was class was not structured enough for me. I found Caroline’s class online and decided to sign up. That was a year ago. I am now on my fifth class with Caroline! The classes, usually an hour long, are the perfect length of time for me. In addition, Caroline’s structure and teaching technique works for me. She teaches not only the French language, but on the French culture as well. Every so often we have French events such as a Cabaret show or a performance at a French wine bar. (A plus is the new friends you will meet)! If you are thinking about learning French, I highly recommend taking classes with her.

Fantastic experience: I have been studying French for about five years (High school-College); however, lately I was losing motivation to continue French, because I had terrible experiences with some French professors. Caroline and this amazing school have been my saviors, I am more engaged in French than I ever was. In just one class at La Petit École Française I learned so much more than I have learned in school! The price is unbelievably affordable; I am looking forward to studying here for years to come. I am so happy that this place exists and I would certainly recommend it for anyone who wishes to learn or improve their French!