Learning a foreign language in the Self-training area

English, Spanish, German but also, Navajo, Sami or Zulu… More than 250 languages or dialects, from the most common to very rare, can be learnt in this space.

Rayonnages de méthodes de langues à l'espace autoformation de la Bpi
Rayonnages de méthodes de langues à l’espace autoformation de la Bpi © Bpi, 2019

Language learning methods

You’ll find language learning methods on different media (books, DVD, CD, websites and e-learning platforms). You can also use educational documents and watch foreign films in the original version as well as use manuals, magazines, grammar guides or dictionaries.

Consult the list of language families offered at the Bpi, as well as the languages ​​and dialects from A to Z.

The librarians propose presentations of language learning methods which are posted on the website’s home page and in the agenda.
To supplement your learning, you can take part in various workshops: beginner’s French, conversation in French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French as a Foreign Language writing workshops…

Workshops to start speaking French

Introduction to oral communication in French workshops are offered every Friday at 1pm. These workshops use the language learning methods available in the Independent Learning space and are led by librarians.

Conversation workshops in 4 languages

If you already master the basics of a language, you can also take part in conversation workshops in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French as a Foreign Language (FLE).

Each second Friday of the month, the French workshop will be lead at the museum of the Centre Pompidou at 4pm. Once a quarter, on Fridays at 6pm, an FLE film club gives the opportunity to discuss and debate after watching a film subtitled in French.

French as a Foreign Language writing workshops

A writer coaches you in writing stories in French related to current affairs on the first Friday of each month at 7.30pm.

Events

For the occasion of French language week or the European Day of Languages, the Independent Learning service programmes events like shows, competitions or Speed language dating… giving opportunities for surprising encounters around languages.

Watch television from around the world

On one of the internet stations available for your use in the library or on your smartphone, tablet or laptop connected to the Bpi internet network, you can also watch several news or cultural channels on the Internet