Thank you, we received 600 applications and will start reviewing them. If you have applied, you will receive an email with the decision by Sept. 9, 2025
Please note that you need to apply and be selected to be registered and attend the classes.
Location: 109 East 60th Street, NYC (next to the church) or on Zoom
Schedule: Sundays, 9–10am or 10–11am (Sept–June)
Application period: August 1st-31st each year (outside of this period, for any level other than beginner, please contact us. For beginner level, please set a reminder for the next month of August)
Cost: Free
Before You Apply
Please read this page carefully. During the application period, to ensure every applicant does read this page, the application link is embedded in a sentence and may not look like a link, but the sentence says that this is the application link. Outside of the application period there is no application link on this page.
How It Works
- Classes are free and have been offered since 1884.
- You must apply and be selected by a draw of chance.
- The application takes 1 hour, tests your motivation and attention, and is challenging.
- Even with a perfect score, acceptance is not guaranteed due to high demand.
- Current acceptance rate: 75% or less.
Application and Classes FAQs
Please click on each question to collapse and read the answer, it does cover things that will be in the application test.
Can I just register?
No. You must complete the application to the best of your ability and be selected through a draw of chance.
Do I need to know French to apply?
No. The questions are either attention-based to test your motivation (where the answer is in the question itself), ask simple facts about France that you can google, or follow real class instructions stating a grammar rule and asking you to find the right answer by applying that rule.
(Ex: If I tell you that the adjective grand ends with an e in its feminine form, what is the feminine form of grand? a. grande b. grandi c. grands d. gran).
This ensure that if you end up attending the class you will be able to succeed. This also gives you more chances to get in as it dramatically reduces the number of internet ‘drifters’ – before complicating the application process, the acceptance rate was below 25%, with a significant dropout rate.
Can I apply to more than one level?
No. Only one application per person. Read each class description and choose carefully—wrong-level applications cannot be switched, and double applications will be automatically deleted.
How are students selected?
Based on application performance and a lottery system. High scores are placed in a pool, and names are drawn. Every year we get ~500 applications for ~200 open spots. More than half score a perfect score. Pay attention, as some of the first questions about the classes themselves (like the day they are held) are eliminatory – if you apply without knowing when the classes are held for example, it’s likely you do not know what you’re applying for and did not plan to attend.
I applied for years and never got in—can I get priority?
Sadly, no. There are no exceptions. You’re welcome to apply again if you did not get in in a prior year.
The picture shows an infant classroom, is this where the classes are held?
We hold our classes in the space that is available to us as a small parish. This means that we hold our classes in a shared space with a pre-school, and that the seats and tables are made for infants (very small, not comfortable, please look at the picture in the header of this page). A small amount of folding chairs are available in the entrance of the church but they may not be available every time you attend.
Other rules to know and agree to before you apply:
- Classes are on Sunday mornings. This may not be for you if you cannot commit to attend regularly. You need to make sure you’re ready to wake up every Sunday morning and apply yourself. This is not a program for you if you are only willing to attend when you have time for it.
- We let in more students than we have spots to comfortably fit everybody because within a month or two, about 15% drop out due to change in availability or lack of motivation. This means that the first month or two of classes (especially the first one) may be overcrowded with students standing up. Please make sure you are ok with this.
- We try to accommodate your choice between 9am and 10am but due to the high demand, if you are selected, you may end up at 9am if you chose 10am or vice-versa. You need to apply only if you can attend both these times regardless of your preference.
- You will need to study at home. 1h a week is not enough to learn a foreign language. Please, make sure you are committed to this.
- Tardiness delays everyone, so we will likely close the door or leave you in the waiting room on Zoom if you are late. Please make sure you are willing to be respectful of others and be punctual.
- You must take your trash with you when you leave (we cannot use the preschool trash cans).
- If you do use a folding chair from the entrance of the church, it is required to bring it back down and put it back when your class is over.
- If you apply and get selected, you agree to follow these rules.
Class Levels and Descriptions
Level: Beginner
For:
- True beginners, or most with only ‘high school French’, or those who haven’t studied in a long time and want to go over the basics again.
Teacher:
- Joris
Expectations:
- Punctuality!
- Be able to follow in a fast-paced environment
- Complete homework (2+ hrs/week)
- Weekly participation (in person)
Other:
- Remote viewing option available. Note: Remote students can observe live classes but can’t participate. A Discord server is available for questions.
- YouTube review materials available below for this class.
Level: Intermediate
For:
- Students who can confidently conjugate common verbs in: Present, past (passé-composé, imparfait), near future, recent past
Teachers:
- Nigel (in person): grammar focus
- Ruth (remote): pronunciation & conversation
Expectations:
- Punctuality!
- Weekly participation and preparation
- Consistent attendance
- Complete sentences in conversation
Level: Conversation
For:
- Fluent French speakers only
Important:
- Applicants who don’t meet the level will not be placed in a lower class
Teachers:
- Guillaume (in person)
- Nassima (Zoom, 9am only)
Expectations:
- Punctuality!
- Full participation and punctuality
- Topics vary throughout the year
Teachers
Guillaume: Guillaume came to Saint Esprit in 2006 and was elected to the Vestry in 2009, and as Junior Warden in 2011. Originally from Togo in West Africa, he comes from a historically important religious family, as his grandfather was one of Togo’s first evangelists. Guillaume completed studies in Togo, Germany and Canada, and is fluent in French, English and German. He is a graphic artist and master printer by trade, trained in Germany to supervise Heidelberg high-speed presses. Guillaume and his wife Philippine have three children, Jonathan, Johan and Josué. On Sundays, Guillaume often serves as a lay reader and leads the Prayers of the People, for Sunday services, and is a choir member. Guillaume has been the driving force behind Saint Esprit’s Afrique Fête, an annual celebration every summer whose liturgy and reception celebrate African cultures and spiritual expression.
Joris: The Rev. Deacon Joris Bürmann was born and raised in Brittany, France. He graduated in Humanities and French literature from the Sorbonne and the École normale supérieure (Paris) where he also received a certificate in teaching French as a foreign language (FLE). He’s passionate about literature and how writing, reading, and discussing what we read can open up our worldview and help us live more fully as humans. He’s also St Esprit’s Theologian in Residence, Deacon, and a graduate in Divinity.
Nassima: [coming soon] Nassima teaches this class only at 9am on Zoom
Nigel: The Rev. Nigel Massey is the Rector (Priest) of St. Esprit, where he has been working for almost thirty years. Before coming to America he lived and worked in Paris and London after graduating from Birmingham University (UK) and Oxford University (UK) in Ancient Egyptian, Theology, Ministry and Islamic Studies.
Ruth: Born in Brooklyn, Ruth is an enthusiastic Francophile. She received her BA in French from Queens College and her MA from the U. of Nevada. She taught French and Spanish in Reno and Sacramento high schools for many years before returning to Brooklyn five years ago. Her French travels have included Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux and Rouen. In 2017 she attended the Sorbonne Summer University to continue her life-long study of French Literature. Currently involved in several French meet-ups, she also participates in two French book clubs!
Ready to Apply?
Make sure you have:
- A computer (not phone or tablet)
- 1 hour of uninterrupted time
- Strong internet connection
- Read this full page and chose the level for which you will apply
- Chosen your level
Reminder:
- As you have read before (because you read this page carefully before jumping to this section 😊), the link to the application is embedded somewhere in the text of this page in a sentence that states that the link is there — go back to that sentence and click it, or go back to the top to read the page (Note: it may not look like a link).
Any other question (except “I could not find the link to the application”! which will simply get the answer “Go back and read the page” and “I missed the application period what can I do” which will result in the same), please click here to use our contact form.