The Main line french institute
The Main Line
French Institute
Academic Rigor. Linguistic Mastery. Intellectual Growth
We provide rigorous French language after-school courses that prepare students for advanced proficiency and exams like the AP, IB, or DELF. We empower learners to reach their full potential through expert instruction and a supportive, challenging environment built for academic success.
Our Mission
The Main Line French Institute is dedicated to the study of the French language and the francophone world. Rooted in the classical tradition, the Institute offers rigorous language instruction, internationally recognized certification pathways, and a genuine encounter with French literature, thought, and culture — for students of all ages and backgrounds.
Our programs are designed to give students both the linguistic precision and the cultural depth to take part in that conversation with confidence.
We believe that learning French is more than acquiring a skill; it is entering a centuries-old conversation and engaging with one of the great cultural traditions of Western civilization.
our courses
DELF | DALF
The Institute prepares students for the official French proficiency examinations of the French Ministry of Education.
Our DELF A2 preparation anchors the early certification pathway, while our DALF C1 course serves advanced students seeking the highest levels of academic and professional certification. These diplomas are recognized worldwide and are valid for life.
For high school students in the region, the Institute offers targeted preparation for the AP French Language and Culture examination and the IB French curriculum.
These courses draw on years of experience guiding students to success in both programs, and are open to students from any school.
AP | IB
Monday
16h00 – 17h30
Tutoring
Currently Offering
Tuesday
17h15 – 18h45
DALF C1
Inquiries about IB French language A & B and other levels? Contact Us
Wednesday
16h00 – 17h30
Tutoring
15h00 – 18h00
IB Language A
Juniors & Seniors
Thursday
17h00 – 18h30
DELF A2
DELF B2
Our Team
The Institute was founded by Gilles Portier, teacher and Director of the French Department at the Main Line Classical Academy (MLCA), and co-developed with Mélanie Trudeau, teacher at MLCA.
Together they bring decades of experience in French-language education in France, Canada and the United States, including secondary school teaching, IB and AP instruction, and examination preparation at every level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Gilles Portier
Mélanie Trudeau
Join Us
Advanced Curriculum
Whether your child is taking their first steps in French, preparing for an official examination, or ready to read Honoré de Balzac in the original, the French Institute has a place for them.
We invite you to explore our programs and to join a community where the French language is taught with rigor, warmth, and delight.
Our immersion program pushes students toward linguistic fluency through a rigorous, research-based curriculum integrating French history and literature.
Intellectual Growth
Distinguished educators cultivate a high-achieving environment, fostering intellectual curiosity and identifying individual pathways to bilingual accomplishment.
Global Leadership
Through immersion, we prepare elite scholars for leadership in a bilingual world, grounded in critical inquiry and a sophisticated understanding of cultural differences.