Can I really reach CLB 7 with online classes?

Yes. Most of our students study fully online. Classes are live and interactive: you speak in every session, a native teacher corrects you in real time, and a self-study lesson on the platform covers any evening you miss.

I work shifts. Will the schedule fit?

Group classes run on weekday evenings Pacific time, and a self-study lesson on the platform covers any session you miss. If your shifts move around a lot, private classes can be booked at the times that suit you, daytime included.

My English is already strong. Is French still worth it?

That is exactly when French pays best. Once your English scores are maxed, French is one of the few ways left to add CRS points, worth up to 50 points at CLB 7, and it qualifies you for French-language Express Entry draws with lower cut-offs.

TEF or TCF: which one should I take?

IRCC accepts both, and they test the same four skills with different task formats. Our program prepares you for both at once; you and your teacher choose your exam a few months before booking, based on your style and session availability.

Where do I sit the official TEF or TCF exam from Richmond?

You prepare with us, online or in our Gastown classroom. The exam itself is given by approved test centres in Metro Vancouver, a short trip from Richmond. When your mock scores say you're ready, we help you choose the session and book early. Seats fill fast.

French classes in Richmond: zero to CLB 7

A structured 12-month route to CLB 7, taught live by native teachers from France and Québec. Designed around Richmond's shift work and airport schedules, not around a fixed 9-to-5.

See plans and start dates See the TEF/TCF program

5.0

★★★★★

350+ Google reviews · all locations

A Learn French teacher in our Gastown classroom in Vancouver

A student joining a live online French class on a laptop

4,500+

Students trained

Native teachers

2017Teaching since

100%Online for Richmond

Palme Bleue: Chambre de Commerce Francophone de Vancouver

Winner · Palme Bleue 2026

Entreprise en Croissance (Growing Business)

Awarded by the Chambre de Commerce Francophone de Vancouver at its 2026 gala. Read the story →

Receiving the Palme Bleue 2026 on stage at the CCFV gala

Twelve months, from bonjour to CLB 7

The route runs entirely online in two phases: build the language first, then train for the exam, with CLB 5 in six to nine months and CLB 7 in twelve.

Richmond students holding their TEF and TCF certificates after finishing the program

Months 1–6

Build your French

Zero to conversational, level by level

Months 7–12

Master the TEF/TCF

Focused entirely on the exam

Months 1–3

First conversations

Grammar and vocabulary build week by week, and you are already stringing sentences together in class before the quarter is out.

Months 4–6

B1 level reached

You add past and future tenses and start holding 15-minute conversations, so by month six a real B1 is behind you, not ahead of you.

CLB 5 in 6–9 months, enough for Francophone Mobility

Months 7–9

Exam training begins

The material narrows to exactly what TEF and TCF test: timed drills, section-specific tactics, and the format both exams actually reward.

Months 10–12

Exam ready: CLB 7

Full-length mock exams and targeted speaking and writing sessions carry you to the point where booking the real thing feels routine.

CLB 7 in 12 months, the Express Entry milestone

+50

CRS points on the table

A CLB 7 result can lift a profile by up to 50 CRS points, and the federal French-language draws it unlocks have historically invited at scores well below the general pool's cut-off. Where almost everyone already scores well in English, that gap is what actually separates two similar files.

Enrollment open

Ready to start
your French in Richmond?

Pick your plan, your start date and how you pay. Every class is live on Zoom, shown in Pacific time.

1Your program

2Mode

3Starting date & time (Vancouver time)

4Payment

Please note: Due to limited class sizes, registrations are final within 15 days of your class start date. See our full terms and conditions.

Learn French students together at a school evening

In one of Canada's most international cities, French is the tiebreaker

A pool where strong English is already the norm, an airport that runs on two languages, and a class that fits between shifts.

Richmond

Everyone here already speaks strong English

Few cities in Canada are shaped by immigration the way Richmond is, which means few Express Entry pools are more competitive. When most applicants have already maxed their English score, French becomes one of the only scores left to raise.

YVR

An airport built on two languages

Richmond sits next to one of the busiest airports in the country, where customer-facing and government roles regularly ask for French alongside English. That demand exists whether or not you plan to work airside.

Shift-friendly

Built around shift work, not office hours

Group classes run weekday evenings; a self-study lesson on the platform covers whatever a late shift makes you miss. Airport schedules and warehouse rotations do not have to cost you a class.

Student stories

Transformation,
in their words.

5.0

★★★★★

350+ Google reviews · all locations

Tabatha Moreira

★★★★★

Justine is a wonderful and caring French teacher who makes our online classes enjoyable, engaging, and welcoming. I really appreciate her attention to each student and the time she takes to correct our videos and audio recordings, helping us learn from our mistakes and improve with confidence. She always encourages everyone to participate and makes sure we feel comfortable practising French, even when we make mistakes. I also love how she brings extra examples and introduces new vocabulary, helping us expand our knowledge and use French in everyday situations. Her patience, dedication, and enthusiasm make a real difference in our learning experience. Thank you, Justine, for making our online French classes so positive and motivating!

Oluchi Henry-Uche

★★★★★

During Martha's teaching, I was able to learn better. The homework correction also helped. Her Google Drive organization, breakout rooms and lots more. Finally, I enjoyed her classes.

Jasmin Lucas

★★★★★

Learning French is a different kind of experience, and having Justine as our teacher makes it so much more enjoyable! She is kind, patient, and very approachable. She encourages us to participate, practice, and learn without being afraid of making mistakes. I truly appreciate her support, patience, and positive attitude. I’m happy to have her as my Level 1 French teacher!

Lawrance Singh

★★★★★

Great french instructors especially Justine, she's confident, really straight forward, helped many outside class time. The instructor made learning french for me fun and simple.

Victor Chu

★★★★★

I live in Calgary and took French classes with Justin. She is extremely patient, knowledgeable, and engaging! Her teaching style and methods really helped me focus on improving my grammar and pronunciation. Highly recommended!

Athira Krishnan

★★★★★

The best institution to learn french in a most natural way. My tutor was Anne, she is the best. Very friendly, always there for us to help to improve a lot. I really had lot of fun in her class as well.

A Learn French class in session, the same teachers Richmond students meet on Zoom

Bonjour de Steveston !Live from BrighouseCLB 7, from home

Live on Zoom, weeknight evenings

Few places in Canada are shaped by immigration like Richmond, which makes its Express Entry pool one of the most competitive around. French is the advantage most of your competition never builds. Here is how it reaches your desk.

Live on Zoom, weekday evenings

Small evening groups on Pacific time. You speak in every session and get corrected on the spot. A real class with a real teacher, not a video library.

Native teachers from France and Québec

The same 26 native teachers who run our Gastown classes teach Richmond's online cohorts: one curriculum, both French accents your exam might use.

Late shift at YVR? Catch up on the platform.

Live classes are not recorded, but the platform carries a self-study lesson on the same material. Airport schedules, restaurant closes, overtime: none of it breaks your progress.

Prefer a room over a screen sometimes? Gastown is 25 minutes away

The full course works end to end online, and every Richmond student can finish it without ever leaving home. If you would rather sit in a real room now and then, one is there: 319 W Hastings St #400 in Gastown, inside L'Atelier co-working space, a single Canada Line ride from Richmond-Brighouse, roughly 25 minutes each way.

A one-line trip is realistic for a placement test or an occasional session in a way a multi-transfer commute would not be, which is exactly why it works for Richmond. Your online cohort keeps its own schedule whether you show up in person once, often, or never.

All of Richmond, one login

From the dyke trails to the Canada Line, class is wherever your laptop is. Evenings, Pacific time.

City CentreBrighouseStevestonTerra NovaBroadmoorBlundellIronwoodHamiltonBridgeportEast Cambie

Questions

Asked by
Richmond students

What Richmond PR candidates want to know before they start.

Still unsure?

Bring your question to the live Q&A: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 PM Vancouver time. Real instructors, real answers.

Ask us live →

No. Classes for Richmond students run live online, in the evenings Pacific time. If you'd like an in-person day now and then, our Gastown classroom in Vancouver is about 25 minutes from Richmond-Brighouse station on the Canada Line, with the same programs and teachers.

From our teachers’ blog