I have been taking classes at Alliance Francaise since August 2005. I am in the process of learning the basics, and have met a lot of interesting and cool people.
The teachers really try to lay the groundwork for speaking the language, rather than focusing on grammar and writing (although that's part of it too). The facilities are a little small, but only seem that way because of the many, many students, teachers and other Francophiles milling about.
The library is very comprehensive with books, CDs, and DVDs/videos.
Alliance Francaise offers short term, intensive classes, 10 week (1 class/week) courses and more. The other night I was waiting for my classroom to open up and was forced to endure the wonderful smells from a French cooking class; I plan on signing up for one as soon as I can!
The Alliance, at Chicago and Dearborn, is also easy to get to; the Red Line is a block away and there are several bus routes. The Brown Line is about a 10+ minute walk away.
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