Learn French in São Paulo
São Paulo's French connection goes back to the founding of its university in 1934, when French professors helped build the new faculties. The Aliança Francesa opened in the city that same year.
French in São Paulo
Portuguese is Brazil's official language and French has no official role in São Paulo, but it has shaped the city's intellectual life. When the Universidade de São Paulo was founded in January 1934, French academics recruited for what USP calls the French Mission helped design its courses; Claude Lévi-Strauss and Fernand Braudel later taught there. The Aliança Francesa has taught French in São Paulo since 1934. The Lycée Pasteur, also called the Lycée International Français de São Paulo, teaches the French curriculum and has been linked to the AEFE since 1985. Brazil also shares a land border of about 730 km with France, through French Guiana, the longest border France has with any country.
Why people in São Paulo learn French
São Paulo residents learn French for academic, business and personal reasons. Researchers and students use it for exchanges with French universities and grandes écoles, and French remains a strong language in social sciences, philosophy and law. French companies in cars, energy, retail and cosmetics have major operations in Brazil, often run from São Paulo. Others are planning to emigrate to Canada and need the TEF or TCF, both offered at the Aliança Francesa. Portuguese speakers also find French easier than many languages because of shared Latin roots, which makes it a popular second foreign language after English.
The French you'll hear
São Paulo has no local French variety, so learners aim for the standard French of France, the basis of the DELF and of Aliança Francesa teaching. Portuguese speakers recognise much French vocabulary, but false friends are common: « attendre » means to wait, not to attend, and « la salade » is lettuce or salad. Brazilians usually pronounce nasal vowels well but need to work on French vowel contrasts like u and ou, and on keeping word stress even. If Canada is the goal, add some Québec listening later.
- Je suis brésilien, de São Paulo.I am Brazilian, from São Paulo.
- Je fais un échange universitaire en France.I am doing a university exchange in France.
- Ce mot ressemble au portugais.This word looks like Portuguese.
- Je voudrais immigrer au Canada.I would like to immigrate to Canada.
- Il fait très chaud aujourd'hui.It is very hot today.
French exams in São Paulo
The Aliança Francesa de São Paulo, teaching in the city since 1934, states that it is authorised by the French Ministry of Education to administer its international exams. Its website lists three exam families: the DELF and DALF, the TCF and the TEF, the last two often used for Canadian immigration. Check its exams section for current sessions and registration.
Check dates and fees with the exam centre directly; they change every session.
Where to start in the course
French Ultimate is an online course, so you can follow it from São Paulo or anywhere else. These topics are the most useful here:
Questions about learning French in São Paulo
Is French easy for Portuguese speakers?
Reading usually comes quickly because so many words share Latin roots. Listening and spelling take more effort, since French drops many final sounds. Watch out for false friends. French Ultimate starts with sound and listening practice, so Brazilian learners do not rely only on what they can guess from written words.
Does French Ultimate have classes in São Paulo?
No. French Ultimate is an online course with no school, teachers, partners or events in São Paulo or elsewhere in Brazil. You study with video lessons, speaking exercises and graded stories, and take DELF and DALF mock exams online. The official exams are taken at the Aliança Francesa de São Paulo.
Which exam do I need for a master's in France?
French-taught master's programmes commonly ask for a DELF B2 or a TCF result at B2. Some English-taught programmes require no French at all. Check each programme's admission page and the Campus France Brasil site. The DELF is valid for life, while the TCF result is generally valid for two years.
Learn French from São Paulo, at your own pace
Animated video lessons that stop for your answers, speaking practice, graded stories and DELF/DALF mock exams, from A1 to C2. Start with the free placement test to see where you are.
Take the placement test