Savoir Plus

French is a beautiful language and Elisabeth is the perfect teacher to show you all of its beauty.
Not only do we learn a new language, we also learn a new culture. I love how she explains the history and cultural connotations behind the words and grammar structures. That is how studying language should be like. In addition, I am always fascinated when I listen to her stories and her perspective about various subjects.
Besides her prevalent passion for teaching French, another great quality of Elisabeth that makes her a great teacher is that she really challenges and pushes her students. She wants to make sure that we practice regularly and that we make progress.
I have studied French for 12 years in the past and after 6 years of not even thinking about it, I stumbled upon Elisabeth’s class and I have once again fallen in love with this beautiful language and Elisabeth. She has helped me tremendously in regaining what I’d learned in the past as well as strengthening it and becoming more comfortable using it.
I worked at a restaurant where many French travelers frequent. Thanks to Elisabeth, I was able to charm many of my French customers, which made my job a lot more enjoyable and fun.
THINKING OF LEARNING FRENCH? SAVOIR PLUS IS WHERE YOU GO !

I wish Elisabeth was my high school teacher! I took French with her recently and the time I spent with her didn’t feel like «work.» We always had a lot of fun laughing and learning — and not just stoic language stuff but slang and curse words too! What joy. :) What’s nice is that she’ll come to you — she came to my workplace (we had about 10 people in the class) and that was great. I’m sad I had to stop the classes because of other classes I needed to take and I miss Elisabeth. If you want to brush up on French or learn the language, look no further than Ms. Bonamour du Tarte (yes, that’s her name but it’s only part of it!!!). You won’t regret it, I promise.

I studied French with Elisabeth years ago at the Alliance Française, and took a break for a few years once my first kid arrived. I only recently discovered, thanks to the magic of Google, that Elisabeth has founded her own school, Savoir Plus. I signed up immediately.
Like most Americans, I studied a second language in high school: 4 years of French. And like most Americans, at the end of it, I could barely order a croissant. For years, I believed I would never speak or comprehend another language.
Seven years ago, I enrolled in French classes at the Alliance Française on a whim. My first teacher was OK. One week, I missed a class and did a make-​up class with Elisabeth. Elisabeth was so animated, energetic and dynamic that it felt like the material from several hours with my first teacher were compressed into one. I stuck with Elisabeth, and studied French with her for three years.
Within months, I was making progress that I never anticipated. I could follow clearly what this fast-​talking (in advanced levels!) Frenchwoman was saying. I could listen to Radio France Internationale or Europe1 and understand the newscasters. I could comfortably read Le Monde or Libération. Under her tutelage, I was mastering French grammar to the point where it was helping my English grammar. In class, we read novels by Anna Gavalda, and in my spare time, I went back and read books I read in high school in translation — Candide and L’Étranger — in French. She had us watch classic French comedies like «Le dîner de cons» and «Le bonheur est dans le pré» that were hilarious and further trained my ear.
Elisabeth adapts readily to all levels of students. At the advanced levels, she speaks quickly, but with great clarity. She is great fun to listen to. She is super-​serious about ensuring that you master French grammar and pronunciation, but she’s not above teaching you to swear, too. Studying with Elisabeth is a cultural education, not just a language education. You’ll hear about current events in France, about the big names in French politics, about how a drunk Serge Gainsbourg once scandalized Whitney Houston on a TV show… everything. If you read a short story with her, she’ll dig into all of the cultural subtleties, indicators of class; she’ll show you how a French person would read it.
It’s rare to meet someone who loves their work as much as Elisabeth does. She teaches a full slate of classes as a one-​woman show that other French schools need a staff of 10+ people to cover. If you go elsewhere for French language instruction, it’s a crapshoot on the quality of the teacher you get. At Savoir Plus, you can be assured, you are getting *première classe*.

J’adore Elisabeth!
I studied French all through high school, college and did a semester abroad in Paris. Elisabeth is the best instructor I’ve ever had. She teaches everything from grammar to cultural things that only a French person would know. She is extremely warm, kind and funny-I’ve never laughed so much in a French class.
I highly recommend Elisabeth and Savoir Plus.

Elisabeth Bonamour du Tartre is the best French language teacher I have ever had. I started studying French at Alliance Francaise de la Havane, Cuba. I later moved to the USA and continued studying at the French Institute in New York City. Later on, when I moved to San Francisco and signed up at the Alliance Francaise, I was very fortunate to have Elisabeth as my new teacher. She made our conversation class so entertaining, so much fun, time would fly. I now live in Florida, and Barcelona, Spain. Elisabeth, I wish you continued success in your new school, a great plus to the beautiful city of San Francisco.

I’ve studied French since grammar school, on and off, and Elisabeth Bonamour du Tartre is the best professor I’ve ever had. She is wry, witty, fun, engaging, and incredibly passionate about language and learning. You cannot go wrong in pursuing any classes under her guidance or tutelage.

I’ve taken french classes for years both here and in French. Elisabeth is by far and away the best teacher I’ve ever had. She completely made the difference in my understanding french and french culture. Well worth every penny.

I have taken French for many years and have had many teachers, and Elisabeth is THE BEST. First of all, she is the most engaging teacher — she gets everyone to participate, will take the time to correct your mistakes but in an encouraging way. Second, her classes are always a load of fun and laughter. Third, her educational and personal background gives her an exceptional grasp of the French language, culture, and history, as well as an intense curiosity into other cultures that gives you an appreciation of the often missed details that are unique to each culture. This is probably why she has an answer for every question you could have as to why something is said /​written in a certain way. Instead of telling you «well that’s just the way it is,» she will tell you why the specific grammatical structure denotes the French cultural understanding (often different from American understanding) of uncertainty, reasoning, truths, opinions, and of course, love.
Take a class with her and see for yourself.

Jai rencontré Elisabeth à l’Alliance Française de San Francisco en 2006. J’ai suivi des cours de conversation avec elle. Elisabeth avait toujours beaucoup d’énergie et était passionnée par son métier, la langue française ainsi que par dautres langues étrangères, ce qui montrait son espirit d’ouverture. Ses classes de conversation etaient toujours dynamiques et tous les élèves étaient assez à l’aise pour participer et s’exprimer.
Je vous recommande Elisabeth si vous êtes, comme moi, passionnés par la langue et la culture françaises.

Savoir Plus is by far the best French language school I’ve found in San Francisco.
If you’re looking to make a break from memorize-​the-​verbs Franco-​factories then Savoir Plus is for you.
I’ve had several French teachers over the years and none have come close to the level of knowledge, passion, and dedication of my Savoir Plus professor. I leave each and every class feeling engaged and inspired.
I used to study at Alliance Française, but things there took a turn for the worse recently (unqualified teachers, rude staff, poorly maintained facilities). I felt like a passenger on the Titanic as it searched for the perfect iceberg. I jumped ship.
I’ve been very happy at Savoir Plus and recommend it whole-​heartedly!