Online · live with a teacher · A1 to C2 · tailored
Business French Courses and Corporate Training for Your Employees
CECFQ designs live online French training for your employees, from beginner A1 to advanced C2. We cover general and business French, targeted training and exam preparation, with progress reports for HR. Programs start at 10 hours and are built around your team’s levels, roles, goals and schedule. We work with companies in Quebec, across Canada, in the US and worldwide.
Quebec non-profit · Accredited TEF test centre · FLE/FLS teachers and examiners · Live on Microsoft Teams
Learning business French for yourself? See our courses for individuals
What we can build for your team
- General French — all four skills, at every level
- Business and workplace French — meetings, emails, calls, clients
- Targeted training — one skill, role or sector
- Exam preparation — TEF, TCF, DFP, DELF and DALF
- Reports for HR — initial assessment, mid-course check and final assessment
Who our business French courses are for
Quebec companies
Teams whose employees’ first language isn’t French and who need French for everyday work and to fit into a French-speaking workplace.
Employers hiring newcomers
Companies recruiting foreign professionals and new immigrants who need both general and workplace French.
Multi-site and remote teams
Organizations with several locations or remote staff: online training brings everyone into the same program.
US and international companies
Teams that work with Quebec or other French-speaking markets: corporate French lessons at every level, with workplace communication and Quebec-specific usage when needed.
Corporate French lessons for US teams working with Quebec
Does your sales, support or operations team talk to clients, suppliers or colleagues in Quebec? We train them live on Microsoft Teams, from beginner to advanced, on the situations they actually face: calls, emails, meetings and site visits. They learn standard French that works in any French-speaking market, plus the Quebec vocabulary and pronunciation they’ll hear from your Quebec contacts. Classes run on Eastern Time and are scheduled around your team’s working hours.
Get a proposal for your teamProgress tracking your HR team can use
Your organization needs to know whether the training meets its goals. Every program includes several follow-up steps:
1
Initial assessment
We assess each participant’s level in the four CEFR skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing) and the goals to work on.
2
Ongoing follow-up
The teacher tracks attendance, progress and difficulties.
3
Mid-course progress check
Halfway through, the teacher reassesses each participant, compares the results with the starting level and shows them what has improved and what still needs work.
4
Program adjustment
When needed, we adapt the content and priorities to the results.
5
Final assessment
We measure the progress made by the end of the training.
6
Report for your organization
HR receives a summary: attendance, progress, skills developed, goals reached, points to strengthen and our recommendations. On request, participants also receive a CECFQ certificate for each level or sub-level completed. It is a school certificate, separate from official exams such as the TEF or DELF.
How we start
1
Tell us about your team
How many people, where they work and what they need French for. The form at the bottom of this page takes two minutes.
2
We set up a call
We reply within 24 hours to schedule a short call at a time that suits you and talk through your team’s needs, goals, format and schedule.
3
We assess each participant
A level assessment for every employee lets us build consistent groups and, when needed, smaller sub-groups.
4
You receive a custom proposal
Format, number of hours, schedule and price, built for your team.
Your team is unique. Its training should be too.
Two employees can work for the same company without having the same French level or the same needs. That’s why we start by understanding who needs training, in what context and for what goal.
General French
For employees who need to build or strengthen their French across all skills: understanding, speaking and interaction. Programs run from beginner A1 to advanced C2.
Business and workplace French
French for business, built around the situations your staff actually face: taking part in a meeting, talking with colleagues or clients, writing an email, answering the phone, following instructions and using work documents.
Targeted training
A very specific need? We focus the training on one skill, one role or one work context, with the vocabulary and situations of your sector (see the industries below).
Exam preparation
For organizations that want to support employees toward a certification or an official language goal: preparation for the TEF, TCF, DFP (Diplômes de français professionnel), DELF and DALF, with practice, strategies, mock tests and feedback.
Based on each participant’s level assessment, we build consistent groups, adapt the content to their roles and plan the schedule around your constraints. For the planning side, see our guide to structuring corporate French training in Quebec.
French training for employees: one-on-one or in a group
One-on-one
For managers, executives and specialists with a specific goal, or any employee who needs fully personalized support.
Group: up to 6 participants
For employees at a similar level working toward shared goals, with plenty of interaction and role-play between participants, such as meetings, negotiations and client service.
Classes run 1 to 5 times a week, in the morning, at lunchtime, in the evening or on weekends. The length, schedule and price are set with you, based on levels, goals, number of participants and the pace you want.
Business French for your industry
We build the vocabulary and situations of your field into the training, so employees practise the French they actually use at work.
Healthcare and social services
Patient intake, explaining care, talking with families, writing notes and working with French-speaking colleagues.
Manufacturing and technical trades
Safety instructions, production meetings, maintenance reports and clear communication on the shop floor.
Hospitality and tourism
Welcoming guests, the front desk, restaurant service and handling requests and complaints.
Retail and customer service
Serving customers, answering the phone, explaining products and solving problems in French.
Business, finance and professional services
Meetings, presentations, client emails, negotiations and reports in a professional French register.
IT and tech
Stand-ups, technical discussions, documentation, support tickets and working with French-speaking clients.
Sector-specific training starts at level A2: beginners first build workplace-oriented general French, then add their field as they progress. Your sector isn’t listed? Other industries on request: tell us what your team does, and we’ll adapt the content.
Get a proposal for your teamBill 96 and francization: where training fits
Quebec’s Charter of the French language, strengthened by Bill 96 in 2022, gives workers the right to carry on their activities in French. As a rule, every employer must publish job offers, draw up written employment contracts and write to staff in French. Businesses that employ 25 or more people in Quebec for six months must also register with the OQLF for francization; since June 1, 2025, this includes companies with 25 to 49 employees.
The Charter doesn’t require employers to provide French courses as such. Once a business is in the francization process, its program covers the generalized use of French, including French proficiency among management and staff (s. 141), and training is one of the tools businesses commonly use to get there. The francization certificate itself is issued by the OQLF, not by a school.
For the details, read our guide to Bill 96 for Quebec employers. This section is general information, not legal advice.
Live online classes with a teacher
Our online programs aren’t self-paced modules. Participants work live with their teacher: they speak, practise, ask questions and get feedback throughout the training.
Online training removes travel time while keeping the human interaction a language needs.
Prefer a teacher at your office? For companies in the Greater Montreal area, in-person classes at your premises can be arranged case by case. Tell us about your project and we’ll find the right setup.
Why choose CECFQ for corporate language training
A Quebec centre dedicated to French
The Centre d’enseignement et de certification du français du Québec is a Quebec non-profit organization specializing in teaching French, assessing language levels and administering official French exams. CECFQ is an accredited TEF test centre and an affiliated DELF-DALF exam centre.
Experience with companies
We train teams in sectors such as restaurants, finance and technology. One company has been training with us since spring 2026: employees at many levels, new participants joining along the way, and a group now preparing for an official exam. Another company’s team is learning French from scratch.
French as it’s used in Quebec
Our approach starts from where your employees actually use French. In Quebec, that includes the vocabulary, usage and sociolinguistic realities of their workplace.
Teachers who specialize in adults
Our teachers are French as a foreign and second language (FLE/FLS) professionals with experience teaching adults, and our team includes licensed examiners. Programs follow the CEFR levels and use leading FLE/FLS teaching resources from Quebec and France.
Corporate French training: frequently asked questions
- Is the training online or in person? Can a teacher come to our office?
Our programs run online on Microsoft Teams, live with a teacher. For companies in the Greater Montreal area, a teacher can also come to your office: we arrange this case by case, depending on your location, schedule and project. Tell us what you need.
- Is there a minimum number of hours or participants?
Programs start at 10 hours of training, and one participant is enough: one-on-one is one of our formats. We then set the length with you based on participants’ levels, your goals, the number of people and the pace you want.
- How long does it take to see progress?
It depends on each participant’s starting level, the number of hours per week and how much they use French between classes. After the initial assessment, we estimate the training volume needed for your goal and include it in the proposal; the mid-course progress check then shows whether the pace is right.
- How much does corporate French training cost?
Every program is built for your organization, so we prepare a custom proposal based on the format, the number of participants and the volume of training. Tell us about your project to receive it.
- Do participants need a Microsoft Teams account?
No. Each participant receives a link to the class and joins as a guest, without creating an account: from a web browser on a computer, or from the free Teams app on a phone or tablet. All they need is a microphone and, ideally, a camera.
- What about public holidays and rescheduled classes?
We plan the calendar with you: there are no classes on public holidays, on our side or yours. Rescheduling and cancellation terms are agreed with each company and written into your proposal, so everyone knows the rules before training starts.
- Which currency do you invoice in?
We invoice in Canadian dollars, including for companies in the US. Payment terms are set out in your proposal before training starts.
- Is French training required under Bill 96?
Not as a standalone rule. For businesses in the francization process, the program must cover the use of French across the business, including staff proficiency, and training is one common way to meet it. The francization certificate itself is issued by the OQLF. See our guide to Bill 96 for employers.
- Do employees receive a certificate?
Yes, on request. We issue a CECFQ certificate for each level or sub-level a participant completes, adapted to what your organization needs. It documents the training and is separate from official exam results such as the TEF or DELF.
- Can you train employees at different levels?
Yes. We assess each participant first, then build consistent groups or one-on-one programs.
- Do you work with US companies?
Yes. We work with US and international companies whose employees deal with Quebec or other French-speaking markets: clients, suppliers, partners or a Quebec office. Training is live and online on Microsoft Teams, so your team can join from any state.
- Which time zone are classes in?
We’re based in Montreal, on Eastern Time, the same as New York or Boston. We schedule classes around your team’s working hours, and for teams in other time zones, we agree on time slots that work for both sides.
- Do you teach Quebec French or international French?
Both. Employees learn standard French that works with any French-speaking market, and if they work with Quebec, we add the vocabulary and pronunciation they’ll hear from Quebec clients and colleagues, along with local workplace conventions.
Let’s build your program
Have a few employees to support, or want to set up a French program for a whole team? Tell us about your project. Together we’ll set the format, level, goals, training volume and schedule.