LEWISTON — The Franco-American Heritage Center will begin another series of French classes, one for children and two for adults, later this month.

“Fun in French” classes for kids between the ages of 4 and 10, who must be accompanied by a parent or other adult caregiver, will begin Saturday, March 23. The remaining four classes will be held April 13, April 20, May 4 and May 18. All sessions run from 9:45 to 11:15 a.m.

These classes are meant to introduce children to basic French words through games and songs. There is also a cultural component in which the children learn the traditions of the Franco immigrants who settled in the area. The five sessions, which cost $50 for the first child and $35 for each additional sibling, will be taught by Jacynthe Jacques, a Quebec native who has lived in Lewiston for 17 years.

The classes will be held in Heritage Hall, and parents can pay on the morning of the first class.

For adults, the next series of evening French classes begins Wednesday, March 27, or Thursday, March 28, depending on ability. The adult classes run one night a week from 6 to 8 p.m. for six straight weeks.

Wednesday nights are for “false beginners,” those who at one time possessed a basic level of French-speaking ability which may have diminished over the years though lack of practice. Participants get reacquainted with vocabulary, verb tenses and sentence structure in order to build on what they already know. Varied topics are used as a guide to help with speaking. The pace is relaxed and class is taught in both French and English.

Thursday nights are for complete beginners with little to no experience speaking French. The class is taught primarily in English, with the goal of demonstrating the beauty of the language and raising appreciation of its role in local history and culture, hopefully sparking an interest in further study.

Teaching both adult courses will be Diane Pelletier-Perron. Born into a large Franco-American family in Lewiston, she has a bachelor’s degree in French and lived in France for 18 years, teaching and tutoring both French and English for more than 20 years.

Adult classes will also be held in the Franco Center’s Heritage Hall. The total cost for the six classes is $75, and registration can be done by phone by calling 783-1585 or by emailing Joyce Coyne at [email protected]. To register by mail, send contact information and payment to Franco-American Heritage Center, 46 Cedar St., Lewiston, ME 04240 Attn: French for Adults.

The Franco Center requires a minimum of eight people per class. If that threshold is not met, full refunds will be issued to those who have already paid.