I think that if you come here with limited french skills, you have two choices:
1) Pay for french courses out of your own pocket.
2) Bumble along with your current level of french, supplemented by reading and going to the library, and wait until you qualify to receive free french instruction or to receive a stipend.
I have opted for number two due to financial constraints. I've been here since the end of August and we really did hustle to apply for the carte de séjour. Even still, it takes time to accomplish things because you need certain pieces of paper before you can move on to the next step. It really is like a board game!
I am registered with Assedic (unemployment) but still need to follow up with ANPE (employment) today so I will discuss french lessons with them at my appointment.
I have my 'visite medicale' on the 23rd, which is more than just a medical visit; this is when the carte de séjour is distributed (right now i have a receipt that is only valid for three months). It is also a welcome meeting and they do an interview to assess your level of french.
I had not previously heard or read about the "contrat d'accueil et d'intégration" that you sign at your medical visit. Here is the brochure that I received along with the letter for my medical visit appointment :
http://www.anaem.fr/IMG/pdf/cai_publication/Dépliant%20C.A%20I%20verso.pdf
Here's the contract that's going to be signed at the visit:
http://www.anaem.fr/IMG/pdf/Contrat_2008.pdf
It seems quite funny that I am obligated to pay 275 Euros in taxes for the carte de sejour, but will receive french instruction that is valued *much more* than that!
This afternoon I am going to an association to start french lessons. I was supposed to contact them before, so I hope that I can start today.
Correction: The association that i went to today is called trait d'union, but there are a ton of organizations with this name in france so the url I found was not right.
