This course introduces the fundamentals of French for learners with little to no prior experience. We will focus on pronunciation, essential vocabulary, foundational grammar, and building confidence in basic communication. Lessons will emphasize listening and speaking through interactive activities, guided practice, and cultural elements. Limit 20.

Eduardo Duarte
1:00—3:00 P.M., Starts Sept. 16
Westover Hills Church of Christ, Room 201
8332 Mesa Drive (78759)

This course offers a taste of a variety of topics presented by different LLI instructors. This semester includes:

1. Sept. 16 Panchatantra: The Five Books of Wisdom presented by Anand P. Kruttiventi. A brief exploration of this ancient Indian guide for leading a moral and mindful life. It has influenced multiple cultures and minds and is one of the most translated and published non-religious books in history.

2. Sept. 23 What to Know Before You Go: End of Life Info to Get Your Ducks in a Row presented by Alex Casas. Practical information to help you feel more informed and confident when making decisions about funeral arrangements.

3. Sept. 30 Pathways to Happiness: Meditation, Gratitude and Positive Living presented by Farnaz Masumian. Practical tools for peace, resilience, and everyday happiness.

4. Oct. 7 TED Talk Discussion presented by Mary Jane Burson. Watch a TED Talk (a video of a short lecture about Technology, Entertainment, or Design) on a relevant and discussable topic, then participate in an instructor-led group discussion.

5. Oct. 14 Adventures in Botany presented by Valerie Bugh. Get up close and personal with plants, the basis of our entire ecosystem. Identification, discussion and understanding of our surrounding vegetation.

6. Oct. 21 Assembling a Basic Home Tool Kit by Jay Bond. This class will identify the hand tools and supplies needed for most household repairs and suggest ways to acquire them without spending a lot of money.

7. Oct. 28 Volunteer Opportunities in Austin. This session will feature representatives from two Austin nonprofits discussing experiences and opportunities for volunteers in their respective organizations.

Join us to explore these important topics and meet some fine presenters. 7 Weeks. Limit 30.

Bronwyn Bowen and Gail Chavez, Coordinators
1:00—2:45 P.M. Wednesday, Starts Sept. 16
The Village at the Triangle
4517 Triangle Avenue (78751)

The investment world is full of lingo, jargon, and terminology. It can be difficult to understand with so many buzzwords, charts, and graphs. This course goes over the basic terminology and strategy around investment and retirement planning. Whether you are just starting out or want to learn something new, the workshop will bring you back to the basics so you can become a more educated investor. You'll learn:

• Key features and strategies of bonds, stocks, and mutual funds

• Cash-flow planning in retirement

• Basics of Medicare

• Basics of estate planning

Our instructor is a registered Certified Financial Planner CFP® and a popular presenter. 7 Classes. Limit 20.

Chris Cybulski CFP®
1:00—2:00 P.M. Wednesday, Starts Sept.16
Lamar Senior Activity Center, Game Room
2874 Shoal Crest Avenue (78705)       

This course is for students with a good grasp of Italian grammar. They can read with ease and formulate sentences on a variety of subjects. By the European standard, it is a B1-B2 level class. No book is required, as we will use online video sources and handouts in class.  Please bring $4 to the first meeting for handouts. Limit 20.

Tina Polo
1:00—3:00 P.M. Wednesday, Starts Sept. 16
Triumphant Love Lutheran Church, Upper Room
9508 Great Hills Trail (78759)

Historian of world cultures Thomas Berry in the 1980s called for an integration of scientific understanding of the physical universe with the humanities, arguing that an understanding of who and what we are in relation to the cosmos should guide our behavior and beliefs. This course provides a sampling of current knowledge of the cosmos—components, history, processes, our solar system, the Earth, development of life on Earth, other major Earth events, and human history. A large order! Come see why this course and its popular instructor receive rave reviews. Participants will consider how this knowledge should shape our behavior and beliefs, or not. We will have Power Point presentations, a movie, and discussions. Please bring $2 to the first meeting to cover course handouts. Limit 30.

Peter Boone, PhD
1:00—3:00 P.M. Wednesday, Starts Sept. 16
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Rm. 205
3525 Bee Caves Road (78746)

In this continuation of beginner-level Spanish, we will use the free online textbook andvideo series Destinos to view and listen to the story of a lawyer from Los Angeles as she searches in Argentina for a long-lost son of her wealthy client, taking up the story in Chapter 12. (You can catch up on the earlier parts of the story by watching summary episodes #6 and #11. You’ll meet all the relevant characters and events up to that point.) Before entering this class, you should already be quite familiar with the present tense of regular verbs and some of the irregular verbs, as well as numbers to 100, telling time, days and months, colors and other important basic vocabulary. In this course you will be learning to speak about events and actions that took place in the past (two new tenses). And in addition to new vocabulary, you will learn two new sets of pronouns: direct object and object of prepositions, and have opportunities to interact with other students. For a preview, see https://destinostelenovela.org. Choose the first destination, Spain, in the link above and watch #6. For video episodes with subtitles in Spanish (recommended), look at the top of the opening page of the website, on the far right for ‘Destinos Theater’. Then check out episode 11, Madrid. From there, we are off to Argentina! Limit 25.

Jann Randle
1:00—3:00 P.M. Wednesday, Starts Sept. 16
Lamar Senior Activity Center, South Room
2874 Shoal Crest Avenue (78705)  

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If you enjoy learning and discussing new ideas and hearing a variety of viewpoints, this class is for you. TED Talks are concise (under 18 minutes) video talks from top people in their field that are meant to inspire, inform and enlighten viewers on a variety of topics, including science, politics, global issues, human development, and relationships, among others. You will view two to four TED Talks per week OUTSIDE of class (web access/internet connection required). Then we will discuss them in class, learning from and being respectful of each other’s varying responses and ideas. For specific questions, please email the facilitator at maryjaneburson@gmail.com.  Note: No class on October 7. 7Classes. Limit 15.

Mary Jane Burson, Moderator
1:00—3:00 P.M. Wednesday, Starts Sept. 16
Maravilla at the Domain
11001 Austin Lane (78758)

Whether you are new to watercolors or a practicing watercolorist, join us. Basic instruction will be provided for beginners. Any kind of drawing experience will be helpful. But if you have had some prior watercolor instruction and you feel comfortable painting on your own, then you can explore any subject matter with watercolors while you benefit from the experience of others. You will need to have your own brushes, watercolor paints, and watercolor paper. Our main focus is to enjoy the process of creativity together. Limit 20.

Cherry Taylor
1:00—3:00 P.M. Wednesday, Starts Sept. 16
United Christian Church
3500 W. Parmer Lane (78727)

Instructor Jay Bond has always liked taking things apart and has gradually learned how to reassemble them successfully. In addition to work experience in a hardware store, home improvement center, machine shop, and 10 years as a bicycle mechanic, he lived in a 1950s-era house for more than 30 years, successfully tackling a wide variety of repairs and improvements involving carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, and more. Course topics include:

• Safe use of basic tools, manual and power

• Assembling and installing things—hanging pictures, mirrors and blinds, installing a bi-fold door, replacing a door lockset

• Basic plumbing—water supply and cutoff valves, toilets, drains, installing faucets

• Basic electrical issues—circuit breakers, outlets, lamps

• Carpentry—quality repairs, reinforcements, using clamps

• Exterior, lawn and garden tools, and repairs

Get ready to make and share your own list of prospective projects or “honey-do” tasks. Note: No class October 21; course extends 1 week to November 11. Limit 20.

Jay Bond
2:00—4:00 P.M. Wednesday, Starts Sept. 16
The Church at Highland Park, Burchette Room
5206 Balcones Drive (78731)