Bienvenue à Chin-Chin France
Chin-chin (or tchin-tchin) is what French people say when they toast and clink their glasses. So let’s toast to French culture!
Chin-Chin France offers classes and trips to experience French culture and language in an interactive and fun way. I created this business to share my love of France, my home country, with others.
Chin-Chin France has a variety of offerings: individual and group French classes, in person or on-line, cultural and gastronomical events, webinars, podcasts, and small group cultural tours in France.
Some programs are in French, some are in English, and others are bilingual.
With Chin-Chin France there is something for everyone who wants to learn more about the French language and culture.
Génial! 👍
I am Rachel Christophe Baker. My name reflects my dual citizenship (French and American). I was born and raised in Fontenay-le-Fleury, five minutes away from the town of Versailles and its gorgeous chateau and park. Le Pays Basque, in the Southwest of France, is also a region dear to my heart. It is the birthplace of my father and where I spent countless summers. I have been living in Chicago for 30 years and I am currently residing in Mexico. I go back to France twice a year to work and to visit my family.
As I was growing up, instead of taking leisurely vacations to a beach resort, my parents took me on the backroads of France and they infused in me a love for history, art, regional gastronomy, nature, and off the beaten path villages.
I studied art history and business administration which allowed me to have diverse professional experiences. I developed and managed cultural programs for various institutions in Chicago including the French Consulate and Loyola University Art Museum. I also worked in the performing arts, as an editor for an online journal, as a fine art appraiser, and I created an arts-in-healthcare program for a not-for-profit institute of medicine.
What gives me the greatest joy is to share the French culture and language with others. For the last 10 years, I have been teaching French and designing and leading cultural tours and programs. I am certified in teaching French as a 2nd language and have earned the DAEFLE (Diplôme d’Aptitude à l’Enseignement du Français Langue Etrangère) through the Alliance Française in Paris. I started my teaching career at the Alliance Française of Chicago where I taught for many years. I also co-founded Café Culture, a francophone salon to experience and practice the French language through arts and culture.
I am excited and honored to bring you these life and professional experiences in various forms and formats through Chin-Chin France.
About Me
