What you will study
Whether you want to visit, work or live in a French speaking environment, you will get more out of the experience if you can communicate effectively with people. In this 16 week course you will develop your reading and listening skills in French and learn to speak and write the language to communicate in everyday situations.
In the first part of Beginners French 2: bien sûr!, you will learn to:
- talk about food and drink
- explain what you like and don't like
- understand menus
- ask questions about food
- order and pay for meals
- talk about eating habits
- buy food in shops and at markets.
In the second part of the course, you will learn how to:
- describe your home and its layout
- say what furniture and household goods you have and where they are positioned
- understand property 'small ads'
- set about looking for accommodation in a French-speaking country.
Learning a language is also learning about culture, so you will discover information about food and drink in France, places to eat and changing eating habits in the French-speaking world. You’ll also find out about different kinds of accommodation and attitudes to housing in France.
Each week comprises 3–4 hours of interactive activities, exercises, explanations and tips about language-learning. Throughout the course, you will improve your ability to understand spoken and written French and to communicate your own information and ideas. You will acquire a knowledge of the basic structures of French along with key vocabulary. It’s a good idea to keep notes either in a notebook or on your preferred digital device. There are regular revision weeks, and, at the end of each week, there is a quiz for you to practise what you’ve been learning.
We look forward to seeing you soon. A bientôt!
Please note that although this course is non-accredited, it can be used towards the module Making your learning count (YXM130) to gain OU credits.
You will learn
The course is designed to help you achieve a level of language proficiency equivalent to level A1 of the Council of Europe Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR).
You will have access to discussion forums that you are strongly encouraged to participate in as these forums combine support from fellow students with input from a language-specialist learning adviser. Other support is available via the StudentHome website and Computing Helpdesk.
You'll study 3–4 hours per week, for 16 weeks. In total this course will require around 64 hours to complete.