• The Open University

Intermediate French: Discovering Worlds of French

Expand your knowledge of contemporary France and Belgium while developing your French vocabulary and pronunciation.

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365 enrolled on this course

TBC
  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    4 hours
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Included in an ExpertTrack

    Course 1 of 3
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Learn to talk about places and environments from the people who live there

On this four-week course, you’ll meet six people who will guide your learning journey. You’ll start exploring the French-speaking world with Lionel and Peggy who live in la Touraine, the area around the city of Tours in central France. They’ll show you their homes, describe their region and city, talk about their lifestyles, and how these are influenced by their immediate surroundings. 

You’ll focus on the language and vocabulary they use to introduce themselves, listening to how they describe places and environments, drawing on what you hear to improve your own use of the language.

Gain the skills to understand and communicate effectively in French

Through a range of insightful videos and audio clips, you’ll become more familiar with features of French pronunciation. You’ll revise several basic language points, including gender, number, and articles, and revisit the use of prepositions of place (à, dans and près de) and the pronoun y. You’ll also recap how to describe a location using the present tense. 

Improve your reading and understanding of the French language

This course will give you the opportunity to learn more about the French-speaking regions you are interested in. By reading a variety of source materials in French, you will improve your linguistic skills while also building on your cultural knowledge of France and the French-speaking world. 

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to understand information about different places, and impress friends, family, and colleagues by speaking or writing about French-speaking regions in more detail, explaining what you think about them.

What topics will you cover?

  • Introducing yourself and where you live
  • Saying where a place is situated
  • Describing places - cities, towns. villages and regions
  • Explaining advantages and disadvantages of rural and urban living

Prove you're job ready

Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.

  • Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
  • Complete each course and pass assessments.
  • Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
  • Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
  • Make your career dreams a reality.

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Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Improve your ability to understand written and spoken French
  • Develop your confidence to communicate in French through speech and writing
  • Apply and consolidate your understanding of basic French grammar and increase your receptive and productive vocabulary
  • Explore and broaden your knowledge of societies and cultures in France and Belgium

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for those with a good basic knowledge of French (fully at Level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference ‘Elementary’) who want to improve their French language skills and deepen their knowledge of French culture.

Who will you learn with?

Dr. Bill Alder is an Associate Lecturer in French at The Open University and has contributed to numerous French language modules. He has a special interest in French-language crime fiction.

Who developed the course?

The Open University

As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.

  • Established

    1969
  • Location

    Milton Keynes, UK
  • World ranking

    Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

About this ExpertTrack

Improve your language skills as you journey through France and the Worlds of French, with The Open University

Start learning today - free 7-day trial

After your free trial you can:

  • Pay $39 per month to keep learning online
  • Have complete control over your subscription; you can cancel any time
  • Work at your own pace and set your own deadlines at every stage
  • Only pay while you’re learning; the subscription will cancel automatically when you finish
  • Complete online assessments to test your knowledge and prove your skills
  • Earn digital course certificates and a final award that you can share online, with potential employers, and your professional network
  • Keep access to the content of courses you complete even after your subscription ends

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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