Explore culture and leisure activities in France and Belgium

On this four-week course, you’ll review structures for talking about leisure time, likes and dislikes, and extend your ability to express your ideas with reasons and reactions.

Improve your French pronunciation and grammar

Listening to authentic French speakers share more about their favourite leisure pursuits, you’ll develop your speaking and pronunciation, practising intonation so you can add feeling and emotion to what you say.

You’ll learn to use conditional verb forms and the present participle to talk about what you would do if you had more free time, and work on the pronunciation of nasal vowels.

Discover French literature, architecture, comic books, and film

You’ll learn about the role of literature in French life and take a virtual trip to Brussels to discover the importance of architecture, taking in some of the buildings that make up the fabric of the city. You’ll also examine the comic book culture, bande dessinée, and explore how this has created a community.

Finally, you’ll learn about the importance of film to French cultural life. You’ll write your own film synopsis based on four contemporary French films that you’ll have the opportunity to examine.

With opportunities to develop your speaking and writing skills alongside your co-learners, you’ll finish this course having developed your language skills to understand authentic French, being able to talk about leisure and culture, and explaining your preferences.

What topics will you cover?

Discovering how French and Belgian people spend their free time
Expressing feelings and emotions
Using conditional verb forms to express hypotheses
Different aspects of Belgian culture
Using films to enhance your language learning

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...

Develop your ability to understand written and spoken French 
Increase your ability to communicate in French through speech and writing 
Consolidate your understanding of areas of French grammar
Increase your receptive and productive French vocabulary
Develop your awareness of leisure activities and cultural life in France and Belgium

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for those who are at Level A2, working towards Level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Learners should feel confident to use the language in most situations likely to arise while travelling in French-speaking countries.

The OU’s language ExpertTracks are designed to help you progress with each one you study.

Learners would benefit from having completed Intermediate French: La Francophonie (People, Places and Events) before taking this ExpertTrack.

Who will you learn with?

Bill Alder

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

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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