Modern Language Centre Evening Programme French Level 1

How long does the course last?

45 hours tuition 3 x ten-week terms 1.5 hours per week

Who is the course for?

The course is aimed at a wide range of students with a general interest in French. No prior knowledge of French is required as the course is for complete beginners.

What are the objectives of the course?

To acquire basic language skills and to achieve the equivalent of A1 level of the CEFR, entry level of the NQF or Breakthrough level of the Asset Languages qualification. By the end of term 3 you will: be able to communicate in basic everyday-life situations, including using greetings, talking about daily activities, finding your way, telling the time and date, making simple purchases, ordering a meal, etc; be able to understand simple oral passages and written texts, and infer specific information from simple texts; have developed some basic writing skills; have developed an insight into French-speaking life, culture and society.

How is the course taught?

A communicative approach is used. All four skills (speaking, reading, listening and writing) are practised, with the main emphasis on speaking. Students engage in interactive language activities, participating in group and pair work according to a syllabus based on systematic grammatical progression. Students will also be offered guidance in self-study and set optional homework tasks.

What course can I do next?

After completing all three terms of Level 1, students should join a Level 2 class. Students who have only completed one or two terms of Level 1 should join a False Beginner class.

Course outline
Term 1 10x1.5 hrs Topics Greetings Days, months, numbers (0 to 69) Nationalities and countries Personal information Professions Physical and psychological descriptions of people Leisure time and hobbies Likes and dislikes Functions Introducing yourself

Level 1

Talking about yourself, your family and other people Giving and asking personal information Understanding numbers Asking and giving the time/date Describing yourself and other people Talking about likes and dislikes Grammatical structures Personal pronouns and disjunctive pronouns Definite and indefinite articles Interrogative form, with interrogative adjectives and interrogative adverbs (comment?) Present tense of verbs to be / to have /to go Present tense of verbs in er (including pronominal verbs & reflexive verbs) Possessive adjectives Modal verbs Negative forms (nepas/introduction of non/si) Gender and number of adjectives Term 2 10x1.5 hrs Topics Numbers from 69 Social life Professional life Hobbies Pets Bank holidays in France Colours, measures, forms Weather Health and body Functions To do somebody a favour / to ask somebody a favour Looking after pets Talking about holidays (including the weather) and feelings Understanding and writing short emails Expressing your views Talking about past events (introduction) Grammatical structures Singular and plural Definite and indefinite articles Prepositions Introduction to the near future Irregular verbs in the Present tense Faire du, de l, de la + sport There is / there are Use of on and nous Introduction to the Perfect tense Term 3 10x1.5 hrs Topics Shopping for presents Phone manners (formal and informal) Short phone conversations Invitation/appointments Functions Shopping and buying presents Making phone calls

Level 1

Making an appointment Accepting or declining an invitation Discussing time & frequency Using polite forms Making a phone call Expressing an obligation Completing a cheque, an enrolment form, etc Arranging, postponing, cancelling a meeting Grammatical structures Direct object complements Time expressions Negative form: ne ...pas de Interrogative structure: est-ce que ? Present tense of some useful irregular verbs Masculine and feminine adjectives Interrogative forms o, do, etc Partitive articles Direct object pronouns Asking questions with: quel, quelle, quels and quelles

Learning resources
Textbook: Latitudes 1 Mthode de franais (CD included): Editions Didier / Code ISBN: 978-2-278-06249-2 Exercise book: Latitudes 1 Cahier dexercices, version Anglophone, Editions Didier / code ISBN: 978-2-278-06289-8 Free access website: Latitudes 1 Exercices autocorrectifs (complementary exercises): http://www.didierlatitudes.com/latitudes1/ Students are expected to purchase their own textbook and exercise book. The teacher will supply additional material, both tailor-made and taken from other sources (textbooks, newspapers and new media). Online language learning resources: www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/evening/facilities/olc/online/french.aspx Textbooks and additional material purchase details: The European Bookshop Grant & Cutler at Foyles 113-119 Charing Cross Road 5 Warwick St. London WC2H 0EB London W1B 5LU Tel: 020 7734 2012 Tel: 020 7734 5259 Fax: 020 7734 9272 Fax 020 7287 1720 Email: mrg@esb.co.uk Email: grantandcutler@foyles.co.uk Other shops where you may be able to purchase text books can be found here: www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/about/facilities/shops.aspx

Independent Study
Research indicates that successful language learners revise new material and review their progress on a regular basis. The Open Learning Centre (OLC), situated in room K-1.072 in level minus one of the Strand Campus, houses a wide collection of learning material including text and grammar books, magazines and newspapers, CDs, DVDs, satellite television, CD-ROMs and self-access e-leaning language programmes. For details on OLC opening times, please see our website: www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mlc/olc/index.aspx

Date of last revision June 2011

Level 1