French

What will the course Cover?

"The development of oral, listening, reading and writing skills through the use of audio-visual and authentic material. A complete review of grammatical structures taught in first and second year French plus further use of tenses, including perfect, imperfect, pluperfect, future, conditional and the subjunctive mood; more on pronouns and comparatives. In general, the aim is building your confidence in communicating in a variety of situations with a range of native speakers. Topics will include going shopping for presents or clothes, describing people (appearance and character), planning holidays and the weather, reminiscing about the past.

Who is this course for?

Students who have done two years or the equivalent of French and who want to improve their knowledge and skills to be able to converse freely over a range of topics, when travelling in a French-speaking country, for work or with French-speaking friends, and who also wish to read well and write accurately.

What skills, knowledge or experience do I need to start this course?

"Please see Choosing Your Course section in the Guide, or ask for Course Information Sheets for French levels 2.1 A – B and C for full details of grammar and topics you should know. Students should be able to sustain a simple conversation. If there are places on the course, you're welcome to sit in and try it before joining. We want you to feel comfortable, and find the right level for you!

What should I be able to do by the end of the course?

You will be able to : - Buy presents and clothes - Describe someone’s appearance, someone’s character - describe the weather and understand a weather bulletin in French - talk about past habits - make comparisons and express opinions.

How is the course organised?

The methods used are communicative and interactive, practising all four skills. Activities include listening comprehension with related written work, reading and listening to authentic texts, grammar exercises to achieve correctness of usage, language games, role plays. We use course books, handouts, worksheets; cds and dvds. You will be encouraged to speak as much as possible in class, to work in small groups and pairs, to take an active part in your learning; and each lesson, to work on the four skills: listening (and understanding), speaking, reading and writing. The use of English is kept to an absolute minimum.

What extra study or practice is expected outside of the class?

Reviewing and learning (by heart, if possible) what has been done in the class. Preparing for your next class (homework will be set). For best results, we recommend that you work every day for at least 15 minutes per day if possible, even in a very informal way (eg watching French TV or dvds, listening to French cds or French radio, reading French magazines or newspapers. You can’t avoid learning some things by heart, so repeat and repeat till you do! Bon courage!

How will my progress be assessed?

You will be encouraged to assess your own progress with help from your tutor, who will monitor your achievements by question and answer, some written work, quizzes, questionnaires, games and some more formal achievement tests. You will need to keep a detailed portfolio of your coursework so that both you and your tutor can monitor and record your progress. Also the class Course File will hold a record of your progress, which you must help to keep up to date.

What can I expect to go on to after this course?

French Intermediate Stage 3

Are there any other costs and what do I need to bring?

Course book - Facon de Parler 2 Ring binder & A4 paper, notebooks and vocabulary book (tutor will advise). A bilingual dictionary (eg Collins Robert). Visit the BBC website for more languages materials: www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

What support is available?

We have 3 main ways of supporting learners.We have 3 main ways of supporting learners. a. Help with literacy or numeracy is available through the basic education programme and the ESOL programme offers help for speakers of other languages. b. Additional support can be provided for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. If you have a disability and feel you need support to get the best from your course you can contact Sean Buckley (sean.buckley@lbhf.gov.uk) to have a confidential discussion on how best we can support your learning. c. The Learner Support Fund is a discretionary scheme, funded by the Skills Funding Agency, to assist learners who may be experiencing difficulties in paying for essential equipment/materials, travel costs, childcare, registration fees and other necessary expenses. Details of all available support and how to access it can be found on our website (hfals.ac.uk), in the Guide and the Student handbook, or from teaching or reception staff. We have 3 main ways of supporting learners. a. Help with literacy or numeracy is available through the basic education programme and the ESOL programme offers help for speakers of other languages. b. Additional support can be provided for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. If you have a disability and feel you need support to get the best from your course you can contact Sean Buckley (sean.buckley@lbhf.gov.uk) to have a confidential discussion on how best we can support your learning. c. The Learner Support Fund is a discretionary scheme, funded by the Skills Funding Agency, to assist learners who may be experiencing difficulties in paying for essential equipment/materials, travel costs, childcare, registration fees and other necessary expenses. Details of all available support and how to access it can be found on our website (hfals.ac.uk), in the Guide and the Student handbook, or from teaching or reception staff. We have 3 main ways of supporti