NewsletterProduced by The Open University, a world leader in open and distance learning, all OpenLearn courses are free to study. We offer nearly 1000 free courses across 8 different subject areas. Our courses are available to start right away.
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Got a few spare minutes? Brush up on your knowledge with our range of free bite-size courses and activities.
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Languages
Upper intermediate French: discovering French cinema
This free course, Upper intermediate French: discovering French cinema, will help you discover aspects of French and francophone cinema. At the same time, you will also focus on grammatical points, such as expressing a comparison in French or understanding the structure of a sentence in the infinitive. Part of the materials will be in English, but the course is mainly in French.
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Level
Languages
Getting started with French 2
This two-week course offers you the opportunity to discuss food, your likes and dislikes as well as to shop or order food. Little by little, you will improve your ability to make more sophisticated conversations and to understand more complex language in a variety of different scenarios. You will also find out facts about France and French habits. This OpenLearn course is an extract from the beginning of the Open Centre for Languages and Cultures short course, LXF002 Beginners French 2: bien sûr! After completing this free course, you may wish to register for the full course to continue your learning!
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Languages
Getting started with French 3
In this course you will learn how to ask for directions in French. Along the way, you will build up your vocabulary so little by little you will be able to have more complex conversations and understand more French language in a variety of different scenarios. This OpenLearn course is an extract from the beginning of the Open Centre for Languages and Cultures short course, LXF003 Beginners French 3: absolument! After completing this free course, you may wish to register for the full course to continue your learning!
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Languages
Getting started with French 1
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 short course you will begin to develop your reading and listening skills in French and learn to speak and write the language to communicate in everyday situations. You will acquire a knowledge of the basic structures of French along with key vocabulary to meet and greet people and to talk about yourself and others. This OpenLearn course is an extract from the beginning of the Open Centre for Languages and Cultures short course, LXF001 Beginners French 1: eh oui! After completing this free course, you may wish to register for the full course to continue your learning!
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Level
Languages
Intermediate French: Understanding spoken French
This free course, Intermediate French: Understanding spoken French, is aimed at intermediate learners of French with an interest in language and culture. It is designed to develop your understanding of spoken French through six video portraits of people living in the Touraine region in France and in Brussels in Belgium. It introduces you to naturally spoken language, and gives clear advice on how to use authentic video resources as a useful and enjoyable learning tool. Through completing various activities you will improve your active use of the language, and develop the confidence to access further audio-visual resources and take your French studies to a higher level.
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Languages
Beginners’ French: Food and drink
Improve your language skills by learning to communicate more easily and effectively in French. In this free course, Beginners' French: Food and drink, you will also gain an insight into French societies and cultures through focusing on food and drink. You will listen to French speakers in a variety of situations, and you will be provided with some skills for coping with reading texts.
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Languages
Advanced French: At the science museum in Paris
Using the topic of science and technology in France, this free course, Advanced French: At the science museum in Paris, will show you how to structure arguments, write a summary, use the subjunctive, report numbers and express wishes in French.
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Languages
Cultures
In this free course, Cultures, you will address the question of traditional music and music from the francophone world, and you will examine the place they occupy in the world of artistic creation. The course is divided into three sections: 'Is traditional music, current music?', 'The musical heritage of Normandy' and 'Music of the francophone world'.
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Languages
Intermediate French: Holiday plans
This free course, Intermediate French: Holiday plans, is taken from Ouverture, a language course that concentrates on French as a tool for communication, but it also provides some insights into French society and culture through authentic printed, audio and video materials. The course will be of interest to all those who want to improve their language skills in order to communicate more easily and effectively in French. Intermediate French: Holiday plans focuses on the French on holiday.
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Languages
Beginners’ French: A trip to Avignon
This free course, Beginners’ French: A trip to Avignon, helps you to acquire the basic language to find your way around a French town. You will learn how to understand and give directions, ask about accommodation, book a hotel room at the tourist information office and get information about what to see and do in the local area. You will visit some museums in Avignon and buy a film for your camera. The course also deals with telling the time and making liaisons in speech. By the end of the course, you will feel more confident understanding and giving information about towns, seeking clarification and dealing with numbers. You will also have developed your oral fluency and your reading skills.
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Level
Languages
Intermediate French: 14 July
This free course, Intermediate French: 14 July, is taken from Ouverture, a language module that concentrates on French as a tool for communication, but it also provides some insights into French society and culture through authentic printed, audio and video materials. It will be of interest to all those who want to improve their language skills in order to communicate more easily and effectively in French. Intermediate French: 14 July focuses on the French national holiday which commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison (la prise de la Bastille) in 1789.