Getting started with French 2

Introduction

Bonjour.

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.

Each week comprises 3–4 hours of interactive activities, explanations, exercises and tips about language-learning. It’s a good idea to keep notes, either on paper in a notebook or on your preferred digital device; in any case, each week you’ll be encouraged to add to your own personal phrase book and decide how best you can go about memorising and practising key phrases and vocabulary, and there is a weekly quiz for you to practise what you’ve been learning. At the end of each week, you will have a quiz with 10 questions to revise what you have been learning.

To start with, you might want to consider how you’ll organise your studies. Learning languages is a gradual process and, if possible, it is best to spread your 3–4 hours over the week, rather than studying the equivalent of the whole week in one go. You then get the opportunity to revise vocabulary and language structures, to review quickly what you did last time and above all to practise and consolidate. For example, by listening several times to the same recording you will learn vocabulary and perfect your accent for the speaking activities.

You could also benefit from including other people (family or friends) in your discovery of the language. They might be happy to get involved and assist you in your endeavour.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• discuss food, likes and dislikes, and be able to shop for or order food
• understand more sophisticated conversations and complex language in a variety of different scenarios
• recognise facts about France and French habits
• express likes using j’aime, j’adore, je préfère with the articles le, la, l’, les
• express dislikes.