Dip your toes into learning French with our 10-week introductory French course, aimed at total beginners.
No starting dates
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Starting date to be confirmed
- Duration: 10 weeks (unconfirmed)
- Fees: £245 (unconfirmed)
- Location: Online (unconfirmed)
Testimonial
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Agnes not only taught us the language, but also gave an understanding of the French culture, which I very much enjoyed. The classes were responsive to each persons’ skills and interests, which allowed for good personal development.
French Beginners Part 1 Course overview
If you have never studied French before and would like to get started, this 10-week French beginners evening class is an ideal introduction to the language.
In part 1, you will be introduced to simple French sentence structures so you can talk about your family, profession, hobbies and interests. You'll learn and perfect pronunciation of the alphabet and become familiar with regular -er verbs in the present tense. You'll also learn essential irregular verbs, être, avoir, aller and faire.
You'll participate in group work, listening and speaking activities and complete weekly homework to consolidate your learning and practise your skills.
This is the first of three beginners modules. If you enjoy part 1, you can enrol on part 2 and part 3 to complete the course. Enrol on the full beginners syllabus course (parts 1, 2 and 3) for a reduced rate.
Who is it for?
Part 1 is for complete beginners, looking to “get by” in French.
Find out more about our French courses
Timetable
This course takes place one evening a week at 18:30 for 10 weeks.
Benefits
- Try French without the commitment with this 10-week course
- You’ll be award you an official City, University of London certificate
- Taught by qualified French teachers, who follow the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for language learning.
What will I learn?
The emphasis in this course is on listening and speaking, with a particular focus on language that is required in authentic situations.
Topics
- talking about yourself and your family
- daily activities and work
- interests, activities and directions
- pronunciation and accents.
By the end of this course, you will be able to
- converse with others about yourself, jobs, interests and leisure activities
- get about in town confidently, directions, shopping
- use the four basic verbs être, avoir, aller and faire
- converse using -er verbs, negative form and stock phrases
- understand basic adjectives and possessive pronouns (mon, ma, mes /”my”).
Assessment and certificates
Your progress will be assessed on an on-going basis through homework and performance in class. All evaluation will take place in a relaxed and informal setting.
Activities include:
- role-play
- class discussion
- pair and group work
- pronunciation and intonation
- grammar in context.
You will be awarded an official City, University of London certificate on completion of the course if you attend over 70 per cent of the classes. The course is not formally accredited.
Eligibility
This course is designed for total beginners, without any knowledge of the French language.
Know a little bit of French? You can enrol on our French Beginners Part 2 or French Beginners Part 3 modules.
Try our French Beyond Beginner course if you have studied French before but you need a recap.
English requirements
You will need a good level of spoken and written English to enrol on this course.
Tutors
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Marie-Pierre Pérez
Marie-Pierre Pérez qualified at the Orléans University in Orléans and La Sorbonne University in Paris. She has been teaching French in London for the past eleven years at several higher education institutions such as Westminster University. She has also been providing language training at international companies.
Marie-Pierre has a passion for theatre and has qualified at the Conservatoire d'Art Dramatique in Orléans. She has performed as leading actress and led many French drama workshops within French Institutes abroad - Morocco, Germany, Lebanon, Mexico, Switzerland.
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Agnès Shepherd
Agnès Shepherd studied at University College London. She has been teaching French as a foreign language for the past 18 years in a broad spectrum of institutions such as Highgate Literary and Scientific Institution, University of Westminster, Havering Sixth Form College, businesses such as Axa CS and EDF Energy. She also runs her own French workshops and cultural tours.
Agnès has a light touch approach to teaching making students' participation a priority, creating a relaxed atmosphere in which students can thrive.
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Frédéric Fournier
Fred has been teaching French in London for the last 20 years working with Universities and companies. He is very experienced in higher education teaching undergraduates, postgraduates or managers in the workplace.
Fred was born in a small village in the south of France and moved to Paris aged 20 to complete a degree in humanities at the Sorbonne University. In Paris Fred worked first as a journalist then managed a company delivering courses and conferences for corporates clients.
During the 2012 Olympics games Fred was a London ambassador for languages welcoming foreign athletes in the UK.
In 2013 he was elected "Conseiller Consulaire" to represent the French community living in the UK.
In addition to teaching French, Fred delivers lectures on historical and cultural topics such as the French Revolution, Napoléon and the Paris métro.
When he is not working Fred plays the piano and enjoys travelling with his family.
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Carole Gnéma
Carole Gnéma, a native French speaker from France, joined City as a French Lecturer in March 2019. She has been teaching French for many years in a variety of contexts including corporate organisations, local authorities, international language schools etc.
While she endeavours to help all her students develop a strong base in French, she likes to create a relaxed and fun learning environment so that they can all feel free to participate actively.
