Short course
French: Beginners Conversation
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates and time:
13/04/2027 - 15/06/202719:00 - 21:00
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
Enhance your French conversational skills in a range of simple everyday situations with our elementary-level conversation class, designed for learners with a basic foundation in the language.
The course focuses on developing listening and speaking skills, expanding vocabulary, and improving grammar accuracy in basic everyday situations.
Through interactive activities and tasks, multimedia resources, and constructive feedback, you'll refine your language and improve your speaking skills.
Is this the right level course for you?
To benefit from the course learners will have done one of the following:
- Completed our French Beginners level courses (Part 1 and Part 2); or
- Studied French for two terms or 1 year; or
- Achieved or are near Level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages in French.
New students, who have not completed 'Part 1' and 'Part 2', whose proficiency in the language is appropriate for the course level are very welcome.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Level and demands
This course is pitched at A1 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Find out more about our language levels.
Course aims
To assist learners with basic proficiency in French in consolidating their conversational skills across a variety of practical everyday situations, thereby laying the groundwork for further study.
Course objectives
- Improve Pronunciation and intonation to ensure clear communication.
- Enhance learners’ ability to understand spoken language through various activities, such as listening activities, simple dialogues, guided role-plays and tasks.
- Encourage learners’ to participate in simple conversations on everyday topics and gain confidence in speaking.
- Expand vocabulary pertinent to practical everyday contexts and consolidate the application of fundamental grammar structures in spoken language.
Programme details
Courses starts 13 April 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Tuesdays, 7.00-9.00pm.
The weekly schedule below is intended to give an indication of the main topic(s) likely to be covered in each session. Please note that these may sometimes change according to the tutor’s discretion to reflect the interests of course participants.
Week 1: Giving personal information. Talking about favourite leisure
activities, dreams and passions.
Week 2: Identifying places in a town. Giving directions. Discussing means
of transport.
Week 3: Shopping for food. Ordering at the restaurant.
Week 4: Describing clothes and talking about the weather.
Week 5: Describing one’s daily routine. Telling the time and talking about
schedules.
Week 6: Invitations and arranging to meet. Making suggestions,
accepting and refusing.
Week 7: Presenting and describing family members.
Week 8: Narrating past events and experiences.
Week 9: Describing one’s home and home area.
Week 10: Booking accommodation and talking about holiday plans.
Key grammar points
– -er verbs in the present tense
– partitive articles
– the imperative form
– pronominal verbs
– possessive adjectives
– passé composé with avoir
Key functions
– Introducing oneself and giving basic personal information
– Understanding simple information about places in a town and locating them
– Communicating simply at the market or in a restaurant
– Presenting one’s family members
– Saying what one did at the weekend and understanding a simple chronology of events
– Booking accommodation when travelling
Teaching methods
Our language courses promote collaborative learning, encouraging peer interaction and real-life activities. You will learn through participating in engaging activities and tasks in the target language. These are likely to include listening activities, guided role-plays, pair- and small group-work conducted in a supportive, friendly and informal learning environment. The course has been structured to help you primarily to develop your speaking and listening skills.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be better prepared to:
- engage in basic conversations and ask and answer simple questions.
- recognise and use key phrases for daily routines.
- construct grammatically correct sentences to provide basic information and express needs.
- demonstrate some basic knowledge of the cultural nuances and etiquette of the language.
Assessment methods
Formative assessment will be integrated into a range of classroom activities, including guided role‑plays, scenario-based pair and group work, and progressively less structured conversations and tasks. Learners will be encouraged to participate in these activities, using the target language to respond to realistic situations, and will benefit from ongoing tutor feedback to support development.
Dr Coralie Schneider
Coralie is an experienced teacher and holds both a PGCE (French with Spanish) and a PhD in Linguistics. She has taught French to undergraduate students at the University of Oxford and the University of Reading, as well as to children and adults at the Alliance Française of Oxford. A native of Paris and a keen traveller, she enjoys sharing her knowledge of French language varieties and cultures to students of all ages and levels.
Certification
Digital badge
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.
After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add this badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee | £315.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Recommended reading
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Library facilities
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.
- More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website.
- This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information
Course Reading
- Grammaire progressive du français, Niveau débutant, A1, 3ème Édition / Grégoire, Maïa; Merlo, Gracia
- Collins French/English Online Dictionary / Online resource
Textbooks
No textbook required. All course materials will be provided by the course tutor.
Module code: O26P558XFW
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.