Short course
French: Intermediate Conversation
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates and time:
14/04/2027 - 16/06/202716:30 - 18:30
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
Join us to enhance your French conversational skills across various domains, including personal, social and professional contexts.
Through engaging activities, multimedia resources, and interactive discussions, you will build confidence in listening and speaking.
The course will help expand your vocabulary, refine grammar accuracy, and improve fluency while discussing topics such as travel, relationships, work and hobbies. We will explore nuanced language use, including formal and informal registers, and some idiomatic expressions.
Is this the right level course for you?
To benefit from the course, participants should have done one of the following:
- Completed our French: Intermediate level courses (Part 1 and Part 2); or
- Studied French for approximately three years; or
- Achieved or are near the B1 Level 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.
Course starts 14 April 2027
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Wednesdays, 4.30-6.30pm.
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: Food & Cuisine
Themes: culinary traditions, favourite dishes, eating habits, recipes
Activities: quiz, role-play, group discussion
Week 2: Mass Media & Satirical Press
Themes: freedom of speech, satire, fake news, humour and social commentary
Activities: debate, image analysis, problem-solving task
Week 3: Pack Your Suitcase!
Themes: travel plans, packing essentials, destinations, cultural expectations
Activities: role-play, problem-solving, pair discussion
Week 4: Shared Living / Flatsharing
Themes: cohabitation, household rules, conflict and cooperation
Activities: debate, role-play, problem-solving task
Week 5: Ecology: Risks, Challenges & Solutions
Themes: climate change, pollution, sustainability, eco-friendly actions
Activities: debate, problem-solving task, group discussion
Week 6: History from All Angles
Themes: historical events, famous figures, memory and identity
Activities: quiz, role-play, storytelling
Week 7: City Life & Urban Planning
Themes: urban vs rural life, ideal city, public spaces, transport
Activities: problem-solving task, debate, group project
Week 8: Craftsmanship & DIY
Themes: traditional crafts, manual skills, creativity and resourcefulness
Activities: role-play, quiz, problem-solving task
Week 9: Health & Medicine
Themes: physical and mental health, healthcare systems, giving advice
Activities: role-play, quiz, pair discussion
Week 10: Culture & Cross-Cultural Communication
Themes: stereotypes, clichés, misunderstandings, traditions
Activities: debate, storytelling, problem-solving task
Key grammar points
- The Imperfect vs Compounding Past
- Use of the Subjunctive Mood
- The Conditional
- Adjective order
Key functions
- Introducing oneself and social interaction
- Expressing ideas, opinions and preferences and justifying them
- Asking for and giving practical information and assistance
- Telling personal stories and recounting events
Course aims
To enhance learners’ conversational skills to interact confidently in familiar situations, at work and while travelling in a country where the language is spoken.
Course objectives
- Develop learners’ comprehension skills to understand the language of diverse speakers, including different accents and faster speech.
- Enhance fluency through class activities that cover a variety of situations likely to be encountered at work, in social contexts and while travelling abroad.
- Encourage the use of a variety of lexical repertoire and grammar structures to construct clear and coherent sentences.
- Consolidate understanding of cultural nuances, some idiomatic expressions, and social etiquette.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be better prepared to:
- understand standard speech at natural speed in a variety of situations likely to be encountered at work, in social contexts and while travelling abroad.
- speak confidently in a variety of contexts, initiating and maintaining conversations on a range of topics.
- use a range of lexical repertoire and grammar structures to express ideas and give reasons.
- recognise cultural nuances and some idiomatic expressions.
Level and demands
This course is pitched at B1 Level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Find out more about our language levels.
Teaching methods
You will learn through practical, task‑based classroom activities that encourage the active use of the target language. Sessions typically integrate meaningful scenarios, pair and small‑group work, and collaborative problem‑solving in a supportive and friendly environment. These tasks bring together speaking, listening, reading, and writing, enabling you to apply the language purposefully in real‑world situations.
The course is designed to build your spoken and listening abilities while deepening your understanding of cultural nuances, etiquette, and everyday usage. We will work with new grammatical structures through meaningful, communicative tasks, and you will continue developing your reading and writing skills both in class and independently through self‑study.
Assessment methods
Formative assessment will be conducted through a range of classroom tasks and collaborative activities, including discussions, debates, role‑plays, and short presentations, in which learners use the language to achieve communicative goals. Tasks based on authentic or semi‑authentic audio and video materials will be used to evaluate learners’ understanding of spoken language in context. Participants are encouraged to engage actively in these activities in order to benefit from continuous tutor feedback and support ongoing progress.
Xaviere Hassan
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
Textbooks
No textbook required. All course materials will be provided by the course tutor.
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
- https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais-anglais / Editions Larousse
- https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais-monolingue / Editions Larousse
- French grammar and usage / Roger Hawkins and Richard Towell
Module code: O26P564XFW
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.