Explore traditions across French-speaking countries

On this four-week course, you’ll delve into the traditions that matter to people who live in France, Belgium and Morocco. You’ll learn about the public holidays that are celebrated in France and the festivals that play a key part in people’s lives throughout the year.

Learn about special dates and celebrations in French culture

You’ll continue your virtual travels, this time with Mohammed who will talk about the traditions from his childhood in Morocco, and Mahon, who describes a carnival in Belgium. You’ll also focus on French traditions and rituals associated with Christmas and Bastille Day.

The activities, based on video and audio material, will continue to help you develop the skills you need to understand authentic spoken French.

Grow your ability to use language more effectively

You will learn vocabulary and structures to describe traditions and celebrations and to talk about the feelings they evoke.

You’ll practise using language to give instructions, revise the rules for the position of adjectives and work on your pronunciation of nasal vowels. You’ll also focus on the language and structures used to talk about traditions celebrated in the past, revising and extending your knowledge of the two most important past tenses in French: the passé composé and the imparfait. Finally, you’ll learn to use the past tenses to talk about memories of traditions that are important to you.

Develop your skills to put pen to paper

At the end of the course, you’ll have the skills to produce a written account of a tradition you have celebrated, which will be enriched by your new ability to read and understand a wide range of authentic source materials. You’ll further show off your new skills by researching and writing about a tradition in France or a French-speaking country of your choice.

What topics will you cover?

Discovering a number of important traditions and celebrations in the French-speaking world
Describing festivals that are important to you
Pronouncing nasal vowels
Revising the formation and use of the imparfait and passé composé
Understanding the structures used to give impersonal instructions
Revising the rules for the position of adjectives

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Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Improve your ability to understand written and spoken French
Develop your confidence to communicate in French through speech and writing
Apply and consolidate your understanding of basic French grammar and increase your receptive and productive vocabulary
Explore and broaden your knowledge of societies and cultures in France, Belgium and Morocco

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for those with a good basic knowledge of French (fully at Level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference ‘Elementary’) who want to improve their French language skills and deepen their knowledge of French culture.

Who will you learn with?

Bill Alder

Dr. Bill Alder is an Associate Lecturer in French at The Open University and has contributed to numerous French language modules. He has a special interest in French-language crime fiction.

Who developed the course?

The Open University

As the UK’s largest university, The Open University (OU) supports thousands of students to achieve their goals and ambitions via supported distance learning, helping to fit learning around professional and personal life commitments.

Established
1969
Location
Milton Keynes, UK
World ranking
Top 510Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020

About this ExpertTrack

Improve your language skills as you journey through France and the Worlds of French, with The Open University

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