Individualized study online with Video component (Overseas students, please contact the University Library before registering in a course that has an audio/visual component). Delivered via Brightspace.
Credits:
3
Areas of study:
Arts or Humanities
Prerequisites:
This course is demanding for those with no knowledge of French. A good knowledge of English grammar is essential. Students are advised not to take FREN 100 and FREN 101 simultaneously.
Course start date:
If you are a:
Self-funded student: register by the 10th of the month, start on the 1st of the next.
FREN 100: French for Beginners I is designed for students who wish to begin learning French. This course will familiarize students with the foundations of the French language and will help them to develop the four basic language skills of reading, writing, listening comprehension, and speaking. By the end of the course, students will be able to ask and answer a variety of questions. Students will also learn how to compose simple sentences that are grammatically correct and to express themselves in simple French.
Outline
FREN 100 follows the first six chapters of Chez Nous and the first half of French in Action. These two texts are the basic grammar and vocabulary building components of FREN 100.
Learning outcomes
When you have completed FREN 100, you should be able (both orally and in writing) to do the following in French:
Participate in simple conversations about yourself
Describe family members, their relationships, and everyday activities
Describe people’s appearances, personalities, and daily routines
Express likes and dislikes
Discuss family structures across the Francophone world
Describe sport and leisure activities
Talk about university life in general and courses of study
Talk about jobs and the workplace
Discuss clothing and fashion
Speak and write about food, meals, a variety of dishes, and shopping for food
Speak and write about the importance of cuisine in the French-speaking world
Evaluation
To receive credit for FREN 100, students must complete and submit all five written assignments and achieve a minimum weighted average of 50%, as well as a minimum grade of 50% on the final written examination. Students must also complete and submit all four oral assignments and achieve a minimum weighted average of 50%, and a minimum grade of 50% on the final oral examination. Students must achieve a minimum course composite grade of D (50 %).
Activity
Weight
4 Written Assignments (6% each)
24%
1 Composition Assignment
6%
4 Oral Assignments (3% each)
12%
Final Oral Examination
8%
Final Written Examination
50%
Total
100%
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Scullen, Mary Ellen, et al. Chez nous: Branché sur le monde francophone. 5th ed., LingroLearning Publishers, 2024. (Online)
Capretz, Pierre J., with Barry Lydgate, Béatrice Abetti, and Marie-Odile Germain. French in Action: A Beginning Course in Language and Culture: The Capretz Method Part 1. 3rd ed. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2012. (Print)
Other Materials
All other course materials are offered online.
Special Course Feature
Each lesson in the French in Action textbook has a corresponding video component that students are required to watch. Students can watch these videos online or borrow them from Athabasca University Library.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.