Start your beginner French learning journey with our Beginner French: A1.1 Course, designed for learners with no prior knowledge of French or those who wish to refresh the basics. This introductory course builds the foundations needed to communicate in simple everyday situations while developing your understanding of essential French grammar and vocabulary. It is ideal for learners interested in learning French for cultural interest or personal enrichment in a supportive and interactive learning environment.

You will practise everyday communication such as introducing yourself and others, talking about countries, professions, numbers, interacting in the classroom, and using polite expressions for greetings and farewells. Grammar and vocabulary are taught in context to help you form simple sentences, ask questions, and describe people and places. Phonetics is integrated throughout the course, with focused practice on the French alphabet, key sounds like [y], stress patterns, intonation, mute letters, and verbal liaison to help you develop clearer and more confident spoken French.

DELIVERY MODE

Delivery mode for individual classes will vary from term to term, but will be listed as the following:

• Face-to-Face: WEA Sydney
• Online: Microsoft Teams

TEXTBOOK

• Cosmopolite 1 A1 Livre d'Eleve Book (Hachette: 2017), ISBN: 9782014015973

Supplier: Abbey's Language Book Centre
Please note that textbook cost is not included in the course fee. In the event of a course being cancelled, WEA Sydney cannot be held responsible for the purchase of any textbooks. Language courses will be confirmed or cancelled at least 7 days prior to their starting date.

COURSE OUTLINE

Communication

• Discovering the French language
• Introducing yourself; Spelling your first and last name
• Learning the names of countries
• Counting
• Communicating in the class
• Greeting/introducing someone; Bidding farewell
• Indicating someone’s occupation
• Asking and giving information
• Giving personal information

Grammar

• Present tense verbs : s’appeler, être
• Personal subject pronouns : je, tu, il, elle, nous, vous, ils, elles
• The different kinds of diacritic accents (acute, grave, circunflexe)
• The gender of the names of countries
• Subject pronouns: tu and vous
• Indefinite articles: un, une, des
• Interrogative words: qui, quoi, où, quand

Phonetics

• Pronunciation of the alphabet
• The sound [y]
• The stress of the last syllable
• The ascending and descending intonation
• Mute letters
• The verbal liaison of ils and elles

Vocabulary

• The first names
• Nationalities, Names of countries
• The days of the week, the months and the seasons
• Expressions for introducing oneself, greetings or someone else
• Expressions of politeness
• Numbers 0-99
• Professions

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Take part in simple everyday interactions in French, including greetings, introductions, and sharing basic personal information.
2. Ask and answer questions about people, places, and occupations while using basic sentence structures and present tense verbs.
3. Communicate more clearly in spoken French by applying correct pronunciation, intonation, and basic grammar in familiar contexts.