This module further extends your language competence, enhances your cultural knowledge, and develops key skills necessary for studying at a higher level. The themes cover different aspects of life in French-speaking countries today.
You’ll work with online materials, and study a variety of texts, and audio and video materials that will develop your reading, speaking, listening and writing skills. The activities provided will also develop your academic, digital, professional and intercultural skills in French-speaking contexts.
The module has six themes:
Through each theme, you’ll gradually develop your knowledge and skills by:
The study materials provide confidence-building strategies to improve your learning skills. We’ve carefully structured them to gradually equip you with the key skills necessary for studying at a higher level.
Working with others
This module encourages you to work with others. This includes looking at and commenting on others’ work, reflecting on others’ comments on your work, working together with fellow learners on a task, and participating in forum discussions.
Virtual field trip
This module includes a compulsory virtual field trip with a focus on developing spoken fluency and intercultural understanding. The virtual field trip will be delivered by The Open University module team and tutors in collaboration with partners in the French-speaking world and will include a wide range of activities and intercultural encounters. The programme offers opportunities to enhance and develop skills covered in the module, to practise your French in a variety of situations and learn more about French-speaking regions and countries.
To pass the module, you must take part in the virtual field trip programme.
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module. They’ll help by:
Online tutorials run throughout the module. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate, as they will provide you with plenty of opportunities to speak and listen to French.
Course work includes:
The TMAs test your writing and speaking skills. The EMA tests your writing skills.
This module includes a compulsory Virtual Field Trip.
You'll have access to a module website, which includes:
You'll also be provided with a printed grammar book.
You can study this module on its own or use the credits you gain towards an Open University qualification.
L222 is an option module in our:
French studies 2: language and culture of the French-speaking world (L222) starts once a year – in October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2032.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
There are no formal entry requirements to study this module.
However, as this is an OU level 2 module, you’ll need appropriate knowledge of French through any of the following:
If you’re not sure you’re ready, talk to an adviser.
Anything you can do to keep practising your French will be helpful. For example:
You can also visit OpenLearn to explore the free materials available for French.
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying L222 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
| Start | End | Register by | England fee |
|---|
| No current presentation |
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If your personal income is £25,000 or less, or you’re on certain benefits, you could qualify for a grant and OU top-up funding to cover 100% of your course fees. Apply online at the same time as you register on your module.
For more information on how to apply, visit our Part-Time Fee Grants for students in Scotland page.
The Open University Student Budget Accounts Ltd (OUSBA) offers a convenient 'pay as you go' option to pay your OU fees, which is a secure, quick and easy way to pay. Please note that The Open University works exclusively with OUSBA and is not able to offer you credit facilities from any other provider. All credit is subject to status and proof that you can afford the repayments.
You pay the OU through OUSBA in one of the following ways:
Joint loan applications
If you feel you would be unable to obtain an OUSBA loan on your own due to credit history or affordability issues, OUSBA offers the option to apply for a joint loan application with a third party. For example, your husband, wife, partner, parent, sibling or friend. In such cases, OUSBA will be required to carry out additional affordability checks separately and/or collectively for both joint applicants who will be jointly and severally liable for loan repayments.
As additional affordability checks are required when processing joint loan applications, unfortunately, an instant decision cannot be given. On average, the processing time for a joint loan application is five working days from receipt of the required documentation.
Read more about Open University Student Budget Accounts (OUSBA).
Studying with The Open University can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.
Over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees.
You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module.
We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.
We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may wish to pay part of your tuition fee with a debit card and pay the remainder in instalments through an Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA).
We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may get support from your employer to pay part of your tuition fee and pay the remainder by credit or debit card.
For more information about combining payment options, contact an adviser.
Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2026. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
