French studies 2: language and culture of the French-speaking world
This module takes you to an upper intermediate level of competence in French, which is equivalent to level B2 level of the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference. You’ll further develop your cultural knowledge and practical language skills in listening, speaking, reading, writing and interacting in a variety of situations – ranging from everyday conversation to putting forward your point of view in a debate. You’ll also consolidate and further develop academic, digital and employability skills in French-speaking contexts.
What you will study
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:
Work and education
History
Media and popular culture
Environment
Individuals and institutions
Social issues
Through each theme, you’ll gradually develop your knowledge and skills by:
consolidating and expanding your knowledge of French vocabulary and grammar
learning about and reflecting on language, culture and intercultural communication skills
studying with audio recordings and videos that explore topical issues in French-speaking cultures and societies
engaging in a wide variety of speaking and interactive activities
practising translation to support your language learning
consolidating and expanding your academic skills
using digital tools and resources to support your language learning
finding and using information from external sources
working independently and in collaboration with others
reviewing your personal goals and monitoring your progress using checklists and reflective questions.
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.
Entry requirements
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:
French studies 1 (intermediate) (L112)
Ouverture: intermediate French (L120) – now discontinued
French knowledge equivalent to the above
Preparatory work
Anything you can do to keep practising your French will be helpful. For example:
listening to French radio broadcasts and podcasts
accessing authentic resources online
checking out the language materials available in iTunes U
borrowing French books and films from the local library
reading a French newspaper
redoing some of the activities in L112 (or L120)
watching and listening to the L112 (or L120) audio and video materials.
You can also visit OpenLearn to explore the free materials available for French.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module. They’ll help by:
marking your assignments and offering detailed feedback to help you improve
providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content
guiding you to additional learning resources
facilitating online discussions between your fellow students in the dedicated module and tutor group forums.
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.
Assessment
Course work includes:
4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
End-of-module assessment
Embedded residential school
The TMAs test your writing and speaking skills. The EMA tests your writing skills.
This module includes a compulsory Virtual Field Trip.
What's included
You'll have access to a module website, which includes:
a week-by-week study planner
course-specific module materials
audio and video content
access to The Open University online library that contains resources for French
assessment details and submission section
online tutorial access
access to forums where you can communicate with your fellow students
access to a website dedicated to the Virtual Field Trip
You'll also be provided with a printed grammar book.
Computing requirements
Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer with at least 8 GB of RAM and a quad-core processor (2.4 GHz minimum speed). It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
Operating systems – Windows 11 or the latest supported macOS.
Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended; Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.
Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
Software – Any additional software will be provided or is generally available for free.
If you have a disability
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.
Future availability
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 2027.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2032.