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Accessibility statement
An image to illustrate Beginners French 3: absolument! short course
Whether you want to visit, work or live in a French-speaking environment, being able to communicate effectively will enrich your experience. Part of our Beginners French series, this short course develops your reading and listening skills so you can speak and write in everyday situations. It’s ideal if you’ve completed Beginners French 1 and 2 or have equivalent knowledge. You’ll build on key structures and vocabulary to describe places, give directions, talk about routines and plans, and respond to invitations. The course also increases your awareness of the culture of France and other French-speaking countries.
Whether you want to visit, work or live in a French speaking environment, you will get more out of the experience if you can communicate effectively with people. In this 16-unit course you will develop your reading and listening skills in French and learn to speak and write the language to communicate in everyday situations.
In Beginners French 3: absolument! you will learn how to:
Learning a language is also learning about culture, so you will discover information about public buildings, museums, townscapes and transport in France, places to eat and the changing eating habits in the French-speaking world. You’ll also learn about work routines and conditions of employment in France. On top of this, you will discover Montréal, the largest French-speaking city in Canada.
Each unit comprises 3–4 hours of interactive activities, exercises, explanations and tips about language-learning. Throughout the course, you will improve your ability to understand spoken and written French and to communicate your own information and ideas. You’ll acquire a knowledge of the basic structures of the French language, along with key vocabulary. It’s a good idea to keep notes either in a notebook or on your preferred digital device. There are regular revision units and, at the end of each unit, there is a quiz for you to practise what you’ve been learning.
We look forward to seeing you soon. A bientôt!
Please note that although this course is non-accredited, it can be used towards the module Making your learning count (YXM130) to gain OU credits.
The course is designed to help you achieve a level of language proficiency equivalent to level A2 of the Council of Europe Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR).
You will have access to discussion forums that you are strongly encouraged to participate in as these forums combine support from fellow students with input from a language-specialist learning adviser. Other support is available via the StudentHome website and Computing Helpdesk.
The course is made up of 16 units, with each unit expected to take about 3–4 hours to study. In total, you’ll need around 64 hours to complete the course.
You can begin at any time during the life of the course and study at your own pace. The course will be open to you for a time period of between 6 and 18 months depending on your course registration date and you will be advised of the specific time limitations upon enrolment.
All learning materials are delivered entirely online and there is no formal tuition for this course.
Your study is self-directed and you’ll have access to a course website, which includes:
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 entry requirements for this course.
It's beneficial if you have some basic knowledge of French, similar or equivalent to the language, skills and vocabulary practised in Beginners French 1: eh oui! (LGXF001) and Beginners French 2: bien sûr! (LGXF002).
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact us.
The course is delivered online and makes use of a variety of online resources. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet you are advised to contact us about support which can be given to meet your needs.
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying LGXF003 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
StartEngland fee
At anytime before 31/07/2026£195
We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.
If this course is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could ask your employer to sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. Your sponsor just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.
The fee information provided here is valid for short courses starting in the 2026/27 academic year. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
You can start this course anytime.
You can start this course anytime.
Level info