In the first part of this course, you will talk about how to stay healthy. In the second part, the focus will shift to talking about the past and comparing it with the present. You will revise how to talk about how things were in the past using the imparfait form of verbs. You’ll also learn about how French society evolved in the twentieth century and discover the événements of May 1968.
Delivered through user-friendly, ‘bite-sized’ blocks, each week you’ll discover key vocabulary and set phrases. Audio material featuring recordings by native speakers of French and a wide variety of speaking activities will aid your pronunciation.
Throughout the course, you’ll build up your own French phrase book covering varied topics such as:
Along with completing the weekly activities and quizzes to strengthen your learning, with this final course in the Elementary series, you will build a solid foundation of French.
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 B1 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.
However, 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), Beginners French 2: bien sûr! (LGXF002), Beginners French 3: absolument! (LGXF003), Elementary French 1: allons-y! (LGXF004), and/or Elementary French 2: en avant! (LGXF005).
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact us.
You'll need broadband internet access and a desktop or laptop computer with an up-to-date version of Windows (10 or 11) or macOS (11 'Big Sur' or higher).
Functionality may be limited on mobile devices. For example, voice recorder activities, which are common in language short courses, may not work on iOS/Apple devices.
Our module websites comply with web standards, and any modern browser is suitable for most activities.
Our OU Study mobile App will operate on all current, supported versions of Android and iOS. It's not available on Kindle.
It's also possible to access some module materials on a mobile phone, tablet device or Chromebook. However, as you may be asked to install additional software or use certain applications, you'll also require a desktop or laptop, as described above.
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 LGXF006 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
| Start | England fee |
|---|
| At anytime before 31/07/2026 | £195 |
| At anytime before 31/07/2027 | Not yet available |
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 2025/26 academic year. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.