- An undergraduate course
in
Languages.
Action in French (French summer school)
- On this page
If you have basic French language skills, this residential week is ideal for building your confidence and maintaining your contact with France and French culture. The school is held at Caen University in Normandy, with a choice of dates in July. It includes group work, social activities and practical work in the local area – enabling you to demonstrate your skills in speaking and writing French in different contexts. You’ll need to do some preparation beforehand and there’ll be a chance to consolidate your learning when you return. The school is not suitable for complete beginners.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | LXR122 |
| Credits | 10 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-module assessment | |
| Residential school | |
Register for the course
What you will study
The central part of the course is a residential week that includes tutorial activities, social activities and practical work in the towns of Caen and Bayeux.
Why not get a taste of what to expect by watching this short video? (Video footage taken by students attending Action in French (French summer school) in 2009.)
The course aims are to:
- improve your pronunciation and intonation with tutors and with native speakers and including sessions in a language laboratory
- give you an opportunity to increase your confidence in expressing your ideas in French both orally and in writing
- develop team skills such as collaborating, negotiating and communicating effectively and to develop your ability to find out information about French life and culture
- provide a residential environment for intensive study and activities appropriate to Level 1.
Throughout the week you will have experience of working in an academic community, meeting students with similar interests from a wide range of backgrounds.
The residential week will be held in July. You will be asked to choose your week when you register for the course. Places will be allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
Entry
The course will appeal to a wide variety of people who are interested in languages, who want to maintain contact with France and French culture, and who would like to build on the basic French they already have.
It is not suitable for complete beginners, but will be appropriate if you began Bon départ: beginners' French (L192) the previous November.
However, it is a suitable choice if you want to try out some aspects of Level 1 study with the University before going on to explore what the University has to offer, particularly in language learning but also in other areas.
The course is also an appropriate choice before, or together with, the Level 1 French course Ouverture: intermediate French (L120), or to consolidate your skills before going on to Envol: upper intermediate French (L211).
For further information on this residential school course including frequently asked questions, timetable, course content and travel information, please visit the Faculty's website.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Please note that this course makes substantial use of audio and visual materials. The written and spoken elements you will be asked to complete as part of your assessment use audio stimuli. After you have registered you will receive detailed information about the residential school site and the facilities available to help with the academic programme. If you have concerns about taking this course or the support that you would have, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service or the Disability Resources Team for advice. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publications Meeting Your Needs and Meeting your residential school needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Study materials
What's included
Printed materials, a residential week of tuition and a dedicated website.
You will need
You might find it helpful to have a pocket French/English dictionary and a pocket grammar reference.
Though computers are not essential, to receive and send email and use our online services you will need access to both the internet and a computer.
Computing requirements
You will need a computer with internet access to study this course which includes online activities. You can only access these using a web browser with Flash and Java.
- If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer since 2006 you should have no problems completing the online activities.
- If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section.
- If you use an Apple Mac you will need OS X 10.5 or later.
You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will be allocated a tutor to work with you and the other students in your group during the residential school, but you will also meet and work with other tutors. Before the residential week, a telephone helpline will give you access to support from a tutor, and it will be available again after the week in Caen while you complete your written assignment.
Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You can choose whether to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper or online through the eTMA system. You may want to use the eTMA system for some of your assignments but submit on paper for others. This is entirely your choice.
Before the residential week there will be some preparatory work to demonstrate your skills and knowledge in written and spoken French. There are also two assessed assignments: an oral assessment that you record in Caen and a piece of written work that you complete at or after the residential week. To pass the course you must pass both the oral and the written assignment, and participate satisfactorily in the activities throughout the residential school.
If you wish to submit your TMAs by post, please ensure you have an audio cassette recorder (full size, not mini format) with microphone and a blank cassette.
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in May 2012 – the month in which you will receive the preparatory materials – when it will be available for the last time.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
Student Reviews
“I would definitely recommend this course. It really assisted my French, the tutors were fantastic and very supportive and encouraging. ...”
Read more
“This was an excellent course from all angles. It is not quite total immersion in French because other students on ...”
Read more
Distance learning
The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality distance learning. Unlike other universities we are not campus based. You will study in a flexible way that works for you whether you’re at home, at work or on the move. As an OU student you’ll be supported throughout your studies – your tutor will guide and advise you, offer detailed feedback on your assignments, and help with any study issues. Tuition might be in face-to-face groups, via online tutorials, or by phone.
For more information about distance learning at the OU read Study explained.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | LXR122 |
| Credits | 10 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-module assessment | |
| Residential school | |
Undergraduate
Course satisfaction survey
See the satisfaction survey results for this course.
Study explained
- Time
- – find out how much time is required to complete OU study. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Costs
- - find out how much you can expect to pay.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
Your questions
We may have already answered it in our frequently asked questions.
Or contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90 +44(0) 845 366 60 35
Get a prospectus
Download ororder
Share
This PageThe University wishes to emphasise that, while every effort is made to regularly update this site, the material on it is subject to alteration or amendment in the light of changes in regulations or in policy or of financial or other necessity.