Ouverture: intermediate French
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Ouverture: intermediate French follows on from Bon départ: beginners’ French (L192). It revises and consolidates the knowledge of French you already have and teaches more advanced language in the context of French-speaking societies and French culture. Study resources – including printed course books and interactive DVD-ROMs – are carefully designed to develop the four language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. They provide clear learning objectives, guidance and model answers. This key introductory Level 1 course also teaches good study skills and language-learning strategies.
Fees 2012
See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.
Course facts
An undergraduate course in Languages.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | L120 |
| Credits | 30 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| End-of-module assessment |
| No residential school |
Register for the course
This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees and financial support may vary by country.
What you will study
Ouverture: intermediate French will develop your confidence in understanding, speaking, reading and writing French, whether you want to improve your French for personal or vocational reasons. It offers insights into many aspects of every day life in modern France, so you should also gain a better understanding of issues that concern French people.
The course consists of:
- A website – that helps you to navigate through the course and pace your study as well as offering you the opportunity to interact with other students both in your own tutor group and across the course.
- Three books – Livre 1 and Livre 2 form the anchor of the study materials and help you to navigate through them. They also contain activities focusing on practising language structures, grammatical explanations and learning strategies. Pratique de l’écrit focuses on reading and writing skills.
- Two DVD-ROMs – that include video and audio clips and a wide range of interactive language activities to develop your speaking and listening skills.
The course covers themes such as Loisirs, Traditions, Communauté, Consommation and Travail. Corrigés are provided and form an integral part of the study process.
Ouverture is an ideal preparation for Envol: upper intermediate French (L211).
This course is designed to enable you to achieve a level of language proficiency equivalent to level B1 of the Council of Europe Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. You will have developed your knowledge and understanding of the language as well as an awareness of cultural diversity in French speaking countries which form a key part of the learning outcomes for studying at this Level. By the end of the module you will have developed key Level 1 undergraduate study skills such as learning to work independently and using strategies which enable you to solve problems and analyse data.
Entry
This is a key introductory Level 1 course. Level 1 courses provide core subject knowledge and study skills needed for both higher education and distance learning, to help you progress to courses at Level 2.
Ouverture requires a working knowledge of French. It is ideal for students who have successfully completed Bon départ: beginners' French (L192), or who have reached a similar linguistic standard. Your knowledge need not be formal, it could come from adult education classes, time spent in French-speaking countries, regular contact with French-speaking people or other sources. You should be able to understand the gist of what native speakers say and to hold a basic conversation in French in everyday situations such as talking about yourself, your family and where you’re from; booking a hotel, or asking for directions.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Preparatory work
If you have time before the course begins, we suggest that you continue to use your French in any way you can. You could do this by: redoing some of the activities in Bon départ: beginners' French (L192), particularly Bon départ 6 (book and audio CD) which takes you through a revision of everything learnt in the course; watching and listening to the L192 audio materials; reading a French newspaper; using online resources; or watching some films in French. Anything you can do to keep practising your French will be helpful. L192 materials are either available to buy from The Open University Worldwide website or for viewing at your regional or national centre.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Please note that this course makes substantial use of audio and visual materials. Full transcripts of the audio and video materials are provided, except for those used for assessment purposes. Comb-bound versions of the written study materials can also be provided on request. Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. The written and spoken elements you will be asked to complete as part of your assessment use audio and possibly visual stimuli. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and musical notation and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Other alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
You’ll need to make extensive use of a personal computer and will need to access the course website on a regular basis. You will also be offered tutorials via an online conferencing system.
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 publication Meeting Your Needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, financial support and 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
DVD-ROMs and books. Access to a website which includes links to forums and a real time audio-visual conferencing tool that allows you to communicate with fellow students and your tutor.
You will need
You will need a headset with a microphone and earphones to record speech in activities featured on the DVD-ROMs as well as for use with the real time audio-visual conferencing tool.
Please also check the Computer requirements and Assessment sections.
We recommend that you purchase a good bilingual dictionary, such as the Collins Robert Concise French Dictionary (ISBN 9780007253449), HarperCollins Publishers (£18.99), which you will be able to use throughout your French studies.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you cannot use an Apple Mac or Linux computer unless it is running Windows using Boot Camp or similar dual-boot system.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written and spoken tutor-marked assignments (TMAs). You can also ask your tutor for advice and guidance. This course usually includes a mix of face-to-face and online tutorials. Please note that depending on where you live, the mix will vary and in some places face-to-face tuition may be replaced by telephone conferencing. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day schools. Although you are not obliged to attend any of these, you are strongly encouraged to take part as they will provide you with plenty of opportunities to speak and listen to French. How tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course.
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 – please note this may be subject to change.
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.
If you wish to submit your TMAs on paper by post please ensure you have an audio cassette recorder (Full size, not mini format) with microphone and at least one blank cassette to record and submit your speaking test.
The TMAs test your written and spoken skills. The EMA has a written element and a spoken element. The spoken element assesses your speaking skills and will be in the form of a group oral carried out at a compulsory online tutorial.
Professional recognition
The Chartered Institute of Marketing recognises this course under their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2013. It will be available again in October 2013. We then expect it to be available once a year, in October.
Fees 2012
See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.
Course facts
An undergraduate course in Languages.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | L120 |
| Credits | 30 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| End-of-module assessment |
| No residential school |
Study explained
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.
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