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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.

Register for the course

This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees and financial support may vary by country.


Start End Fee Register
11 Jun 2012 Oct 2012 £620.00

Registration closes 10/06/12 (places subject to availability)

Click to register

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

Apply for financial support by 10/06/12. Final date for part-time fee grant application endorsement 20/05/12.

Start End Fee Register
11 Jun 2012 Oct 2012 £880.00

Registration closes 10/06/12 (places subject to availability)

Click to register

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

Apply for financial support by 10/06/12. Final date for part-time fee grant application endorsement 20/05/12.

Start End Fee Register
11 Jun 2012 Oct 2012 £880.00

Registration closes 10/06/12 (places subject to availability)

Click to register

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

Apply for financial support by 10/06/12. Final date for part-time fee grant application endorsement 20/05/12.

Start End Fee Register
11 Jun 2012 Oct 2012 £620.00

Registration closes 10/06/12 (places subject to availability)

Click to register

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

Apply for financial support by 10/06/12. Final date for part-time fee grant application endorsement 20/05/12.

Start End Fee Register
11 Jun 2012 Oct 2012 £620.00

Registration closes 10/06/12 (places subject to availability)

Click to register

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

Apply for financial support by 10/06/12. Final date for part-time fee grant application endorsement 20/05/12.

Start End Fee Register
11 Jun 2012 Oct 2012 £620.00

Registration closes 10/06/12 (places subject to availability)

Click to register

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

Apply for financial support by 10/06/12. Final date for part-time fee grant application endorsement 20/05/12.

Start End Fee Register
11 Jun 2012 Oct 2012 £620.00

Registration closes 10/06/12 (places subject to availability)

Click to register

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

Apply for financial support by 10/06/12. Final date for part-time fee grant application endorsement 20/05/12.

Start End Fee Register
11 Jun 2012 Oct 2012 £620.00

Registration closes 10/06/12 (places subject to availability)

Click to register

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

Apply for financial support by 10/06/12. Final date for part-time fee grant application endorsement 20/05/12.

Start End Fee Register
11 Jun 2012 Oct 2012 £880.00

Registration closes 10/06/12 (places subject to availability)

Click to register

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

Apply for financial support by 10/06/12. Final date for part-time fee grant application endorsement 20/05/12.

Start End Fee Register
11 Jun 2012 Oct 2012 £880.00

Registration closes 10/06/12 (places subject to availability)

Click to register

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

You must apply for financial support by 20/05/12

Apply for financial support by 10/06/12. Final date for part-time fee grant application endorsement 20/05/12.

*Fees may vary by country.

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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. See our Residential Schools website for more information.

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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.

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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, 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.

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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

This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.

You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new 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.

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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.

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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. 

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Fees 2012

See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.

Course facts

An undergraduate course in Languages.

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

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.

Student Reviews

I would definitely recommend this course. It really assisted my French, the tutors were fantastic and very supportive and encouraging. ...
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This was an excellent course from all angles. It is not quite total immersion in French because other students on ...
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Course satisfaction survey

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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

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