French Advanced
The Advanced French group meets on the second and fourth Friday morning of the month, 10 till 11.30 am. The level is around B2, i.e. roughly AS-level (rusty A-level plus occasional holidays in France would be ideal).
We will explore different aspects of French life and culture – anything from absinthe and the 2CV to backwards slang (verlan) and famous poems and songs.
A wide range of media are use, including podcasts, dialogues and short subtitled videos in French. Sessions will often be themed, with translation, listening and conversation based on the session’s theme. This is a chance to have a go at French conversation in a supportive environment.
The only ‘course book’ we use is a materials book packed with lively, authentic French articles, available secondhand from me for just £6.
For 2024, we are reading a recent crime-themed bande dessinée entitled Les juges intègres (cost: less than £2!) - see link beside this page to the relevant Amazon page. This short book is aimed at adults, with lots of colloquialisms and humour in the dialogues! So far everyone has really enjoyed this first foray into bandes dessinées.
There will be some preparation to do between sessions. You will need access to a printer to print out emailed materials, or alternatively an electronic device (e.g. iPad) to view them.
A termly charge of £8 (covering 5 or 6 sessions) will be collected at the beginning of each term to cover venue hire. All meetings are currently held in the Large Meeting Room in St Ives Library.
As an experiment, in the Summer term, you can pay £3 for each session you attend. This will work out more cheaply for you if (e.g. for holiday reasons) you are planning to come to only one or two sessions.
For anyone wanting to try out the group, there are currently two spaces available. You could always come along for a free taster session. If you think this group might work for you, please get in touch with the Group Convenor, Bruce, by clicking on the email ‘envelope’ icon beside this page.
Some examples of items and topics we have covered recently can be viewed via the link beside this page.
Dates and venues for 2024:
Spring 2024
Friday 12th January
Friday 26th January
Friday 9th February
Friday 23rd February
Friday 8th March
Friday 22nd March
Summer 2024
Friday 12th April
Friday 26th April
Friday 10th May
Friday 24th May
Friday 14th June
Autumn 2024
Friday 27th September
Friday 11th October
Friday 25th October
Friday 8th November
Friday 22nd November
Friday 13th December