La Causerie Française

Early Registration (5/1-6/3): $420

Reg. Registration (6/4-8/14): $440

Late Registration (8/15-9/30):$460

Fridays 9:00am-10:25am

Course Description: 

This class builds upon the foundations established in Level 1. The goal of the class is to enable students to achieve a higher level of understanding and ability to communicate in French while covering some of the more intricate aspects of French grammar. Comprehension and communication are achieved through in-class work and dialogue as well as at-home preparation. Cultural and social aspects of French society are an integrated part of this course.

Course Outline:  We will study Leçons 9-14 in the required textbook.  Lessons will include these concepts of French grammar and culture :

Irregular verbs including venir, prendre, mettre, sortir, partir, dormir,vouloir, pouvoir, devoir, suivre,  voir, connaître, savoir, ouvrir, lire, dire, écrire

« Depuis » and the present tense

Distinction among the definite (le, la, les, l’), indefinite (un, une, des) and partitive articles (du, de la, de l’, des)

Expressions of quantity

Idiomatic expressions with être, avoir, aller, faire

Use of “il faut”

Direct / Indirect object pronouns (le, la, les, lui, leur, me, te, nous, vous)

Pronouns « y » and « en »

Affirmative and negative expressions ( souvent, encore, deja, ne… jamais, ne… plus, ne… rien, ne… pas encore)

Passé composé with être and avoir

The imperfect tense

Use of the passé composé and imperfect in past narrative

Reflexive verbs

Irregular adjectives

Tourism and entertainment in France

Eating habits and shopping for food

University studies

Attitudes and values of the French people

By the end of this class members will be able . . .

to converse more easily using the concepts reinforced from French 1

to narrate events in the past—a vacation, one’s childhood, last weekend, an accident

to communicate in a variety of situations such as buying food in the supermarket, ordering in a restaurant, talking about themselves and family, making introductions, making appropriate responses in social situations, describing where one lives, discussing various forms of entertainment.

Prerequisites: French 1A and 1B at La Causerie or equivalent.

Required Books and Materials Used: Voila! An Introduction to French, 6th Edition, by L. Kathy Heilenman, ISBN: 1133950124

Optional Reference Books (not required): 

A French-English dictionary such as Harper Collins Robert French College Dictionary (Paperback), Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN: 0004707117 (or any HarperCollins French-English dictionaries)

Bescherelle: L’Art de conjuguer 12,000 verbes (Verb Conjugation), Publisher: Hatier, ISBN: 2218717166