French Advanced

This advanced French course is tailored to increase students' conversational skills through engaging in discussions on a wide range of topics from various media platforms such as television, digital platforms, newspapers, magazines, and podcasts.

Students will delve into current affairs, cultural trends, and social issues while honing their ability to decipher information, analyse various content critically, and articulate opinions effectively.

Through discussions, students will explore topics including but not limited to the arts, French music, literature, cinema, travel experiences, political developments, gender dynamics, and family dynamics.

Key components of the course include:

• News and Current Affairs Analysis: Engaging in discussions about current events sourced from different media channels to foster critical thinking and informed opinions.

• Cultural Exploration: Delving into various cultural topics such as literature, music, and cinema to broaden students' cultural knowledge and vocabulary.

• Personal Expression: Sharing personal experiences and opinions on topics such as favourite holidays, political issues, gender equality, and family dynamics to encourage self-expression and confidence in conversation.

• Grammar Advancement: Continuously learning and reinforcing complex grammar concepts that arise naturally during conversations, enabling students to express themselves with greater precision and accuracy.

• Presentation and Debate: Providing opportunities for students to deliver presentations on topics of their choice, engage in debates, and defend their viewpoints, thereby refining their public speaking and argumentation skills.

Outcomes:

By the conclusion of the 8-week program, students will emerge more adept at sustaining conversations on a wide range of real-life subjects, equipped with the confidence and linguistic skills to navigate diverse social and professional contexts in French-speaking environments.

Course Breakdown: 

Week 1: News of the week. Movies: “Films Oscarisés / Césarisés 2024”. 

Week 2: News of the week. The increase in popularity of the TV series.

Week 3: News of the week. “La charge mentale / la charge émotionnelle” – problems experienced by young couples with young children

Week 4: News of the week. “Récits de voyage” - recap your best trip.

Week 5: News of the week. “La chanson à texte” - the importance of the lyrics in the French songs of the 60s and 70s (Brel, Brassens, Ferré, Barbara,Ferrat). 

Week 6: News of the week. Discrimination in the work environment : “l’apparence au travail – un autre plafond de verre”.

Week 7: News of the week. Mental health issues: ADHD, OCD, anxiety – are we given the right diagnostic?

Week 8: News of the week. The obsession about staying young – the myth of Dorian Gray / “les secrets de la peau”.

Term Dates

Term 2 runs from Friday 10 May to Friday 28 June

Term 3 runs from Friday 26 July to Friday 13 September

Term 4 runs from Friday 18 October to Friday 6 December

Testimonials

"I have really enjoyed attending the French Beginners course at North Sydney Community Centre. Karima is a great tutor; she is patient and extremely knowledgeable. Karima and the other students made the two-hour sessions fly by, and I left each lesson feeling more confident with the French language. I would definitely recommend this course and the Centre for more learning opportunities."