This page collects resources for the University of Portsmouth's SELL French Institution Wide Language Programme French Level 1 for 2023-24 Teaching Block 1.
A shortened link to this page is rebrand.ly/uopiwlp23
It is a page to gather links to all valuable content for me to have everything to hand.
Students will be able to access most of this directly in Moodle.
The course is based mainly on the first few chapters of the book Saison 1
Some copies of this book are available at the University Library, a slightly older version.
Also, on the Internet Archive...
Useful online sources of French Language Media (free access)
To help improve your listening and tune your ear to the sound of the language, you can use the internet. There are a lot of free-to-air radio stations out there; also, quite a lot of TV and films are available in French online.
All 4 (Walter Presents has a fair few French TV Series)
France 24 is like BBC News 24 but in French
TV5 Monde is an online streaming platform for the Francophone World's TV, films, documentaries...
BBC iPlayer (look under BBC Four for some French Series or Films)
Free Sources for Radio
mercredi, 13 décembre
You will today be looking at the festive season in France.
round?
La colombe de noël
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Vive le vent - (I reckon you will not need an English Version)
Minuit Chrétien (this is an original French Christmas Song/Hymn)
O Holy Night
Il est né le divin enfant - Annie Lennox
Les anges dans nos campagnes - Johanne Blouin
mercredi, 6 décembre
You will today complete your assessments for Level 1 French IWLP (Having already completed the Speaking and Listening in November)
mercredi, 29 novembre
You will today revise for the reading and writing assessment.
(printed sheets)
We can revise speaking about towns, houses, people, and pets...
We can add some hobbies and pastimes. (we did this ppt already)
- Comment vous appelez vous?
- Quel âge avez vous?
- Où habitez vous? / Vous êtes d'où?
- C'est comment?
- Qu'est-ce qu'il y a près de chez vous?
- C'est comment chez vous?
- Vous avez des enfants? / des frères et sœurs? Comment sont-ils?
- Vous avez des animaux?
Qu'est-ce que vous aimez faire/manger/boire?
Qu'est-ce que vous n'aimez pas faire/manger/boire?
Je déteste...
Je n'aime pas du tout...
Je n'aime pas trop...
Je n'aime pas...
J'aime un peu...
J'aime...
J'aime bien...
J'aime beaucoup...
J'adore...
...
Verbs - how do you report back about someone else?
Je > il/elle - What are the conjugation rules - check here for the present tense conjugation of regular verbs...
Revision for the Written and Reading Assessment
La Saint Nicolas
«Nicolas avait pour voisin un homme qui, ruiné, ne pouvait marier ses trois filles faute de dot. Ce dernier envisageait de les prostituer afin de récolter l'argent nécessaire à leurs subsistances. Nicolas décida, en secret, de donner trois bourses pleines d'or à ces jeunes femmes.
Cette légende chrétienne est rapportée dans le livre la Légende Dorée de Jacques de Voragine»
It is very much only in Eastern France, in particular areas nearest to Belgium and Germany, that St Nicolas' Day is celebrated. On the night of December 5th, children will put their shoes, boots, or slippers out for St Nicolas to leave treats. If they are naughty children, «le père fouettard», a dark figure who accompanies St Nicolas, leaves sticks, coal, or perhaps quiche for them to find on the morning of December 6th.
Mock Assessment in class to prepare for the final assessment in Week 13.
mercredi, 22 novembre
You will receive a mock reading and writing assessment today, one which will help you prepare for the real assessment in two weeks' time. To continue to Level 2 French, you need to complete the assessments.
We will look at what you have done together and work on modelling how an answer could be prepared for the actual assessment in two weeks' time.
mercredi, 15 novembre
Reinforcement of the descriptions work using the course book
You will revise the entire module's contents today to be well-prepared for next week's mock reading, writing assessment, and, ultimately, the final one.
It would be a good idea for you to create a Word Document or Google Document in which you have information on:
Les Salutations
Les lettres de l'Alphabet
Se présenter
Les couleurs
Les chiffres de 1 Ã 100
Les pays et les nationalités
Ce qu'il ya dans mon sac
Quelques professions
Les habitations
Les autres personnes - la déscription et la personnalité
What can you tell me about the above topics?
If you wish to apply for Level 2, you must do this by clicking here by the 17th November.
Most of the useful verbs in French are strong or irregular verbs.
Here they are conjugated in the present tense.
'avoir' to have 'être' - to be 'faire' - to make/to do
j'ai I have je suis I am je fais I do
tu as you have tu es you are tu fais you do
il a he has il est he is il fait he does
elle a she has elle est she is elle fait she does
on a one has on est one is on fait one does
nous avons we have nous sommes we are nous faisons we do
vous avez you have vous êtes you are vous faites you do
ils ont they have ils sont they are ils font they do
elles ont they have elles sont they are elles font they
'aller' - to go
je vais
tu vas
il va
elle va
on va
nous allons
vous allez
ils vont
elles vont
Can you work out what the different parts of the verb 'aller' are in English?
From my other blog post Present Tense - 'er' verbs
Using the verb to play (jouer) from the 'er' family of verbs. It is a regular verb and many of the family will follow the rule.
To form the 'stem' of the verb, you need to remove its family ending so in the case of 'jouer' you remove the'-er' and you are left with the stem 'jou-'
To form the present tense of the verb 'jouer' you put the following endings on to the stem for each person you are referring to... (The grammatical term for the person you are referring to is in brackets at the end of this tense for future reference.)
Je joue I play/I am playing/ I do play (1st pers sing)
Tu joues You play/you are playing/you do play (2nd pers sing/inf)
Il joue He plays/he is playing/he does play (3rd pers sing masc)
Elle joue She plays/she is playing/she does play (3rd pers sing fem
On joue One plays/one is playing/one does play (3rd pers sing gen)
Nous jouons We play/we are playing/we do play (1st pers pl)
Vous jouez You play/you are playing/you do play (2nd pers pl/form)
Ils jouent They play/they are playing/they do play (3rd pers pl masc*)
Elles jouent They play/they are playing/they do play (3rd pers fem)
* Ils is used for a group of male people or things and also for a mixed group of male and female people or masculine and feminine items.
Elles is used exclusively for a group of female people or feminine items.
New language formulation by popular demand...
There are currently many new word for transgender where we would use 'they/them/their' in English... French grammar cannot work like that.
The most commonly used new pronoun "iel" (or "ielle") is a french genderneutral neopronoun. it's a contraction of "il" (the male pronoun) and "elle" (the female pronoun). plural: "iels"...
Can you know conjugate the verb 'donner' = to give, in all its present tense forms? (it follows the regular pattern)
Present Tense - 'ir' verbs
The next largest family of verbs in French is the '-ir' family. They are a mixture family the majority of their members follow similar rules of grammar and are known as 'regular verbs' - this time there are more 'naughty' ones among them who do not follow all the rules, called 'irregular verbs' some of the 'irregular' ones have formed their own ideas and have stolen from the 'er' family their plural verb endings!
Using the verb to finish (finir) from the 'ir' family of verbs. It is a regular verb and a fair number of the family will follow the rule.
To form the 'stem' of the verb, you need to remove its family ending so in the case of 'finir' you remove the'-ir' and you are left with the stem 'fin-'
Je finis I finish/I am finishing/ I do finish (1st pers sing)
Tu finis You finish/you are finishing/you do finish (2nd pers sing/inf)
Il finit He finishes/he is finishing/he does finish (3rd pers sing masc)
Elle finit She finishes/she is finishing/she does finish (3rd pers sing fem)
On finit One finishes/one is finishing/one does finish (3rd pers sing gen)
Nous finissons We finish/we are finishing/we do finish (1st pers pl)
Vous finissez You finish/you are finishing/you do finish (2nd pers pl/form)
Ils finissent They finish/they are finishing/they do finish (3rd pers pl masc)
Elles finissent They finish/they are finishing/they do finish (3rd pers fem)
Can you know conjugate the verb 'choisir' = to choose, in all its present tense forms? (it follows the regular pattern)
Present Tense - 're' verbs
The smallest family (thankfully) of verbs in French is the '-re' family. They are a delinquent family some of their members follow similar rules of grammar and are known as 'regular verbs' - this time there are many naughty ones among them who have ASBOs, called 'irregular verbs'.
Irregular verbs from all families just have to be learned!
Using the verb to sell (vendre) from the 're' family of verbs. It is a regular verb and some of the family will follow the rule.
To form the 'stem' of the verb, you need to remove its family ending so in the case of 'vendre' you remove the '-re' and you are left with the stem 'vend-'
Je vends I sell/I am selling/ I do sell (1st pers sing)
Tu vends You sell/you are selling/you do sell (2nd pers sing/inf)
Il vend He sells/he is selling/he does sell (3rd pers sing masc)
Elle vend She sells/she is selling/she does sell (3rd pers sing fem)
On vend One sells/one is selling/one does sell (3rd pers sing gen)
Nous vendons We sell/we are selling/we do sell (1st pers pl)
Vous vendez You sell/you are selling/you do sell (2nd pers pl/form)
Ils vendent They sell/they are selling/they do sell (3rd pers pl masc)
Elles vendent They sell/they are selling/they do sell (3rd pers fem)
Can you know conjugate the verb 'rendre' = to return (an item), in all its present tense forms? (it follows the regular pattern)
Reflexive Verbs
Another group of verbs that must be observed are known as 'reflexive' verbs. These verbs are often used where we might use the verb 'to get...' in English...
Regular verbs from these groups also belong to the same families of verbs ('-er', '-ir', and '-re'), except they have an extra pronoun. These pronouns are always the same and if you switch them it does change the meaning.
Remember the conjugation of regular verbs follows the same as those above...
Let's use the verb 'se laver' - 'to wash oneself' (to get washed)
Je me lave I wash myself/I am washing.../ I do wash...
Tu te laves You wash yourself/you are washing.../you do wash...
Il se lave He washes himself/he is washing.../he does wash ...
Elle se lave She washes herself/she is washing.../she does wash...
On se lave One washes oneself/one is washing.../one does wash...
Nous nous lavons We wash ourselves/we are washing.../we do wash...
Vous vous lavez You wash yourself/yourselves/you are washing.../you do wash...
Ils se lavent They wash themselves/they are washing.../they do wash...
Elles se lavent They wash themselves/they are washing.../they do wash...
Can you now conjugate: se relaxer, se réunir and se rendre ? (to relax oneself, to meet up with one another, to take yourself off to)
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mercredi, 8 novembre
You will upload your assessment by Friday. Even if you are doing the course for no credit, remember that you must submit your assessment if you want to progress to Level 2.
If you wish to apply for Level 2, you must do this by clicking here by the 17th November.
You should now be able to...—Describe someone you know in a short paragraph. (Add to your document, where you collect all your information in French.)
Alternatively, you may have described your home and some furniture therein (or both) – emailed them or sent me a Google Docs link allowing me to edit…
PPT - Today, we will look at pastimes and hobbies.
Why not prepare a few words about your hobbies and pastimes in French?
Revision and Reinforcement
This BBC TV for schools and colleges programme from the 90s is 15 Minutes+. It is good to allow you to revise what we have covered and add new words to your repertoire. (It also shows some cultural aspects).
This episode covers much of the vocabulary required to discuss hobbies and pastimes. (Taking you to some of the more exotic parts of the Francophone world too!)
A blog post about the gender of French words (80/20)
Extra:
Personality: This link lists the most commonly used positive and negative personality trait adjectives, along with the noun associated with the adjective (often in English, this is ~ness).
Using all of the above, you should be in a good position to prepare for the final assessment of Reading and Writing in French.
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mercredi, 1er novembre
If you wish to apply for Level 2, you must do this by clicking here by the 17th November.
Revising the family and descriptions.
La maison - rooms in the house...
We will look today at the sort of houses people can live in, those who are in your family and how to describe people.
You can find a pared-down version of the PPT on Moodle.
Consolidation Week
mercredi, 18 octobre
Halloween
This one is general Halloween vocabulary.
If you wish to apply for Level 2, you must do this by clicking here by the 17th November.
You will today (if you can) give a little presentation about your favourite Francophone.
We will look at family members and basic descriptions of people (hair and eye colour, some characteristics).
Plus:
Can you answer any of these questions? (Put them into your Word Document). You should be able to do the last two by the end of today's session. Over the consolidation week, you should aim to prepare answers to these questions.
Salut! Bonjour!
Comment tu t'appelles? Comment vous appelez-vous?
Quel âge as-tu? Quel âge avez-vous?
Tu viens d'où? Vous venez d'où?
Où habites-tu? Où habitez-vous?
Tu es de quelle nationalité? Vous êtes de quelle nationalité?
Tu as des frères ou des sœurs? Vous avez des frères ou des sœurs?
Tu as/Vous avez les yeux et les cheveux de quelle couleur?
N.B. Your first assessment, due by noon on Friday, 10th November, will be released to you this Friday (October 20th).
These old programmes for schools and colleges were designed to revise themes and topics in a more exciting manner before the internet! They can help you remember how to pronounce French with the correct intonation.
Introductions
Ma famille
L'étrange noël de M. Jack
mercredi, 11 octobre
If you wish to apply for Level 2, you must do this by clicking here by the 17th November.
Firstly, today you will be learning more about nationalities, introductory language, personal belongings, the indefinite article in grammar (a/one)
The difference between nouns, pronouns, and stressed pronouns.
Then we will look at nationalities, professions, introducing people, and we will work more on the negation of phrases and some specific ways French uses pronunciation, along with a look at how to form the present tense of "-er" verbs.
You should have been looking over the essential vocabulary in the week.
Revision and reinforcement of prepositions stressed pronouns and higher French numbers.
For next week:
•Apprendre le vocabulaire
•Exercice 7 p. 29
•Bilan 1- pp.33-35 Prepare to present about your favourite Francophone
Extra Revision and reinforcement...
"Les emplois" - Printable Files for extra reinforcement
Comment vous appelez-vous?
A song for little children
mercredi, 04 octobre
Last week was a basic introduction to the French language. As university students, you will be on an accelerated learning curve here with a lot of expectations that you are able to study by yourselves. This page can help you locate a few resources to help you out on your journey <<dans le monde francophone>>
PPT Unité 0 : Mes cinq sens en action pp. 14-17 P15 Q 3b P17 Q3
You should be able to:
Introduce yourselves and spell your name (possibly the name of your street, city, or place of birth). Can you give your age? your nationality? What about your occupation?
What else ?
What can you tell someone about French Grammar?
Gender, adjectives... ??
Another earworm to help you remember the months of the year.
🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷 🇫🇷
mercredi, 27 septembre
Today is the introduction to the French Level 1 language course...
pp. 14-17
Présentation du programme, Saluer - Se présenter - Les nationalités, Le présent de l’indicatif (être, s’appeler)
Do you have access to the Moodle site for this module?
As university students, you will be on an accelerated learning curve here with many expectations that you can study by yourselves.
This page can help you locate a few resources to help you out on your journey <<dans le monde francophone>>
By the end of this session, you should be able to:
Introduce yourselves and spell your name (possibly the name of your street, city, or place of birth).
Can you give me your age? Your nationality? What about your occupation (i.e. student)?
What else?
What can you tell someone a little about French Grammar?
Gender, adjectives...?
Today, we will begin learning to speak, read and write in French and listen to French being spoken.
In the first class, we will introduce ourselves and find our reasons for learning French as we do not all know each other yet.
There is a coursebook for this beginners class that I have based the content we study on. You may find it helpful to get a copy for home use and self-study (it is out of print currently, but sometimes it appears as a second-hand book).
We will also discuss your motivation for learning French.
PPT for in-class use (a version will be on Moodle)
We will most likely begin looking at the course book Saison 1.
The beginning discusses why you are learning French and some simple information about yourselves. There is no compulsion to buy the book, but you might find it helpful for your studies.
We will answer the French questions for:
Who are you? Why are you learning French? What does France mean for you?
Worksheets for use in class/at home.
An earworm which will teach you the alphabet.
Another earworm for the months of the year... Quelle est la date de ton anniversaire?
This guy does a lot of beginner's videos... Now there's enthusiasm, and then there's ~Thomas!
He can, at least, serve as a reminder of the correct pronunciation, should you need one...
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