French for Beginners - Burton Joyce Library - Adult Learning

You will begin your journey into French by learning how to communicate in everyday situations.

This course introduces key topics such as greetings, personal information, food, directions, and hobbies.

You’ll focus on speaking and listening through practical tasks, build core vocabulary, and start using present tense verbs.

Cultural elements about French-speaking countries will enrich your learning and understanding of real-life contexts.

This course is for complete beginners or those with very little prior knowledge of French.

You will learn to introduce yourself, describe daily routines, and talk about your likes and dislikes.

Topics include ordering food, asking for and giving directions, discussing hobbies, and understanding basic instructions.

Grammar will focus on subject pronouns, present tense verbs, and sentence structure.

Sessions will also include cultural insights into French-speaking countries and traditions, helping you use language in a meaningful way.

This course is ideal for you if:

• You are a complete beginner or want to refresh very basic French.

• You want to learn through practical speaking tasks and real-life scenarios.

• You enjoy exploring culture alongside language to understand how French is used day-to-day.

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

• Greet others and introduce themselves in French, including age, nationality, and occupation.

• Ask and answer simple questions about daily life using the present tense.

• Order food and drinks in a café or restaurant scenario with appropriate cultural awareness.

• Ask for and understand simple directions in French.

• Use basic grammar including regular present tense verbs, gender agreement, and personal pronouns.

• Take part in short spoken roleplays using the vocabulary and structures taught.

If you receive certain benefits you will be offered the course for free, however if you have a financial barrier which may prevent you from enrolling on the course, please visit our funding page for further information.

Residency in England

To book and enrol on one of our courses, you must be living in England permanently and live outside of the devolved areas listed below or live within the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) devolved area (Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire).

• Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield

• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

• Greater London

• Greater Manchester

• Liverpool City Region

• Newcastle Upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland

• Tees Valley

• West of England

• West Midlands

• West Yorkshire

Residency Eligibility – other criteria

If you are living in the UK on a visa we will require evidence of this in order to be funded for the course, you can upload this evidence when you apply for the course. (completion of a questionnaire will be required).

Some exceptions may apply for example

• Your visa expiry date must be beyond the end of your course

• Asylum seekers must have lived in the UK for 6 months or longer while their claim is being considered by the Home Office

• You are receiving local authority support under section 23C or section 23CA of the Children Act 1989 or the Care Act 2014

Any learner who is not funded, full cost fees would apply to these courses.