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Methodology

The French language school in Bordeaux's key concern is to get you to speak French!

The objective is to work on the practice of the language using oral expression, enabling students to rapidly communicate in everyday situations.

The training in Bordeaux follow the contents and progression of a manual (French as a Foreign Language) for adults, to which the college add authentic material to help get a better understanding of the social and cultural aspects of the language. The French language school's methods used are above all interactive and communicative. All programmes are carefully structured but sufficiently flexible to allow each person to progress according to their level and learning pace.

The courses in Bordeaux follows a structured and progressive system, that cover the four core skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing, with plenty of grammar and vocabulary work included in order to develop all the essential French language skills.

The relaxed atmosphere at the French language school in Bordeaux and your French language tutors encourage your oral participation. The work of each group is tailored to each class's ability level in French. Beginners and Elementary students learn skills that will allow them to function in French in everyday situations, covering comprehension and expression, simple vocabulary and basic grammar skills.

Intermediate and advanced students cover more complex structural and grammatical concepts, learning to express and communicate opinions in diverse ways, in addition to the main manual used, authentic material such as newspaper report, literary text etc are used to provide a social and cultural context for the language learnt.

The French language school divides students into six theoretical levels of ability in accordance with the "Common European Framework for languages".

A student of average linguistic ability should allow three to four weeks to complete the Beginner level and five to eight weeks for the Elementary Level. A further eight to twelve weeks to complete the Intermediate Levels, (during the Intermediate level, the college will introduce the subjunctive) and approximately sixteen to twenty weeks to complete the Advanced Level.

In reality a student chooses to attend a short course or a longer "Languages for Life" course according to their linguistic goals, personal wishes and time constraints.

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AIM

to help non-French learners develop and/or improve French language skills from a linguistic, cultural, professional and civilisation-related point of view.

NEEDS

the French language school’s policy is to analyse participants’ needs and provide for them as precisely as possible. Building into courses aspects such as cross-cultural differences, personal development, learning about civilisation, opening up to others as well as professional aspects and considerations related to curriculum, usage and evaluation.

OBJECTIVES

to enable students to participate fully in the linguistic and cultural context of France and the French-speaking communities by building the 6 competences identified by the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR): written and oral comprehension, written and oral production and interaction. This is to be carried out to the satisfaction of individual needs while maximising interaction within a multinational group.

METHODOLOGY

the educational method used in the French school in Bordeaux is recommended by the Common European Framework of Reference. It is a communicative approach that practices morphological, grammatical, lexical and prosodic skills in oral use within everyday situations of French life. The method focuses on the relationship with self and others, with a view not only to internalising the French lifestyle, but also to playing a role within it.

the method is “action-oriented” in that it appeals to students’ own experiences and avoids communication situations that are artificial, which ensures deeper learning. The real asset of the French language school training method is the special relationship between teacher and students that blends group dynamics with a genuine exchange of ideas, while respecting individual values. Specific learning difficulties are solved in small group activities within classes of 8 to 14 participants. Occasionally, this number may be exceeded by up to 3 due to an unforeseen student placement.

TEACHERS

the language school teachers are all graduates with several years’ experience in teaching French as a Foreign Language (FLE) both in France and abroad. They all share a passion for their profession and are prepared to devote time to help you solve any linguistic problem. They regularly review new publications and FLE teaching trends in a well-stocked resource centre and during training workshops. The school team of teachers seeks continuously to improve the practice of its profession.

The Administration Coordinator leads the Bordeaux team and guides the teachers in their daily work, checks up on student progress and is ready to answer any questions relating to the teaching method.

TEACHING MATERIALS

French as a Foreign Language manuals, authentic documents adapted for teaching purposes by our team of teachers, audio and video materials, Internet, CD-ROMs, DVDs, French films and songs, French press and literature, grammar and verb form handbooks, books on French and French speaking civilisations, etc.

SYLLABUS
6 learning levels are taught throughout the year. French course content is based on three manuals, which are the starting point for the fundamental language acts:

- Beginners: Ici 1 unit 1
- Elementary: Ici 1 units 2 to 6
- Upper elementary: Ici 2 units 1 to 6
- Intermediate: Festival 3 units 1 to 6
- Upper intermediate: Edito units 1 to 10
- Advanced: no manual*
- Upper advanced: no manual*

* occasional use of "Cahier d’activités C1-C2" by Clé International.

Each unit is made up of language skills (oral and written), grammar and expression and cultural aspects.

PROGRESSION

the manuals are divided up into teaching units, designed to ensure normal acquisition of the competences at a progressive learning rhythm, while taking into account difficulties stemming from differences in the culture, nationalities, socio-professional status and age of students.

each teaching unit corresponds to a week’s learning. Participants who have progressed sufficiently in each unit move on to the next for their second week of training and so on. If participants experience difficulties or if they progress faster than the rest of the group, they can be moved to a group more suited to their level, after discussion between the teacher and the Administration Coordinator and depending on places available.

EVALUATION

Students who register for a French course at the school submit a written level test with their registration form. This test is based on self-assessment and grammatical skills in Bordeaux as demonstrated by the level of acquisition of verb tenses. A short letter is also requested at the end of the test, explaining why the student wants to come to the French language school in Bordeaux, in order to evaluate the level of vocabulary and the use of connecting phrases. This test enables the Administration Coordinator to assign students initially to different level groups. An individual interview or a teacher evaluation checks this initial group assignment on the first day the student arrives. If students consider that their assigned group does not suit their level, they may speak to their teacher. The teacher refers to the Administration Coordinator who accepts or refuses the request according to objective criteria relating to the student’s actual skills.

At the end of each week, teachers deliver a report to participants on how well they progressed with the content of the teaching unit. This report constitutes a check as to whether students can continue in their initial group or should be moved to a group that better suits their level.

Evaluation is therefore automatic:

- a student enrolled as a “False Beginner” for a 12-week course and who progresses regularly, starts on Ici 1, unit 1 and finishes with Ici 2, unit 12, with learning being routinely checked at the end of each week.

The final evaluation corresponds therefore to the level reached by the student at the end of the course, taking into account any level changes that took place during that time.

The final evaluation leads to a certificate, which refers to the six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) as follows:

- Ici 1, units 1 to 6 = Level A1 of the CEFR
- Ici 2, units 7 to 12 = Level A2 of the CEFR
- Festival 3, units 1 to 12 = Level B1 of the CEFR
- Edito, units 1 to 10 = Level B2 of the CEFR
- Expression & Style = Level C1 of the CEFR
- Work without manual = Level C2 of the CEFR

- in this way, a student enrolled for a 6-week course who joins an A1 Elementary course and progresses normally will reach level A2 of the CEFR.

The certificate also states the number of ECTS credits gained by the student, depending on the duration of the course. The French language school awards 2 credits per week of training, which take into account teaching hours, private work and the time spent living with a French host family. One credit corresponds to about 33 hours of language learning and includes all learning situations outside the language course itself.

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