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compulsory course
specified course
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Code: L120
Level: 1
| Start | End
|
UK fee * | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2007 | Oct 2007 | £395 |
Registration closes 15/12/06 |
| Feb 2008 | Oct 2008 | Not yet available | Online registration has not yet opened |
*Fee in other areas : residents of Republic of Ireland Continental Europe |
|||
Sample course material
Shortened description (pdf)
Ouverture follows on from L192/LZX192 Bon départ: beginners’ French to complete the Certificate in French. It revises and consolidates the knowledge of French you already have and teaches more advanced language in the context of French-speaking societies and culture. The course materials are carefully designed to develop the four language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. They provide clear learning objectives, guidance and model answers. The course also teaches good study skills and language-learning strategies.
This course is offered with face-to-face tutorials. It is also offered with online tutorials using Lyceum, the Open University voice and visual conferencing system; the course code for that is LZX120.
This course will help adults function effectively in the French language in a general setting. It is primarily a language course that concentrates on French as a tool for communication, but it also provides some insights into French society and culture through authentic printed, audio and video materials. It will be of interest to all those who want to improve their language skills in order to communicate more easily and effectively in French.
The course will:
develop your reading skills, by introducing a variety of written materials in various registers
develop your listening skills, by introducing formal and informal registers of spoken language and a variety of different regional accents
develop your ability to use the spoken language to communicate in a variety of contexts
develop your ability to use written language to communicate in a number of styles
provide you with strategies so that you can combine those skills appropriately
provide you with language-learning strategies that you can apply to other French courses and other languages.
There are three course books: Les quatre saisons; Vivre ensemble; and Les circuits économiques. Each book is studied in close integration with a DVD and an audio CD. The core of the course is a series of language exercises called Activités, which are designed to teach the material and to help you to practise what you have learnt. Each Activité has an answer in the Corrigés at the end of the book, and model answers are given for Activités that are open ended. Ouverture is an ideal preparation for Nouvel envol (L211/LZX211).
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Ouverture requires a working knowledge of French. It is ideal for students who have successfully completed Bon départ: beginners French (L192/LZX192), or who have reached a similar linguistic standard, roughly equivalent to O-level, GCSE (grades A–C) or Scottish Standard Grades 1 and 2. Your knowledge need not be formal, it could come from adult education classes, time spent in French-speaking countries, regular contact with French-speaking people or other sources. You should be able to understand the gist of what native speakers say in everyday situations and hold a basic conversation in French. If you have not studied a language with The Open University before or you have any doubt about the standard of your French, you are strongly advised to look at a sample of course materials (see www.open.ac.uk/courses/tasters/l120), or ask your regional centre about looking at reference copies. Level 1 courses provide core subject knowledge and study skills needed for both higher education and distance learning, to help you progress to courses at Level 2. If you have any doubt about the level of study, please seek advice from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
If you intend to take this course after a long break from the French language, but are reasonably confident of your ability, you might be interested in Prélude: get ready for French, a short, audio-based study pack specially designed to get you used to studying again. Prélude takes about 24 hours of study. For more information about this, please visit www.ouw.co.uk or ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You might also want to consider buying Success with Languages (Hurd, S and Murphy, L (eds), Routledge, £13.99), a study guide in English that provides an ideal support for all aspects of your language learning. It covers a variety of topics including becoming an effective learner, developing competence in all language skills, using resources including ICT, dealing with assessment, learning to reflect on your learning and evaluate your own progress, and making the most of the support available. Each chapter contains a number of practical tasks designed to help you think about the way you learn and how you might improve it.
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L120 is a compulsory course in our
L120 is a specified course in our
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it can help to weight your degree towards a BA. We advise you to refer to the relevant award descriptions for information on the circumstances in which the course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements of a qualification may change.
If this course is in a similar area to one you have already completed, you can find out if it is an excluded combination.
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Please note that this course makes substantial use of audio and visual materials. The written and spoken elements you will be asked to complete as part of your assessment use audio and possibly visual stimuli. Full transcripts of the audio and video materials are provided, except for those used for assessment purposes. Large print or comb-bound versions of the written course materials can also be provided on request. If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, make sure that you have our booklet Meeting Your Needs. We provide a range of support services but some of these may take several months to arrange. If you have concerns about taking this course or the support that you would have, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for advice.
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Course books, other printed materials, DVD, audio CDs, audio cassettes (for assessment) and a dedicated course website. As a registered language student you have automatic access to the Lyceum conference “DoL Student Discussion Rooms” where you can talk to fellow students over the internet. For general information including system requirements, visit lyceum.open.ac.uk/help/intro/
DVD player, CD player, audio cassette recorder with microphone. To access the course website you will need a computer as described in our Personal Computing for OU Study section.
Harrap’s Study Aid: French Grammar (ISBN 0-245-60706-4), £4.99
We also recommend that you purchase a good bilingual dictionary, such as the Collins Robert Concise French Dictionary (2003), HarperCollins Publishers (£18.99), which you will be able to use throughout your French studies.
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You will have a tutor who will help you with the course material and mark and comment on your written and spoken work. You can also ask your tutor for advice and guidance. If you are new to the OU, you will find that your tutor is particularly concerned to help you with your study methods. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day schools which you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. These will provide you with plenty of opportunities to speak and listen to French. Where tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course. Ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you need to know more before you decide whether to register.
There are four tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) that test your spoken and written skills and a compulsory assessment at the end of the course. The end of course assessment has a written element and a spoken element. The spoken element of the end of course assessment (ECA 2) will be in the form of a group oral carried out at a compulsory tutorial.
back to topThe Chartered Institute of Marketing now recognises this course under their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme.
back to topThe details given here are for the course that starts in February 2007. We expect it to be available at the same time once a year and the last starting date to be in 2016.
back to topStudents who studied this course have also studied at some time:
Bon Dpart: Beginners' French (L192)
En Rumbo: A Fresh Start in Spanish (L140)
French Summer School (Action in French) (LXR122)
Nouvel Envol (L211)
Nouvelles Mises au Point (L310)
If you are studying towards a qualification please read its description to help you decide which route through our courses and which level of study are most appropriate for you.
The fees include all the course material, study support and assessment. Any additional items that you will need (for example a personal computer) are listed in the 'You will need' section above. Other costs that you may need to plan for could include stationery, perhaps a dictionary, and travel to attend tutorials or residential schools if relevant to your course.
The fees can be paid by instalments and there are various forms of help available in the UK only, for those who would otherwise find it difficult to pay their fees. See Financial support for more information.
This course is available for study in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and the following European OU study areas:
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
All teaching is in English and your proficiency in the English language should be adequate for the level of study you wish to take.
Most students outside the UK will have to pay a higher fee because the UK fee includes a government subsidy restricted to UK residents and students with British Forces Post Office addresses.
Find out about other courses available in your country.
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button.
For more information and advice about registration go to Help with Registration.
Why not come and meet us at one of our events where you can talk to Open University staff? At some events there may also be samples of course materials and information and advice about specific subject areas and careers.