Annual course - general French and French civilization (AN40)
Period
Summer / Autumn / Winter
Duration
Annual
Required levels
A1 to C1
VISA
Yes
Learning French at the Cours de civilisation française de la Sorbonne is a fascinating adventure that opens the door to new cultural, professional, and personal perspectives. The annual courses offer a rich learning experience, focused on language skills acquisition, pronunciation mastery through phonetics, and the exploration of French civilisation through lectures.
General French Courses are designed for students who wish to acquire solid linguistic skills and immerse themselves in French culture. These courses cover various aspects of the language, particularly grammar, conjugation, spelling, and vocabulary. Students learn to express themselves fluently, both in writing and orally, enabling them to communicate effectively in various situations. The focus is on understanding literary texts, allowing students to explore the richness of French literature.
Phonetics courses at the CCFS (Cours de civilisation française de la Sorbonne) are an essential element of French language learning, as they help learners improve their pronunciation. Phonetics teaches not only how to correctly pronounce French sounds but also how to understand phonetics in a conversational context. This improves listening comprehension, which is crucial for effective communication in French.
Lectures on French civilisation are an invaluable component of these programmes: they offer an in-depth insight into French history, culture, art, literature, and society. These lectures provide an opportunity to explore French heritage from many angles and to discover what makes France unique.
Course Objectives
From Monday to Friday, this programme offers General French courses over 24 weeks to enable students to effectively progress in their mastery of French, both written and oral.
Detailed Program
Four start dates for annual courses are offered, according to the reference calendar available in the downloadable brochure:
- A September intake (September to May session)
- A late October intake (October to May session, AN50 annual course viewable here)
- A January intake (January to December session)
- A June intake (June to May session)
These 24-week annual programmes (480 hours) consist of two semesters of General French courses focused on language and French civilisation mastery.
This programme offers, from Monday to Friday:
- General French courses (240 hours, i.e., 10 hours per week) that enable students to advance in their mastery of French (grammar, conjugation, spelling, vocabulary, focus on literary texts…)
- Laboratory phonetics courses (60 hours, i.e., 5 hours every two weeks) that allow students to improve their pronunciation, as well as their oral comprehension and expression.
- Weekly lectures on various aspects of French civilisation (180 hours in total).
- An optional online written and oral expression module CL4 (32 hours) is also offered to develop students’ written and oral skills.
Highlights
Depending on the student’s level and commitment, it is possible to progress by 2 language levels during this year.
Assessment & Certification
- Continuous assessment (regular evaluation of work and progress).
- End-of-period examination.
- A language certificate from the Sorbonne French Civilisation Courses is issued upon successful completion.
Prerequisites
Applicants must be at least 18 years old and hold a high school diploma or secondary school leaving certificate. They must also be in good standing regarding residency formalities (nationality, visa, residence permit, etc.).
Course Materials
Course textbooks, audio and visual materials, exercise books, reading books, access to online resources, communication materials, cultural materials, and materials for group activities.
Visa
This course meets the criteria for obtaining a student visa for non-EU students.
Registration Procedures
- Admission to the course is only final upon full payment (at least one month before the start of classes) and after validation of the registration file.
- A certificate of registration is issued after payment of a deposit and presentation of administrative documents (copy of identity document, translation of secondary school leaving certificate, passport photo).
- A mandatory online placement test assigns a level to students before the start of classes. An additional test may be requested from the student in specific cases.
- Registration can be done online or directly at the institution’s admissions office by paying a 30% deposit of the course fee.
- An annual administration fee of 75 euros is applied upon registration.
Detailed information on registration procedures can be found here.
