NUS · Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences · Centre for Language Studies
Welcome to LAF1201 — French 1. By the end of this six-week intensive, you'll handle everyday situations in French at the A1 level: introducing yourself, ordering food, asking for directions, and navigating the basics of French grammar with confidence. Allons-y.
Classes run Monday & Wednesday, 1pm to 4pm, in AS8-04-01 (unless otherwise announced). Twelve sessions across six weeks — no make-up classes and no public-holiday clashes this term.
| Date | Where | What |
|---|---|---|
| Mon 22 Jun | AS8-04-01 | Unités 0–1 |
| Wed 24 Jun | AS8-04-01 | Unité 1 |
| Mon 29 Jun | AS8-04-01 | Unités 1–2 |
| Wed 1 Jul | AS8-04-01 | Unité 2 + Quiz 1 (5%) |
| Mon 6 Jul | AS8-04-01 | Review · Test 1 (Reading + Writing, 20%) + Listening 1 (7.5%) · Vodcast project due (5%) · Group project announced |
| Wed 8 Jul | AS8-04-01 | Unité 3 |
| Mon 13 Jul | AS8-04-01 | Unité 3 |
| Wed 15 Jul | AS8-04-01 | Unité 4 + Quiz 2 (5%) |
| Mon 20 Jul | AS8-04-01 | Unité 4 |
| Wed 22 Jul | AS8-04-01 | Review · « Voyage francophone » due Sun 26 Jul (5%) |
| Mon 27 Jul | AS8-04-01 | Full review · Unités 0–4 |
| Wed 29 Jul | AS8-04-01 | Test 2 (20%) + Listening 2 (10%) + Speaking (12.5%) |
Blue rows = assessment days.
Click any session card below — or any mark on the timeline — to see what it covers: textbook pages, communicative goals, grammar, vocabulary, phonetics, culture, missions and ateliers. Hidden by default to keep the page lean; expand whichever sessions you want to study or review.
All references are to L'atelier+ A1 (Didier FLE, 2022 edition) — both the livre de l'élève (textbook) and the cahier d'activités (workbook). Workbook exercises corresponding to each Situation should be completed alongside the lesson; specific page assignments will be confirmed in class.
Pages: pp. 12–15 (Bienvenue ! + Suivez le guide !)
Establishes the communicative and classroom foundations for the course.
Vocabulary: Greetings and farewells (Bonjour, Bonsoir, Salut, Au revoir); formal vs. informal register (tu/vous); self-introduction (Je m'appelle…, Moi, c'est…); the French alphabet and spelling aloud; days of the week; colours (1); classroom instructions (Écoutez !, Parlez !, Lisez !, Écrivez !); numbers 0–10.
Grammar: S'appeler (present tense, 1st introduction); tu / vous distinction.
Culture: Faire la bise, se serrer la main; Paris vs. la province; la pétanque and la belote.
Pages: pp. 16–21
Situation 1 — Se présenter et présenter quelqu'un: Introducing oneself and a third party (Il/Elle s'appelle…, Je vous présente…, Lui, c'est…); professions (1) — acteur, styliste, chef, journaliste, photographe; colours (2, extension); numbers 11–69.
Situation 2 — Dire sa nationalité: Countries and nationalities (français/française, anglais/anglaise, sénégalais/sénégalaise…); the Francophone world; names of countries with their definite articles.
Grammar: Subject and tonic pronouns (1) — je, tu, il, elle, moi, toi; être (present tense, full conjugation); s'appeler (2nd reinforcement); agreement of nationality adjectives (m./f./pl.); definite articles before country names (le, la, les, l'); negation (1) — ne… pas.
Phonetics: The stressed syllable; the alphabet (2); liaisons (1).
Culture: Francophone personalities (Omar Sy, Anne-Sophie Pic, Jean-Paul Gaultier); La Francophonie; la langue française dans le monde.
Pages: pp. 22–27
Situation 3 — Demander et donner des informations: Asking for and giving personal information — age, nationality, languages spoken, contact details; sensations (j'ai froid, j'ai faim, j'ai soif…); numbers 11–69 (reinforcement).
Grammar: Avoir (present tense, full conjugation); questions (1) with quel/quelle (Quel est ton prénom ? Quelle est ta nationalité ?).
Mission — Découvrir une identité: Create an imaginary Francophone identity profile (fiche d'identité).
Ateliers d'expression: (1) S'exprimer poliment — intonation, Bonjour / Merci / Je vous en prie; (2) Remplir un formulaire — completing a French registration form.
End of session: Linguistic review (Bilan linguistique) overview; DELF preparation introduction.
Pages: pp. 32–41
Covers all three Situations of Unité 2 in a condensed format. Ateliers d'expression and Projet culturel are assigned as e-learning self-study homework (see §6, E-learning & vodcast).
Situation 1 — Identifier des objets: Everyday objects and their gender; shapes vocabulary; indefinite articles (un, une, des).
Situation 2 — Parler de ses goûts: Likes and dislikes — leisure activities, sports, films; telling the time (Il est quelle heure ?); leisure venues; verbs of appreciation (aimer, adorer, détester); contracted articles with à and de (au, à la, aux; du, de la, des); negation (2) — ne… plus; faire (present tense).
Situation 3 — Sortir: Making plans to go out; suggesting, accepting and declining; time expressions (ce soir, ce week-end, demain); possessive adjectives (1) — mon, ma, mes, ton, ta, tes, son, sa, ses; aller and vouloir (present tense).
Mission — Identifier la sortie du week-end: Agree on a group weekend outing.
Phonetics: L'élision; un et une.
Culture: Les Français et les loisirs; des films francophones.
No new content. Assessment covers all material from Sessions 1–4 (Unités 0–2). The vodcast project (5%) is also due today, and the group cultural project is announced.
| Component | Format |
|---|---|
| Compréhension de l'oral | Listening comprehension with short-answer questions |
| Compréhension des écrits | Reading comprehension (document, form, or short text) |
| Production écrite | Written task: email, form, or short descriptive paragraph |
| Production orale | Spoken interaction or monologue (self-introduction, nationality, preferences) |
Pages: pp. 46–49
Opens with a 10-minute feedback session on the first assessment — addressing common errors before introducing new content.
Situation 1 — Parler de la météo: Weather vocabulary (Il fait beau / chaud / froid, Il pleut, Il neige, Il y a du vent…); ordinal numbers (premier, deuxième, troisième…); Paris — arrondissements and city geography.
Situation 2 — S'informer sur une ville: Tourist attractions; transport options; getting information about a city.
Grammar: Prepositions before cities and countries (à Paris, en France, au Canada, aux États-Unis); questions (2) — est-ce que… ? qu'est-ce que… ?; agreement of adjectives (1) — feminine and plural forms.
Phonetics: The silent e (1) — le « e » muet.
Culture: Le Québec et la France; des lieux touristiques.
Pages: pp. 50–55
Situation 3 — Demander et indiquer son chemin: Asking for and giving directions (Tournez à gauche / à droite, Allez tout droit, Prenez la rue…); means of transport (le métro, le bus, le vélo, à pied); prepositions of place (devant, derrière, à côté de, en face de); the pronoun y (J'y vais, On y va).
Grammar: Contracted article (3) with prepositions of place; venir and prendre (present tense).
Mission — Voyager ensemble: Plan a group city itinerary.
Ateliers d'expression: (1) Exprimer un besoin, une envie (Je voudrais…, J'ai besoin de…); (2) Écrire une e-carte postale.
Projet culturel: Create an experience booklet of your city (carnet d'expériences).
End of session: Linguistic review; DELF preparation.
Pages: pp. 60–63
Situation 1 — Parler de ses habitudes alimentaires: Fruits and vegetables; food and drink habits; frequency adverbs (souvent, parfois, rarement, jamais, toujours) and their position in the sentence; manger and boire (present tense).
Situation 2 — Faire ses courses: Quantities and packaging (un kilo de, une bouteille de, un morceau de…); food shops (la boulangerie, la boucherie, l'épicerie, la charcuterie…); numbers 70–100.
Grammar: Partitive articles (du, de la, de l', des) in food context; expressions of quantity; frequency adverbs.
Phonetics: Du / de / deux / des distinction; the silent e (2).
Culture: Les Français et le déjeuner; l'alimentation bio.
Pages: pp. 64–69
Situation 3 — Faire des projets: Making future plans (Qu'est-ce que tu vas faire ce week-end ?); demonstrative adjectives (ce, cet, cette, ces); paying and giving opinions on a restaurant; sounds [p], [b], [v].
Grammar: The near future (futur proche) — aller + infinitive: Je vais manger, Nous allons partir…
Mission — Planifier des menus: Plan a weekly menu for the group.
Ateliers d'expression: (1) Commander au restaurant; (2) Donner son appréciation sur un restaurant.
Projet culturel: Create a chef video (storyboard / script outline).
End of session: Linguistic review; DELF preparation.
Consolidates the grammar and vocabulary of Block 2. « Voyage francophone » (5%) is due at the end of this week (Sun 26 July).
First half — Unité 3 review: prepositions, question forms, venir / prendre, directions, pronoun y.
Second half — Unité 4 review: partitive articles, frequency adverbs, futur proche, demonstratives, quantities.
Final 30 minutes: A DELF-style practice task drawn from Unités 3–4 content.
No new content. Three-hour structure:
Hour 1 — Unités 0–2: être / avoir / s'appeler, pronoun use, adjective agreement, negation, all article types, appreciation verbs.
Hour 2 — Unités 3–4: prepositions, question forms, futur proche, frequency adverbs, quantities.
Hour 3 — Final DELF mock: A complete DELF-style mock assessment — listening, reading, writing, and a brief spoken interaction — mirroring the format and scope of the final assessment on 29 July.
No new content. Assessment covers all material from Sessions 1–11 (Unités 0–4).
Same four components as the First Assessment (see Session 5) — listening, reading, writing, and a spoken interaction — now covering Unités 0–4.
Oral test — jeux de rôle. The Speaking component is a role-play. Three scenarios to prepare at home; one is drawn at random on the day:
Prepare both the 2- and 3-candidate versions. Full briefs: oraltest.withdrchan.com.
You need two items: the L'atelier+ A1 textbook (livre de l'élève) and the matching workbook (cahier d'activités). Both must be the 2022 edition with the "+" sign — not the older 2019 "L'atelier" without the +.
| Item | Edition | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Textbook — Livre de l'élève + companion app | L'atelier+ A1 (2022) | SGD 31 |
| Workbook — Cahier d'activités + companion app | L'atelier+ A1 (2022) | SGD 18 |
| Delivery within Singapore | — | SGD 4.80 |
| Total | SGD 53.80 | |
| Item | ISBN | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Textbook (Livre numérique) | 9782278104697 | €24.70 |
| Workbook (Cahier numérique) | 9782278093892 | €14.30 |
| Total | €39 ≈ SGD 60 | |
This course is assessed by 100% continuous assessment — there is no final exam. Your final grade combines five components, spread across the six weeks rather than concentrated at the end.
Reading & writing tests carry the most weight. The oral component (listening + speaking + vodcast) is collectively almost as much. Don't underestimate the 5% attendance — it can be the difference between grade boundaries.
Continuous assessment · 5%
Discover Francophone cultures in Singapore — pick a theme, do one fun thing, write 100 words. Solo or with friends.
1 · Pick a theme — a culture, cuisine, music or film tradition — and one activity.
2 · Do it — watch, listen, cook, visit or create. Snap a photo or short clip.
3 · Reflect — write 100 words in English: your takeaway and how it compares to your own culture.
Need ideas?
Solo or group? Either — groups earn bonus points (full bonus for 4 or more). Marked /10: the activity /5 (effort, thematic relevance) + reflection /5 (your takeaway, comparison to your own culture). Bonus: leadership +1 (groups of 4+) or +0.5 (group of 3); group coherence +0.5.
Six weeks of A1 French is what most students cover in fourteen weeks of a regular semester. You should expect to spend time on French every day — short, frequent practice beats long weekend cramming. Plan around it.
Attendance counts for 5% of your grade and participation matters: speaking up, asking questions, working with partners.
Note: knowledge of related languages in the same family (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian) does not count as prior French knowledge. You're welcome in this course.
This term has no separate e-learning week. Instead, the e-learning tasks (5%) run as guided self-study homework across the six weeks, and you'll prepare your 2-minute vodcast project (5%), due Monday 6 July (Session 5).
Detailed instructions, materials, and submission links will appear here closer to the date.
canvas.nus.edu.sg/courses/92198
Assignments, gradebook, official announcements.
The invite link is sent to your NUS email; message @frenchatnus if it doesn't arrive. Day-to-day questions, peer help.
Companion app for L'atelier+. Scan any page of your textbook for audio, video, interactive drills.
For Route B (digital book) students only. Reader app for the Livre + Cahier numérique.
leconjugueur.lefigaro.fr — full conjugation for any French verb in any tense.
wordreference.com/fren — dictionary + conjugation + forum discussions.
youglish.com/french — hear any word pronounced in real video clips, in context.
forvo.com/languages/fr — pronunciation by native speakers, word by word.
savoirs.rfi.fr — slow news in French, designed for learners.
apprendre.tv5monde.com — graded video exercises.
French is the only language other than English that's taught in every country in the world. It's official in 29 states, the working language of the EU, the UN, the Olympics, and the African Union. By 2050, demographic projections suggest French will be spoken by ~700 million people, mostly in Africa.
Closer to home: Singapore hosts the French Embassy, the Alliance Française, and a growing community of Francophone businesses. French opens doors in luxury, hospitality, diplomacy, NGOs, the arts — and gives you a foundation for the rest of the Romance languages (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese) which collectively cover most of the Western hemisphere.
But honestly? The best reason is the smaller one: a year from now, you'll be able to read a menu in Lyon, follow a film without subtitles, hold a real conversation with a stranger in Montréal. That's worth six weeks.
No — this course is for complete beginners. If you have prior formal learning in French (any level, including secondary school), you're not eligible. Knowledge of Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, or Romanian is fine — those don't count as prior French knowledge.
Attendance is 5% of your grade and the course is fast-paced. If you miss a class for medical or compelling reasons, contact me and the class group as soon as possible.
Yes — both. The livre contains the lessons; the cahier has the exercises we work through in and out of class. They're designed as a pair.
Search "didierfle" on the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). Open the app, allow camera access, and scan any page of your textbook. The audio and video for that page will appear automatically — no separate login needed.
A1 (CEFR — Common European Framework). You'll be able to: introduce yourself, ask basic questions about people and places, understand short clear messages, write simple sentences about familiar topics, and survive in basic interactions in a French-speaking country.
Yes — LAF1201 is the prerequisite for LAF2201, and most students who pass LAF1201 continue. LAF2201 takes you to a strong A1 / early A2 level.
Plan for around 1 hour per day during the intensive period. Short daily practice (15-min vocab review + 30-min workbook + 15-min listening) beats long weekend cramming. The brain consolidates languages overnight.
The e-learning tasks (5%) are guided self-study homework spread across the term — there's no separate no-class week this term. You'll also record your 2-minute vodcast project (5%, due 6 July). All instructions will be on Canvas and on this site nearer the date.
The best moment to ask for help is the moment you feel confused. Post on the Telegram group, email me, or come to me after class. The pace of this course makes "I'll catch up later" risky — small confusions compound quickly. Don't wait.
Dr Daniel K.-G. Chan is Senior Lecturer in French at the NUS Centre for Language Studies and Assistant Dean (Undergraduate Matters) at the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. He has been teaching French at NUS for many years and has a particular interest in how technology can support — without replacing — genuine language learning.
How I teach: I think of beginner French as a set of patterns rather than rules to memorise. We'll spend more time noticing how French works than drilling conjugation tables. Expect a lot of speaking from day one — in pairs, in groups, sometimes in front of the class. It's faster, and more honest, than learning silently.
If you're curious about my writing on language, education, and AI, you can find published pieces at oped.withdrchan.com.