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.
Countdown · Singapore time
Course information
Get these done before our first class on Mon 22 June.
Mondays & Wednesdays · 1pm–4pm · AS8-04-01. Tap any date for that session's syllabus and assessments.
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.
Three scenarios to prepare at home. One will be drawn at random on the day of the test.
| Version pour 2 candidats | Version pour 3 candidats | |
|---|---|---|
| Rôles | Deux étudiant.es (A et B) | Trois étudiant.es (A, B et C) |
| Acte 1 | C'est votre premier jour à l'université. Vous rencontrez un.e autre étudiant.e à la cantine et vous faites connaissance. | C'est votre premier jour à l'université. Vous rencontrez deux autres étudiants à la cantine et vous faites connaissance. |
| Acte 2 | Après deux minutes de discussion, B demande à A la direction pour la bibliothèque. A a le plan du campus et guide B. | Après deux minutes de discussion, B et C demandent à A la direction pour la bibliothèque. A a le plan du campus et guide B et C. |
| Idées : Vous pouvez… | …vous présenter, parler de vos activités, de vos envies… | …vous présenter, parler de vos activités, de vos envies… |
| Version pour 2 candidats | Version pour 3 candidats | |
|---|---|---|
| Rôles | Un.e client.e (B) et un.e serveur/serveuse (A) | Deux clients (B et C) et un.e serveur/serveuse (A) |
| Acte 1 | B est en voyage à Paris et va au restaurant. A accueille B, et présente le restaurant et la carte. | B et C sont en voyage à Paris et vont au restaurant. A accueille B et C, et présente le restaurant et la carte. |
| Acte 2 | Après le repas, B demande l'addition. B complimente le repas et le service. B demande des conseils pour visiter la ville. | Après le repas, B et C demandent l'addition, complimentent le repas et le service et demandent des conseils pour visiter la ville. |
| Idées : Vous pouvez… | …discuter des plats, faire la conversation (d'où venez-vous ?) | …discuter des plats, faire la conversation (d'où venez-vous ?) |
| Version pour 2 candidats | Version pour 3 candidats | |
|---|---|---|
| Rôles | Deux ami.es (A et B) | Trois amis (A, B et C) |
| Acte 1 | Vous discutez des destinations possibles pour les vacances, de la météo, des activités. Vous choisissez une destination. | Vous discutez des destinations possibles pour les vacances, de la météo, des activités. Vous choisissez une destination. |
| Acte 2 | Parler du dîner : A propose, B suggère une alternative. Vous décidez de dîner chez vous. Vous répartissez les courses à faire. | Parler du dîner : A propose, B suggère une alternative. C tranche : un dîner chez vous. Vous répartissez les courses à faire. |
| Idées : Vous pouvez… | poser des questions, décider des plats, faire une liste de courses. | poser des questions, décider des plats, faire une liste de courses. |
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 Wednesday 8 July, 23:59 (Session 6).
Submit at canvas.nus.edu.sg/courses/92451/assignments/253511 — link also available in Canvas under Assignments.
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 web app for L'atelier+ — bookmark it. 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.
Six weeks of A1 French is what most students cover in fourteen weeks of a regular semester. Expect to work on French every day — little and often is what makes it stick.
Attend all 12 classes (Mon & Wed, 1–4pm); complete the e-learning tasks and the vodcast project; and do the recommended homework and review activities.
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.
Attendance counts for 5% of your grade, and participation matters: speaking up, asking questions, working with partners.
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. Before the course begins, complete the mandatory declaration form on Canvas. Students with prior formal learning in French are not eligible for this course. (See the eligibility FAQ below for details.)
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.
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.
didierfle.app is a web app — no install needed. Open didierfle.app in your browser and bookmark it. Allow camera access, then scan any page of your coursebook to get the audio, video and interactive activities for that page automatically — no separate login.
The e-learning tasks (5%) are guided self-study homework spread across the term — there's no separate no-class week. You'll also record your 2-minute vodcast project (5%, due 8 July, 23:59). All instructions will be on Canvas and on this site nearer the date.
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.
French is the only language other than English taught in every country in the world — official in 29 states and a working language of the EU, UN, Olympics and African Union; by 2050 it may be spoken by ~700 million people. In Singapore it opens doors in luxury, hospitality, diplomacy, NGOs and the arts, and lays a foundation for the other Romance languages. The smaller reason: a year from now you'll read a menu in Lyon, follow a film without subtitles, and chat with a stranger in Montréal.
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 — "I'll catch up later" is risky when 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.