Any French teachers around? need advice pls

[generalhaig]

I've decided I want to improve/brush up my French (A at A-level 30 years ago) - I'm thinking of doing an intermediate Open University course but it doesn't start until next February.

I'd like to do a CD-rom type course in the meantime (evening classes are out because of childcare problems) but am not sure which to choose and most seem to be targetted at total beginners

any advice would be v gratefully received :)

Try listening to the radio as often as possible. You could also try choosing an article from a French newspaper, maybe one a week if you're busy and working through it with a dictionary. Then see if you could explain to someone in French what the article has told you.

Useful phrases = Il s'agit de (It's about)
cependant (however)/par contre (on the other hand) and other conjunctions to extend sentences.
At the end of a day, see if you can briefly state everything you have done.

Bonne chance!

A lot of European news channels/ programmes have a watch-again facility (like the BBC iplayer). My DH often watches an Italian one, to find out what's going on in Italy and to keep his ear 'in'. The footage often gives one a clue about what's going on! I'm sure there's a French one somewhere you could locate and watch on your computer.

Just wanted to say that I did the OU intermediate course in 2009; like you I did my A level French almost 30 years ago. It's a good course but it depends what you're looking for.
They may have changed the course now due to feedback but, whilst I found it really interesting (lots about French politics, art, etc) what I found is that I got a lot of written practice but perhaps not as much spoken practice as I would have hoped. There is the residential week in Caen where you get some practice (it is tiring but I really enjoyed it). However, with hindsight, I might have just spent the money on a private tutor who would have given me a lot more oral practice.
Still the advantage of the course is that you get to sit an exam at the end of it and if, say, you're brushing up for employment purposes, you'll be able to state that you have Upper Intermediate French.

In the meantime:
This site has links to online French TV
www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/tv/

This has loads of links to sites
www.uni.edu/becker/french31.html#newspapers

Bonne chance!

There are some quite good free podcasts on iTunes, if you have an mp3 player. Learn French by podcast is one I used and is beyond beginners, but there maybe more available now.

Michel Thomas also does an intermediate level CD set, but they are quite expensive - although you can sell them on eBay when you've finished with them.

Merci beaucoup!

Thanks for all the suggestions - I'll have a look at the links.

Hmm, maybe the OU course isn't what I'm after - after my A-level I was left with an extensive knowledge of Moliere and Baudelaire, and my written French was good, but conversationally I still felt like a beginner

I do like the idea of a structured course though as without externally imposed deadlines I know I'll find it hard to fit everything in with work, children etc

Has anyone done the Alliance Francaise weekly course? Their website says you're assigned to an appropriate level after an initial chat with a tutor. (I rather fancy one morning a week in South Kensington - I'm self-employed so can organise work to give me a few hours free)

Hi I'm in a similar situation and have found a native French lady, Alexa.
Have a look at this website:
learnfrenchwithalexa.com/

My daughter is lucky enough to have weekly small group sessions with her. Makes me quite jealous! But Alexa also does lessons over the internet paced at different levels. There's a weekly text she goes through to aid comprehension etc. You have to subscribe but there are free extracts from sessions that you can listen to and decide for yourself before you subscribe.

Hi generalhaig

Me again! I haven't tried the Alliance Francaise but I did try the Institut Francais many years ago when still living in London and pre-children.

The Institut Francais one was very good. I did a test before starting a course and spoke to a tutor (in French) so that they could gauge my level and put me in the right class. There was certainly plenty of conversation in French during lesson time and the tutor certainly ensured that everyone spoke. The lessons were enjoyable and there was some work to do in between sessions. I assume that the Alliance Francaise will be along similar lines.

The 'issue' with the OU course is that you only speak online to your tutor and your peers once around every 4/5 weeks and then it's only for just over an hour. It's strange and can seem a little stilted as you can't see other people or read their body language. The tutor does try to get everyone to talk though. The tutorials are generally around an assignment that you've done or about to do so, for example, you might discuss the pros and cons of wind farms or graffiti. There are also a couple of face-to-face tutorials where you can all meet up. The OU seems to rely on you watching DVD-roms and listening to French people that way (at least until you do the Residential).

I know what you mean about a structured course - it's so important when you have children and that's why I went with the OU (some discipline needed but no one breathing down your neck). However, bear in mind that OU rely on you doing a lot of work on your own so you have to be disciplined about that. Remember - you only speak to your tutor around every 4/5 weeks (though you can contact them in between tutorials if necessary) so you've got to keep up and read lots in between. Otherwise you'll find that you have a whole book to read just before writing an assignment or a tutorial. I have to admit I did find that quite hard. It's easy to think, not today 'cos the children need to be taken somewhere or I'll read that, watch that DVD next week etc.

Don't get me wrong, it is a good course and can lead on to other things. However, just thought I'd let you know my experience so that you can consider whether it is really what you're looking for. I don't regret doing it but I don't think that it really fulfilled what I was looking for when I wanted to brush up my French. If you can manage to find the time for the Alliance Francaise or Institut Francais they might have more of what you're looking for - or at least you can really consider which course is more suited to you.

Acqua - the Alexa website looks fab. Thanks for posting that.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for that link Acqua

And Alegre - I'm getting Alliance mixed up with Institut! It's the Institut Francais course I meant (much nearer for me). Good to hear it's well-run/useful - I'm inclining towards that now, but won't be able to do a course until the autumn now so will be trying to galvanise myself into independent study. The OU course doesn't start until Feb so I have plenty of time to work out exactly what I'm after - thanks again