Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2026 - FREN 201 OL01

Intermediate French I : Cultures and Communication (3)

Class Number: 2538

Delivery Method: Online

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Online

  • Prerequisites:

    Grade 12 French or FREN 102 or FREN 122 or permission of the Department of French.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

This is the first of two intermediate level courses in French. Through a variety of original documents in French (descriptive articles, audio-visual interviews and presentations, recorded testimonies from French speakers, …), students will be introduced to francophone cultures and communicative situations related to one’s personal environment such as city life, housing, relationships, education and work. A strong focus will be made on the development of listening skills and oral production, as well as reading and writing. Grammar will be introduced and practiced mostly online with only short review sessions in class. It will cover present, past and future tenses as well as some basic sentence structures. Classes will be taught entirely in French and students will be expected to communicate in French. Students with credit for FREN 210 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

FREN201 is an intermediate level course (B1.1 level) for those who want to further their mastery of the French written and oral language and explore francophone cultures after completing Grade 12 Core French or introductory level courses. This course is not intended for French immersion students.

Through a variety of original documents in French (descriptive articles, audio-visual interviews and presentations, recorded testimonies from French speakers, …), students will be introduced to francophone cultures and communicative situations related to one’s personal environment such as city life, housing, relationships, education and work.

A strong focus will be made on the development of listening skills (online), as well as reading and writing. Grammar will be introduced and practiced online. It will cover present, past and future tenses as well as some basic sentence structures.

Course format:

This course is an online course with online activities.

Online activities: students explore, learn and practice key concepts in the French language and francophone cultures. Activities are assigned weekly, and students should expect to spend approximately four to six hours per week working on the online modules.

Office hours:  students can come to practice communicative activities and review some pronunciation and grammatical concepts when needed. Attendance is not mandatory.

Evaluations will be done online.

Grading

  • Online activities 40%
  • Online grammar tests (X3) 15%
  • Written tests (X2) 20%
  • Listening tests (X2) 25%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

All course documents are available on Canvas.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

 

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.