Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2026 - FREN 201 OL01

Intermediate French I : Cultures and Communication (3)

Class Number: 4808

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 CEFR 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 authentic documents and activities in French, students will be introduced to francophone cultures and communicative situations related to one’s personal environment and life such as city life, housing, relationships, education and work.

As an important step towards the B1 level, a strong focus will be made on the development of listening and speaking skills to ease into fluency in authentic oral communication. Students will also work on their reading and writing skills as well as expand their cultural and intercultural perspective of the francophone world. Grammar modules will help develop a more nuanced understanding of verb forms and their uses in the present, past, and future, as well as the key elements and structures of French sentences.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

This course prepares students to:

- Understand the main ideas of authentic videos, audio recordings and texts related to one's personal environment and life in the francophone world.

- Write narrative and descriptive paragraphs in the past, present and future.

- Describe and express their opinion orally on a variety of personal and intercultural topics.

Grading

  • Weekly completion of modules 40%
  • Grammar tests (x3) 15%
  • Reading and writing tests (x2) 15%
  • Listening tests (x2) 15%
  • Oral projects (x2) 15%

NOTES:

For this online course, students should expect to spend 3-5 hours working on weekly assigned modules.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

All course documents will be available on Canvas.

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.