FTP

Full-Time French

Program Type
Language School
Language
French
Level
All levels
Location
Main Campus (Saint-Laurent)
Course load
Full-time (Day)
Course format
In-person

This intensive non-credit course is for students who want to learn, or significantly improve upon, their everyday communication skills in French within a short time period.   

This course focuses on the four key aspects of language: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students hone their grasp of grammar concepts and vocabulary through interactive exercises. Many learning activities are done in groups to help each student feel at ease to practice their new language skills. This course also features cultural activities, which allow students to apply what they learn in class with locals in real life contexts in and around Montreal.   

Vanier Language School offers six levels of full-time French instruction: Initiation (100hrs), Level 1 (200hrs), Level 2 (300hrs), Level 3 (300hrs), Level 4 (300hrs) and Level 5 (300hrs).   

Each session lasts 5 weeks (100h). Students typically take 10 to 15 weeks to complete a level.

Level Progression

In Initiation, students are introduced to the basics of the language. They learn to decode words and simple interactions. Concepts covered include introducing oneself, asking and answering basic questions, reading street signs, describing one’s family and profession, conjugating verbs in the present tense and rules of pronunciation.  

In Level 1 (A1), students build on the basic concepts of French to attain conversational ease and write short texts. Concepts covered include the simple past, present continuous and near future tenses, adjectives and adverbs, expressing one’s emotions and physical state, and describing one’s daily habits.  

 In Level 2 (A2), students revise their prior learning to add situational complexity to their spoken and written productions. Concepts covered include the conditional tenses, comparatives and superlatives, speaking about one’s childhood and interests, and role-playing common situations such as a job interview or finding an apartment. Students add formal structure to their texts.   

In Level 3 (A2-B1), students transition from the beginner to intermediate level. Concepts covered include the perfect tenses, complex negation, idiomatic expressions, giving and justifying one’s opinion, and describing one’s future plans. Students engage with francophone media and read and write longer texts for specific audiences (e.g. postcards, emails, letters to the bank).   

In Level 4 (B1), students refine their oral and written comprehension skills and practice the various applications of specific grammar notions. Concepts covered include pronoun and adverb uses, different language registers (casual, formal, politeness), intonation, summarizing key points in articles and videos, and vocabularies of work, education, commerce and health.  

In Level 5 (B2), students reach a fully functional level of French expression. In building upon all prior learning, they reinforce their confidence in manipulating grammar and syntax rules and communicating in spontaneous situations. Concepts covered include a revision of all verb tenses, forms of argumentation, discussing current events and elements of Canadian culture and society, making suggestions, and writing descriptive / informative texts