Business French/ Advanced Level

3 blue skyscrapersThis course aims to encourage you to speak French more freely and wider your range of vocabulary as well as acquiring greater understanding of French grammar. Through this course you will develop your listening skills, reinforce your confidence and increase your knowledge of French. It combines structural language work with in depth-discussion using authentic material.

What topics will we cover?

Here is what you might cover over a typical course. It is flexible rather than prescriptive, in that it would be adapted to your specific level, aims and interests.

Topics & Vocabulary:

  • Writing an invitation for a business event
  • Talking about a business event organisation
  • Writing a thank you speech
  • Making a report regarding a meeting
  • Following up after a meeting
  • Writing a short note to indicate new actions and consequences
  • Writing a complaint letter
  • Answering a complaint letter
  • Reacting when dealing with a customer complaint
  • Taking part in a meeting
  • Understanding business articles/ interviews on economic matters
  • Colleagues’ relationships/ talk
  • Writing an email/ a letter to give your opinion
  • Talking about a social conflict
  • Taking part in a debate/ discussion
  • Talking about a resignation
  • Giving a detailed explanation
  • Making an annual report
  • Reporting a dysfunction
  • Interacting when doing an annual review.

Grammar

  • Adverbs
  • Subjunctive present to express a necessity, a wish, feelings, an opinion or an aim.
  • Ne … que/ seulement
  • Double pronouns
  • Structures to express the consequence
  • Structures to express an opposition
  • Structures ce qui/ ce que …., c’est/ ce sont ….
  • Passive form
  • Past conditional
  • The gerund
  • Indicative or Subjunctive to express an opinion, a judgment, a certainty, a doubt, a fear.
  • Past indirect speech
  • Expressing a concession
  • Indefinite adjectives
  • Future perfect
  • Indefinite pronouns
  • Logical connectors

Skills Work:

  • Lots of speaking/active practice
  • Role-plays
  • Lots of listening
  • Pronunciation (key sounds, liaisons, intonation, rhythm)

Cultural content:

  • Being invited by a French family: the etiquette
  • Body language
  • A business meeting, the French way
  • Unions
  • Conflicts/ Strikes
  • Different type of companies in France

The topics/ vocabulary or grammar won’t be studied in this order.

Material: teacher’s own material, selected texts & newspaper articles, real life documents, comic strips, online material, PP slides. It is possible to use a textbook if you wish to do so, we can talk about it.

All the lessons are truly tailor made courses and customisable. I will listen to you and adapt and modify them where and when appropriate. 

To discuss your needs or course content, please contact me.