Fluenz French 1+2 provides an extremely comprehensive introduction to the language. It sets out the foundational verbs, tenses, and grammatical structures of French, all within the context of real-world situations that give learners the fluency they need to handle the most common and critical interactions they are bound to face while abroad. In sixty sessions, or the equivalent of two sessions a week during an academic year, the program covers essential verbs for describing activities, asking questions, and issuing commands in past, present, and future tenses, the ability to correctly form masculine and feminine constructions, the ability to express time and location, how to formulate complex indications when giving directions without making mistakes, and necessary vocabulary for surviving in the French-speaking world.

What can be accomplished by the end?

By the end of Fluenz French 1+2, users can construct sentences as complex as, "I went to the office next to the Paris Hotel yesterday because I need to send a package, but you can only send small ones, so I went to another building, but it was closed.”

1. We begin by exploring the world of questions and important commands

Central structures for the formation of questions and commands are introduced in the context of exchanges between friends and between customers and waiters. By the second session we are already working on asking for coffee, the check, and formulating two-part questions. By session four the range of questions expands to negative forms, and by session five it expands to plurals as we add the basics of adjectives in order to allow for comparisons

2. The complexities of French liaisons are addressed in the very beginning and continuously practiced throughout the program
One of the toughest things for English-speakers learning French is the issue of liaisons, without which the language cannot be understood—and which can't be learned by simple repetition of sounds. We start explaining how these work and offer strategies for learning them well right from the very beginning.

3. We then shift to verb conjugations, along with masculine and feminine noun endings

As we work on learning to ask different kinds of questions in a café situation, the program begins to introduce verb conjugations and masculine-feminine endings. For many who already have a basic vocabulary at their command, the explanations and extensive workouts on how to form sentences well is invaluable.

4. Work on location, directions, and numbers greatly expands the range of communication
Issues of location and directions provide valuable work on getting around in a foreign country. Counting and extensive practice with possessives and descriptive adjectives lead to common shopping interactions.

5. French 2 begins by fine-tuning and expanding upon the skills developed in the first level

Diverse, realistic interactions in restaurants, cafés, and throughout the city lead into the past tense of key verbs, the introduction of the versatile verb "to be able to" (or "can"), further work on articles, simple comparatives, and prepositions.

6. As the level progresses, the range of speech reaches new levels of flexibility and sophistication

The second level dramatically expands the vocabulary in use, particularly in regards to descriptive adjectives. It offers considerable practice with constructing full conversations that shift back and forth between past, present, and future tenses. By combining all the structures and verbs related to actions, locations, and time, and by going through all the different conjugations and agreements, learners gain an important measure of fluidity.

7. Our vocabulary expands as new scenarios are used to work on more complex grammar

Further work on comparatives, word order, agreement, and conjugations provides the opportunity to interact in a range of new situations: renting a car, having a phone conversation, and talking to the concierge in a hotel lobby.

8. More practice in restaurants is provided, as is vocabulary and structures for going to the doctor

The program continues enhancing the learner's abilities with comparatives, providing ever-more complex restaurant situations, as well as the all-important visit to the doctor or pharmacy.

9. French 1+2 finishes by combining previously learned material in new ways
The final sessions of the program use all the structures and vocabulary learned throughout French 1 and 2 in order to find ways of creating even more complex formulations with the vocabulary and grammar already learned.

 

Watch the Demo Test Drive Fluenz French

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Overview

Content

The first level of Fluenz French is a very comprehensive introduction to the language. While French is a challenging language to speak and pronounce well, this program will give you the ability to successfully navigate critical and common situations anywhere this beautiful language is spoken.

In thirty sessions, or the equivalent of two sessions a week during an academic semester, the program covers essential verbs for describing activities, asking questions, expressing desires and needs, and issuing commands in present and future tenses, the ability to correctly form masculine and feminine constructions, the ability to express time and location, how to formulate complex indications when giving directions without making mistakes, and necessary vocabulary for surviving in the French-speaking world.

What can be accomplished by the end?

To give you an idea of how much Fluenz French 1 will enable you to do, the last session teaches users to construct sentences as complex as "I am going to my hotel near the next avenue, and then I want to see the museum at the intersection to the right, so please stop here."

1. We start by learning how to form important questions and commands

We begin by exploring the world of questions and commands, using exchanges between friends and between customers and

waiters as the realistic scenarios for doing this. By the second session we are already working on asking for coffee, the check, and formulating two-part questions. By session four the range of questions expands to negative forms, and by session five it expands to plurals as we add the basics of adjectives in order to allow for comparisons.

2. The complexities of French liaisons are addressed in the very beginning and continuously practiced throughout the program
One of the toughest things for English-speakers learning French is the issue of liaisons, without which the language cannot be understood—and which can't be learned by simple repetition of sounds. We start explaining how these work and offer strategies for learning them well right from the very beginning.

3. Foundational verbs and issues of noun gender allow us to start expanding our ability to build sentences in French

As we work on learning to ask different kinds of questions in a café situation, the program begins to introduce verb conjugations and masculine-feminine endings. For many who already have a basic vocabulary at their command, the explanations and extensive workouts on how to form sentences well are invaluable.

4. The program then shifts to issues of location, along with the key verb “to go”
Next the program delves into issues of location such as "Where are you?", "Are you at work?", and "Is Claudia at the hotel?" These flow naturally into the difference between "this" and "that," specifically in regards to locations. This work expands through the following ten sessions with the introduction of the verb "to go" and expressions of origin, as in "Where are you from?"

5. Expanded vocabulary and work on possessives leads to shopping scenarios

Along with the work on location and the beginning of work on directions, there is extensive coverage of possessives, as well as the ability to talk about objects (such as "suitcase" or "passport"). This expands into sessions that cover shopping, which then allows for the introduction of descriptive adjectives and further work on the verb "to want."

6. Shopping situations lead to counting
This leads naturally into the issue of counting, the first numbers, and the French expressions for "how much" and "how many". These are used in a variety of settings, such as restaurants (getting a table) and shopping (for a number of items).

7. Questions and commands lead to transportation
Building from the strong work on location, money, and basic numbers, as well as a range of command- and question-making skills, the program creates more complex transportation scenarios. These allow for further practice with directions (right, left, behind, next to), specific transportation issues ("I want to buy a ticket from Paris to Niece"), and issuing very specific commands to a driver.

 

Watch the Demo Test Drive Fluenz French

A few selected screenshots. Click to view larger versions.

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Overview

Content

The second level of Fluenz French builds upon the foundations established in the previous level, greatly expanding the learner's range and complexity of expression in such areas as key verbs, sentence formulations in past, present, and future tenses, the ability to ask different kinds of questions and construct answers, how to issue important commands, correctly use prepositions, how to express time, location, and give directions, and necessary vocabulary for surviving in the French-speaking world. The second level also covers the use of important articles and object pronouns, reflexive verbs, and comparatives and superlatives.

For English speakers, the complexity of French verb conjugations, word order, prepositions, object pronouns, and the infamous passé composé tend to prove especially difficult. French 2 therefore spends considerable time on these areas. Even learners who are familiar with the basic vocabulary related to restaurants, shopping, transportation, and general location issues will find the work in these specific grammatical areas to be extremely helpful for properly constructing French sentences.

What can be accomplished by the end?

By the end of Fluenz French 2, users can construct sentences as complex as "I went to the office next to the Paris Hotel yesterday because I need to send a package, but you can only send small ones, so I went to another building, but it was closed.”

1. We start by learning how to form complex questions

The first session of French 2 begins with a thorough review of the verb "to have," possessive pronouns (i.e. "my suitcase," "your cell phone") and questions involving "how much," "which," and "when." Although the work takes place in a classic shopping situation, the material covered is at the core of being able to formulate key questions and answers in French.

2. Shopping situations provide the setting for work on adjectives
Session 2 expands on the shopping scenario in order to work on the gender termination of adjectives, as well as agreement of adjectives with gender and quantity.

3. Work on new, powerful verbs, the past tense, and subtle grammar issues greatly enhances our ability to construct complex French sentences
During the following ten sessions, the program continues working from the foundations of French 1, both to fine-tune and expand upon them. Diverse, realistic scenarios in restaurants, cafés, and throughout the city lead into the past tense of key verbs, the introduction of the versatile verb "to be able to" (or "can"), further work on articles, simple comparatives, and prepositions.

4. Key pronunciation and usage issues are consistently practiced

Throughout Level 2, the program's tutor addresses issues of pronunciation and usage to make sure the material covered can actually be used in realistic situations and that learners are properly understood.

5. As the level progresses, the range of speech reaches new levels of flexibility and sophistication
The following sessions dramatically expand the vocabulary in use, particularly in regards to descriptive adjectives, and they go further in the use of the simple future and the construction of full conversations that shift back and forth between past, present, and future tenses. By combining all the structures and verbs related to actions, locations, and time, and by going through all the different conjugations and agreements, learners gain an important measure of fluidity.

6. We then shift to new scenarios that provide the opportunity to practice more complex grammar and new vocabulary

Further work on comparatives, word order, agreement, and conjugations provides the opportunity to interact in a range of new situations: renting a car, having a phone conversation, and talking to the concierge in a hotel lobby.

7. More practice in restaurants is provided, as is vocabulary and structures for going to the doctor The program continues enhancing the learner's abilities with comparatives, providing ever-more complex restaurant situations, as well as the all-important visit to the doctor or pharmacy.

8. French 2 finishes by combining previously learned material in new ways
The final sessions of the program use all the structures and vocabulary learned throughout French 1 and 2 in order to find ways of creating even more complex formulations with the vocabulary and grammar already learned.

 

 

 

 

 

Watch the Demo Test Drive Fluenz French

A few selected screenshots. Click to view larger versions.

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• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Overview

Content