French, as it is spoken in the streets of Paris, the banlieues, the cafés, is vastly different from the French taught in textbooks. This course aims to bridge that gap. Designed for learners who already possess some knowledge of French, this course exposes students to informal registers, verlan, argot and contemporary youth language.
Objectives
• To understand and recognise common French slangs, verlan, and argot expressions
• To use informal French naturally in spoken conversational settings
• To develop awareness of generational and regional slang variation
Contents
Lesson Topic Key Learning Outcomes
- Introduction to varrious registers of French (refined, standard, informal, argot), sociolinguistic context, origin and historical roots
- What is informal French? Learn about features of informal grammar. Understanding reductions and contractions, i.e. dropping sounds or words or both while speaking in an informal setting.
- Understanding reductions and contractions, i.e. dropping sounds or words or both while speaking fast or while texting. Listen to a short audio or watch a movie clip to illustrate.
- Slang and colloquialism. Learn about commonly used informal words and phrases in everyday life, slang words and Arabic words through movie clips and comic strips. Watching informal conversations, discussing clips from the Netflix series Lupin.
- Verlan Learning to invert syllables and speak backwards. Learning about Verlan´s origins, key vocabulary (ouf, meuf, cimer, laisse béton), audio exercises, video clips.
- Conversation practice We learn everything we learnt in the course through role-play situations. For example: A: Ça va ? B: Ouais ça roule. A: T´fais quoi c´week-end ? B: J´vois mes potes.
Kursledare
Supriya Kakkar
Hej! My name is Supriya and I come from India. I have always been passionate about languages and have been teaching French for over 10 years now.
I hold my first Masters degree in translation studies and a second Masters in French didactics. My language studies were greatly enriched through immersive stays in France and Switzerland, where I had the opportunity to deepen my linguistic competence and experience francophone cultures first-hand. These experiences not only refined my language skills but also broadened my understanding of the cultural nuances that are essential to teaching any language effectively.
I have taught French in diverse educational settings in India and Sweden. As a language teacher, I believe in creating an inclusive and interactive classroom environment where learners feel confident to explore, make mistakes, and grow. I integrate authentic materials, cultural elements, and communicative approaches to make learning engaging and relevant.
Hope to see you soon!
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Kontakta Folkuniversitetet i Göteborg