Level 2
Elementary French
Talk about everyday life with confidence
Expand your foundations, give fuller answers, share recent experiences and manage a wider range of everyday conversations.
- Level
- A1–strong A2 equivalent
- Format
- 3 terms × 12 lessons
- Lesson length
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total guided learning
- 45 hours
Main language focus
Consolidation of the present, completed past and near future; direct and indirect object pronouns; comparisons; time expressions; and descriptions using qui, que and où.
This course is for learners who already have a basic knowledge of French and can introduce themselves, ask simple questions and communicate in a few familiar situations.
At Elementary level, you will turn those foundations into more confident conversation. You will learn to speak in greater detail about your life, handle a wider range of everyday situations, share recent experiences and discuss upcoming plans.
French is developed through conversation, listening, role-play and practical topics rather than long lists of grammatical terms. You will also discover natural expressions, pronunciation tips, helpful connections between French and English, false friends and insights into how French is really used.
Earlier language is revisited at the beginning of every term and recycled throughout the course. This helps you remember what you have learned and use it more spontaneously.
French Beyond the Textbook
Our classes are shaped around the people in the room. At every level, students are encouraged to bring their own stories, experiences, interests and questions into the conversation.
We also explore France and the wider French-speaking world through culture, everyday life and carefully selected local, national and international news. Topics and materials are always adapted to the ability and interests of each group, so even newer learners can engage with real French ideas without feeling overwhelmed.
Along the way, students discover colloquial expressions, idioms, pronunciation tips, French–English connections, false friends and the language French speakers actually use. As they progress, the stories and discussions become richer, the materials more authentic and the language increasingly nuanced.
How You Will Learn
This is a conversation-first course. New language is introduced because it helps you do something meaningful: tell a story, make a plan, solve a problem, describe an experience or express an opinion.
Lessons may include partner conversations, listening tasks, information gaps, role-plays, picture stories, mini-debates, pronunciation practice, cultural discoveries and short personal projects. Your teacher will help you notice useful patterns without turning the lesson into a lecture full of unfamiliar grammatical terminology.
French tips, natural expressions, similarities with English and common traps are woven into the course. Earlier learning returns regularly, giving you repeated opportunities to understand it better and use it more independently.
Your Progress by the End of Elementary
You should be able to:
- take part in a 10–15 minute supported conversation on familiar topics
- ask and answer varied everyday questions
- describe your routine, relationships, work, home and interests in some detail
- manage common situations involving shopping, transport, restaurants, health and accommodation
- narrate a short sequence of completed events
- talk about personal experiences and upcoming plans
- compare familiar options and explain a preference
- link ideas with a useful range of everyday connecting expressions
- write a clear short email, message, description or account of an experience
- recognise and use more natural spoken expressions in familiar contexts
Language structures covered
Elementary — Expand everyday communication
- Consolidation of the present, passé composé and futur proche.
- Passé composé with avoir, être and reflexive verbs.
- Direct and indirect object pronouns used separately.
- Relative pronouns qui, que, où.
- Comparatives, superlatives, time relationships and stronger question formation.
- Connected everyday stories, recommendations and problem-solving.
Topics we may cover
Elementary 1
- Reactivation — Re-enter French and describe oneself
- Life now — Give a fuller account of routine and responsibilities
- Relationships — Describe people and shared activities
- Work and study — Explain a typical working or study life
- Home and neighbourhood — Describe and evaluate an area
- Food habits — Discuss consumption and shopping
- Products and clothes — Ask, compare and choose
- Free time and wellbeing — Describe habits and frequency
- Social plans — Invite and negotiate
- Transport — Buy tickets and make enquiries
- Everyday French life — Discuss habits and cultural differences
- Term challenge — Integrate present-time everyday communication
Elementary 2
- Reactivation — Recover earlier language with confidence
- Recent actions — Describe completed activities
- Weekend story — Ask and answer about a recent experience
- Journey — Narrate travel and movement
- A disrupted day — Describe a day that didn't go to plan
- Story sequence — Tell a coherent short account
- Holidays — Discuss travel and accommodation
- Experiences — Say what you have or have never done
- Health and advice — Explain a problem and respond
- Referring to things — Avoid repetition when discussing objects
- Referring to people — Explain communication and exchange
- Storytelling challenge — Integrate storytelling and practical interaction
Elementary 3
- Reactivation — Retrieve present, past and planning language
- Plans and intentions — Explain upcoming intentions
- Organising an event — Negotiate and confirm arrangements
- Inspiring people — Link information about a person
- Recommendations — Describe places and things concisely
- Time relationships — Say when and for how long
- Comparing options — Compare and justify choices
- How actions happen — Add precision to descriptions
- Better questions — Sustain an unscripted exchange
- Everyday problem — Explain, complain and request a solution
- Window onto France — Respond to an accessible cultural or news item
- Showcase — Sustain connected everyday conversation
Classes at this level
Evening class
Elementary — Monday Evening
19:15–20:30 · 21 Sept – 7 Dec 2026
Aberlady - East Lothian
Covers: fuller conversations about your daily life, describing people and places, food and shopping, free time, making social plans, transport and everyday French life.
Enrolment open
Evening class
(New) Elementary — Thursday Evening
19:15–20:30 · 24 Sept – 10 Dec 2026
Aberlady - East Lothian
Covers: fuller conversations about your daily life, describing people and places, food and shopping, free time, making social plans, transport and everyday French life.
Enrolment open
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