Ann Williams – Learning French: A Rendezvous with French-Speaking Cultures

The musical sound of the French language tends to conjure certain images for English-speakers. Leisurely mornings of coffee and pastries in a café. The Bohemian life of an artist on the Left Bank of the Seine. The romance of « Je t’aime. » The understatement of « Ça va. » the inspiration of Liberté, Égalité, and Fraternité: French is a beautiful—and global—language, and one of the most rewarding you can study.

Yet as with learning any new language, it can be a frustrating experience. Dozens if not hundreds of platforms promise to teach you with buzzwords like “immersion,” and suggest that passive listening for a “few minutes a day” is all it takes to learn a new language. There’s no getting around it: learning a new language is challenging, and it requires active participation. But with the right approach, it should also be a fun and incredibly rewarding endeavor.

Learning French: A Rendezvous with French-Speaking Cultures includes what most platforms omit: context. In these 30 lively, step-by-step lectures, Professor Ann Williams of the Metropolitan State University of Denver has crafted an effective and engaging course that gives you the core building blocks of the language while also giving you crucial insight into the relationship between French and French-speaking cultures. This ingenious approach is perfect for adult language learners who are serious about enjoying and using the French language.

This course is designed to provide an insider’s look at the French-speaking world, and it reveals the deep and often invisible intersection between language and culture. By touring France and countries such as Morocco, Canada, Senegal, and others, Professor Williams gives you a feel for everyday life, highlighting the vocabulary you need for success, whether you are looking to get around as a tourist or want to engage with the people and the culture on a deeper level.

Acquiring a new language takes time and patience, but you will love the process in this course. Professor Williams makes learning French a joy with these comprehensive lectures, which are filled with conversations to help you practice as well as insider tips to give you insights about the nuances of the culture. Learning French: A Rendezvous with French-Speaking Cultures presents a hands-on tour of the language that will open up an entirely new world for you.

Learn the Essentials of a Beautiful, Global Language

Beyond the romance and musicality of its status as a Romance language, French is a growing world language, the official language in 30 countries and widely spoken in many more. After learning the language, you will join 200 million people around the world who use French every day, from the day-to-day use in homes and neighborhoods to the high-stakes world of international business or United Nations diplomacy.

In addition to the cultural basics of getting around, you will also delve into the arts and heritage of the French-speaking world. Professor Williams guides you through museums and art galleries, cinemas and concert halls, to introduce you to some of the touchstones that make each culture unique. She develops the grammar lessons and vocabulary around cultural topics so that, rather than simply memorizing words, you build your knowledge around each theme, making the learning process easier and more enjoyable.

Build a Toolkit for a Lifelong Journey

This course mirrors college-level French but offers terms and cultural insights you wouldn’t ordinarily find in a basic survey of the language. In fact, Professor Williams’ conversation-based approach and the self-pacing of video lectures will likely help people who may have struggled to learn French in the past. Combined with the professor’s infectious enthusiasm, the stunning on-screen visuals and the studio props make comprehension easy and enjoyable.

One of the strengths of her approach is the way Professor Williams moves forward while circling back to re-visit key concepts. Subsequent lectures clarify the initial encounters with words and phrases, helping you learn through repetition. And because practice makes perfect, the course comes with a Language Lab, specially crafted spoken exercises to practice your lessons. A workbook, the Cahier d’exercices, provides written support for the content of each lecture.

If there’s one piece of advice Professor Williams has to offer for success, it’s that learning a language is a lifelong pursuit. She expertly guides you through 30 clear and wide-ranging lessons, giving you a remarkable introduction to one of the world’s great languages. Learning French: A Rendezvous with French-Speaking Cultures makes acquiring—and, most important, using—French easier than you ever imagined, and when you complete the course, you will be poised for the next step in your journey.