Man poseert voor rivier in Lyon, Frankrijk
Man poseert voor rivier in Lyon, Frankrijk

Language course French for beginners (A1)

Would you like to learn French but have no previous knowledge of the language? Then this beginner’s course in French is a great first step. You’ll be introduced to the French language and culture and learn the basics of communicating in French.

    General

    Even though this course does not require any knowledge of French, a free telephone intake prior to registration is mandatory.

    After completing this French language course, you will be able to:

    • understand simple words, expressions and sentences;
    • ask and answer simple, short questions;
    • follow a simple conversation;
    • write simple, short sentences about personal matters;

    The course focuses primarily on verbal communication, as well as reading, listening and writing skills. You will also learn more about French culture.

    To receive a Radboud in’to Languages certificate, you need to attend 80% of the classes.

    After completing this course, you will have reached language level A1. After this course, you can proceed with the course French A2 part 1.

    Why take a group course at In’to?

    • You notice rapid progress thanks to the fast pace
    • You learn by doing with plenty of interactive exercises – also in our online courses
    • You practise speaking a lot and learn how to really use the language
    • You learn about the culture and the nuances of the language so that you can really connect
    • Learning from and with each other in a group is effective and fun
    • Our teachers are your best motivation: they give you feedback and share both their knowledge and their love for the language and culture 

    Would you prefer individual classes, or a shorter, more intensive course? Check out our tailor-made courses.

    Starting date

    07 October 2026, 6 pm
    This course ends on 2 December 2026. Each session takes 1.5 hours.
    Costs
    €340
    Discount
    50% (RU students), 10% (RU & Radboudumc staff and alumni; WUR students and staff)
    VAT-free
    Yes
    Educational method
    Online
    Main Language
    Dutch-English
    Number of sessions
    8
    Intake
    Yes
    Maximum number of participants
    16

    Factsheet

    Type of education
    Course
    Level
    Beginner
    Result
    Certificate

    Contact information

    Do you have a question? Or would you like to discuss which course best suits your needs and starting level? Feel free to contact us. We are happy to help you out.

    Contact us

    024-361 21 59
    info [at] into.ru.nl (info[at]into[dot]ru[dot]nl)

    This course takes place from 7 October until 2 December. There is no class in the week of 19 October because of the autumn break.

    Approach and content

    French is spoken as much as possible during classes, with Dutch and English as the supporting languages. This means that in most cases, you can take this course if you do not speak Dutch. Please contact our Service Centre for more information.

    You should count on about three to four hours of individual study per week.

    What do the classes cover?

    Skills

    • Introducing yourself: name, address, profession
    • Asking questions, asking and showing the way, describing a city
    • Going to a restaurant, ordering food and commenting on it
    • Shopping: asking about quantities
    • Shopping: fashion, clothing, colours and sizes
    • Travel, countries and nationalities
    • At a hotel, filing a complaint
    • Talking about the weather, indicating the date
    • Family and relationships, describing someone's appearance
    • Hobbies, going out, booking something or meeting someone

    Grammar

    • Personal pronouns (je, tu... moi, toi...)
    • Articles (le, la, un...), partitive article (du pain, de la farine), demonstrative article (ce, cette...)
    • Pronunciation, intonation
    • Cardinal and ordinal numbers
    • Regular verbs (type -ER parler)
    • Basic verbs: être, avoir, faire, aller
    • Irregular verbs: prendre, vouloir, pouvoir
    • Negation (ne... pas)
    • Adjectives (grand, grande...), comparisons (plus grand, moins petit)
    • Irregular adjectives (beau, nouveau)
    • Indicate time and days, indicate frequency (toujours, souvent...)
    • Irregular verbs: choisir, offrir, savoir, sortir, venir
    • Possessive pronouns (mon, ma...)
    • The present perfect: I have talked, I have gone (passé composé: j'ai parlé, je suis allé)
    • The near future (futur proche: je vais manger)
    • Pronouns: I take it (je le prends), I give to him (je lui donne)

    Course material

    • Voyages 1 (new edition):
      Tekstboek. ISBN: 9789460307317
      Werkboek. ISBN: 9789460307324
      An English version of this book is also available.

    Optionally:

    • Even Spieken Frans. ISBN 9789463923590

    The course material can be purchased at Roelants bookstore. Course material is not included in the course fee.

    Costs

    • Regular fee: € 340,-
    • RU students: € 170,- (50% discount)
    • RU and Radboudumc staff & alumni : € 306,- (10% discount)
    • WUR students & staff: € 306,- (10% discount)

    Would you like to make use of your discount as RU alumnus, or as WUR student or employee? Please enter this information in the ‘reference’ field on the registration form, or email us once you have registered at info [at] into.ru.nl (info[at]into[dot]ru[dot]nl).

    Determine your level with a free intake

    If you did not complete the previous level with us, a free telephone intake prior to registration is mandatory.

    Schedule your intake

    If you want to get an idea of your level on your own, you can do this using our online level test.

    Registration

    Important information about registration

    • For Radboud University students and staff: in order to register for a course, you must turn your EduVPN on. This also applies when you are on campus.
    • For anyone not affiliated with the University: please use the second button.

    Registration for RU staff/studentsRegistration for other participants

    This course starts every year in January/February, April/May and October. If you would like to take this course, but is it fully booked or your desired start date has not yet been listed, let us know that you would like to be kept informed, and we will let you know when you can sign up for new dates.