Course Outline

The Complete French Course: Lessons 1 to 40

At a glance

The Complete French Course includes:

40 Comprehensive lessons designed to take you from A1 (Beginner) level to C2 (proficiency)

6 Modules

The course is split into 6 modules from A1 (beginner) level to C2 (proficiency) and includes:

  • 40 core video lessons
  • exercise videos
  • supplementary videos
  • lesson guides
  • lesson quizzes
  • downloadable audio files


1000+ downloadable support guides

  • Our guides are designed to help you review and remember everything you learn in the lessons
  • They can be viewed online or downloaded to your device


400+ interactive French quizzes

  • Our quizzes are designed to test your knowledge of what you've learnt


French vocabulary lists and quizzes

  • Our thematic French vocabulary audio lists and quizzes are designed to help you develop your French pronunciation skills


French verb lists and quizzes

  • Make use of easy-to-use conjugation lists for over 70 of the most common verbs in French, each with its own quiz and support guide


'End of Level' assessment tests

  • Our comprehensive End of Level tests are designed to support your learning progress and help you identify areas for improvement

Regular live lessons and access to 170+ replay live lessons

Alexa Live

Every two weeks Alexa hosts a live lesson for subscribers with the aim of walking you through a different aspect of the language. They're a great opportunity to test your knowledge, learn new things and interact with Alexa and other learners. The live lessons generally take place every second Tuesday, at 10:30, 12:30 or 13:30 GMT, although we occasionally take short breaks in the Summer and around Christmas.

170+ Replay Live Videos

Even if you're not available to attend our live sessions, you will still have access to the 170+ replay videos and support guides to peruse in your own time, and each live lesson will be available to watch shortly after it has finished.

Your own personal account area to keep track of your progress

Check and keep track of your progress as you make your way through the course. Easily look back over what you've learned

Help from our fantastic support team with any questions or issues you may have

Need help? Have any questions? Contact our friendly support team at any time, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible

Module 1 - Level A1

Learning objectives
  • to discover basic elements of the language, such as the different phonemes, the alphabet and its pronunciation
  • to discover the foundation of the language such as conjugations, auxiliaries, numbers, etc.
  • to learn how to form simple sentences about personal topics such as one's family
  • how to start interacting with others by asking and answering simple questions
Lesson breakdowns
  • More information on lesson duration, resources, self-study, methodology and intended outcomes are provided in the Complete French Course Study Guide which is available to all active 'Complete French Course' students in their account area.

Level A1

Module 1

Lesson 01 - Introductions | greetings | basic vocabulary | numbers 1-10

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn how to introduce yourself in French
  • to learn some French formal and informal greetings
  • to learn some basic French vocabulary, to get you started with French and lay some early foundations
  • to learn the French numbers 1-10

Lesson 02 - Greetings | weather | seasons | days | numbers 1-20 | ordinal numbers

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to revise French greetings
  • to learn how to describe the weather and seasons in French
  • to learn the French days of the week
  • to learn to count from 1 to 20 in French
  • to learn French ordinal numbers

Lesson 03 - Feelings | emotions | months | dates | numbers 0-100

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to be able to express feelings/emotions in French
  • to learn the French months of the year
  • to learn to express a date in French
  • to learn numbers from 0 to 100, 1000 in French

Lesson 04 - Alphabet | spell your name | pronunciation

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn the French alphabet
  • to learn how to spell your name in French
  • to learn to pronounce various combinations of letters in French

Lesson 05 - Definite articles | indefinite articles | partitive articles

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn the definite articles
  • to learn the indefinite articles
  • to learn the partitive articles

Lesson 06 - Subject pronouns | avoir (to have) | être (to be) | adjective agreement & position

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn about French subject pronouns
  • to learn the French auxiliary verbs avoir (to have) and être (to be) in the present tense
  • to learn about adjective agreement and position in French

Lesson 07 - Conjunctions of coordination | dates | ages | colours | adjectives

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn useful conjunctions of coordination in French
  • to express the date of your birthday, as well as your age, in French
  • to learn French colours
  • to learn some more French adjectives

Lesson 08 - Faire (to do/make) | Expressions with faire | Faire vs. jouer (to play)

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn to conjugate the French verb faire (to do/make) in the present tense
  • to learn some expressions with the French verb faire
  • to learn when to use faire (to do) and jouer (to play)
  • to learn some French time expressions in order to build more complex sentences using these 2 verbs

Lesson 09 - Aller (to go) | prepositions

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn to conjugate the French verb aller (to go) in the present tense with some prepositions
  • to learn about other French prepositions
  • to practise using French prepositions

Lesson 10 - Infinitive verbs | moods & tenses | 3 verb groups | conjugating groups 1 & 2 verbs (présent)

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn what an infinitive verb is in French
  • to learn about moods and tenses in French
  • to learn about the 3 groups of verbs in French
  • to learn how to conjugate French verbs from the 1st and 2nd groups in the indicative present

Lesson 11 - Group 3 verbs (présent) | impersonal verbs | être en train de (expression) | imperative mood

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn to conjugate 3rd group French verbs in the indicative present
  • to learn about French impersonal verbs
  • to learn about the French expression être en train de
  • to learn about the imperative mood in French

Lesson 12 - Simple negations (présent)

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn to use simple French negations in the present tense
  • to transform an affirmative sentence into a negation in French

Module 2 - Level A2

Learning objectives
  • to continue working on sentence building as well as new grammar points
  • to learn the passé composé
  • to start reading and understanding short texts
  • to communicate with more ease as long as it is short, simple and on topics already studied
Lesson breakdowns
  • More information on lesson duration, resources, self-study, methodology and intended outcomes are provided in the Complete French Course Study Guide which is available to all active 'Complete French Course' students in their account area.

Level A2

Module 2

Lesson 13 - Adjectives | comparatives | superlatives

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to revise rules around French adjectives
  • to learn some simple French comparatives
  • to learn some simple French superlatives

Lesson 14 - Possessive adjectives | demonstrative adjectives

CEFR levels covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn about French possessive adjectives
  • to learn about French demonstrative adjectives

Lesson 15 - Passé composé with avoir & être

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn how the passé composé is formed with the French auxiliary verb avoir (to have) and how to use it
  • to learn how the passé composé is formed with the French auxiliary verb être (to be) and how to use it

Lesson 16 - Questions | interrogative adverbs: quand, où, comment, combien, pourquoi

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn how to ask questions in French
  • to practise using the French interrogative adverb quand (when)
  • to practise using the French interrogative adverb où (where)
  • to practise using the French interrogative adverb comment (how)
  • to practise using the French interrogative adverb combien (how much)
  • to practise using the French interrogative adverb pourquoi (why)

Lesson 17 - Interrogative adjectives | interrogative pronouns

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn more about questions using French interrogative adjectives
  • to learn more about questions using French interrogative pronouns

Lesson 18 - Irregular plural nouns | irregular adjectives

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to identify irregular plural nouns in French
  • to identify irregular adjectives in French

Lesson 19 - Adverbs (role, construction and position)

CEFR level covered
Core video
Learning objectives
  • to learn about French adverbs, their role, construction and position

Module 3 - Level B1

Learning objectives
  • to work on more challenging grammar points such as connectives and pronouns
  • to learn more tenses including the future, conditional and imperfect
  • to understand the main points of a longer conversation with familiar topics
    Lesson breakdowns
    • More information on lesson duration, resources, self-study, methodology and intended outcomes are provided in the Complete French Course Study Guide which is available to all active 'Complete French Course' students in their account area.

    Level B1

    Module 3

    Lesson 20 - Futur proche (near future) | participe présent (present participle)

    CEFR level covered
    Core video
    Learning objectives
    • to learn how to form and use the futur proche (near future) in French
    • to learn how to form a participe présent (present participle) in French

    Lesson 21 - Group 1, 2 & 3 verbs (futur simple)

    CEFR level covered
    Core video
    Learning objectives
    • to learn to conjugate 1st, 2nd and 3rd group French verbs in the future tense
    • to learn how to transform a verb or adjective into a noun (nominalisation)

    Lesson 22 - Reflexive verbs (présent, futur proche, futur simple & passé composé)

    CEFR level covered
    Core video
    Learning objectives
    • to learn about French reflexive verbs
    • to learn to conjugate a French reflexive verb in the présent, futur proche, futur simple and passé composé

    Lesson 23 - Imparfait | imparfait vs. passé composé

    CEFR levels covered
    Core video
    Learning objectives
    • to learn about the imparfait in French
    • to learn how to conjugate a French verb in the imparfait
    • to learn the difference between the imparfait and passé composé in French
    • to learn about the passé récent

    Lesson 24 - Simple relative pronouns: qui, que, quoi, dont, où

    CEFR level covered
    Core video
    Learning objectives
    • to learn about simple French relative pronouns: qui, que, quoi, dont and où

    Lesson 25 - Possessive pronouns | demonstrative pronouns | emphatic pronouns

    CEFR level covered
    Core video
    Learning objectives
    • to learn about French possessive pronouns (mine, yours, etc.)
    • to learn about French demonstrative pronouns (this one, that one, etc.)
    • to learn about French emphatic pronouns (me, you, him, etc.)

    Lesson 26 - Direct & indirect object pronouns | adverbial pronouns EN vs. Y

    CEFR level covered
    Core video
    Learning objectives
    • to learn about French direct and indirect object pronouns
    • to learn about the difference between the adverbial pronouns EN and Y in French

    Lesson 27 - Conditionnel | conditionnel présent | translating modals COULD, SHOULD & WOULD

    CEFR level covered
    Core video
    Learning objectives
    • to learn about the conditionnel in French
    • to learn to conjugate French verbs in the conditionnel présent
    • to learn how to translate modals could, should and would in French

    Lesson 28 - Complex negative constructions (double negations, compound tenses, etc.)

    CEFR level covered
    Core video
    Learning objectives
    • to learn how to form complex negative constructions with compound tenses, reflexives and imperatives in French
    • to learn to use negations with pronouns, double negations and negations with two verbs in French

    Lesson 29 - Comparison with nouns | complex comparative structures

    CEFR level covered
    Core video
    Learning objectives
    • to learn to make comparison with nouns in French
    • to learn more complex French comparative structures

    Module 4 - Level B2

    Learning objectives
    • to work on challenging grammar points such as complex relative pronouns
    • to learn more complex tenses including the passé simple and subjunctive
        Lesson breakdowns
        • More information on lesson duration, resources, self-study, methodology and intended outcomes are provided in the Complete French Course Study Guide which is available to all active 'Complete French Course' students in their account area.

        Level B2

        Module 4

        Lesson 30 - Subjunctive

        CEFR level covered
        Core video
        Learning objectives
        • to learn about the subjunctive in French
        • to learn how to conjugate a French verb in the subjunctive
        • to learn common phrases and verbs which require the subjunctive in French

        Lesson 31 - Subjunctive (continued) | past subjunctive | ne explétif

        CEFR level covered
        Core video
        Learning objectives
        • to learn about irregular conjugations in the subjunctive in French
        • to learn about the use of the subjunctive in interrogative and negative sentences in French
        • to learn how to form a past subjunctive in French
        • to learn about the ne explétif in French

        Lesson 32 - Compound prepositions | complex prepositional structures

        CEFR level covered
        Core video
        Learning objectives
        • to learn about compound prepositions in French
        • to look at more complex prepositional structures in French

        Lesson 33 - Complex relatives pronouns

        CEFR level covered
        Core video
        Learning objectives
        • to learn about complex French relative pronouns

        Lesson 34 - Plus-que-parfait (pluperfect/past perfect)

        CEFR level covered
        Core video
        Learning objectives
        • to learn how to conjugate a French verb in the pluperfect tense
        • to learn when to use the pluperfect tense

        Lesson 35 - Futur antérieur (future perfect)

        CEFR level covered
        Core video
        Learning objectives
        • to learn when to use the future perfect in French
        • to learn how to form the future perfect in French

        Lesson 36 - Conditionnel passé (past conditional)

        CEFR level covered
        Core video
        Learning objectives
        • to learn when to use the past conditional in French
        • to learn how to form the past conditional in French

        Module 5 - Level C1

        Learning objectives
        • to understand a speech or a discussion even if its structure is not very clear or is mostly based on “implicit meaning”
        • to be able to express yourself spontaneously with a degree of fluency close to that of a native speaker
              Lesson breakdowns
              • More information on lesson duration, resources, self-study, methodology and intended outcomes are provided in the Complete French Course Study Guide which is available to all active 'Complete French Course' students in their account area.

              Level C1

              Module 5

              Lesson 37 - Passé simple (past historic)

              CEFR levels covered
              Core video
              Learning objectives
              • to learn when to use the past historic in French
              • to learn how to form the past historic in French

              Lesson 38 - Active vs. passive voice

              CEFR level covered
              Core video
              Learning objectives
              • to learn the difference between the active and the passive voice in French
              • to learn how to transform one voice into the other in French

              Module 6 - Level C2

              Learning objectives
              • to be able to read, understand and write any type of document, even specialised texts like academic articles
                      Lesson breakdowns
                      • More information on lesson duration, resources, self-study, methodology and intended outcomes are provided in the Complete French Course Study Guide which is available to all active 'Complete French Course' students in their account area.

                      Level C2

                      Module 6

                      Lesson 39 - Sequence of tenses | subordinate clause vs. main clause

                      CEFR level covered
                      Core video
                      Learning objectives
                      • to learn about sequence of tenses in French
                      • to recognise which French tense to use in a subordinate clause in relation to the main clause

                      Lesson 40 - Direct v. indirect speech | direct vs. indirect interrogations

                      CEFR levels covered
                      Core video
                      Learning objectives
                      • to learn the difference between direct and indirect speech in French
                      • to learn how to transform direct speech into indirect speech in French
                      • to learn how to transform a direct interrogation into an indirect interrogation in French
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