To the Student
- Page ID
- 359133
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Learning Together Through Film
With Avant-Première, you will keep building your skills in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing French—while exploring the engaging topics raised by the films. Learning a language through film offers many benefits. Films let you experience language and culture from the inside, giving you a deeper appreciation of different worldviews and ways of life. You will hear French as it is really spoken across the French-speaking world, pick up vocabulary by remembering favorite lines, and even gain a clearer grasp of grammar through real examples. Movies also create a positive class atmosphere and they give your professor examples to build on across units and make it easier for you to remember and practice French. Most importantly, studying French through films will spark your curiosity about the Francophone world—encouraging you to watch more movies, join film events on and off campus, and perhaps even travel to some of the places you see on screen.
Getting the most out of this book
Your engagement is the key to your growth in French and to the success of our class together. Each part of the unit is designed to support you—here’s how you can use them to get the most out of your learning.
- Avant le Visionnement : Before even seeing the movie, you will explore some key cultural elements that will help you understand its context and nuances. Be sure to complete the readings and review the vocabulary in advance. This preparation will make the film easier to follow and much more rewarding to watch.
- Après le Visionnement : While you watch the movie, this section will help you focus on key scenes that highlight the plot, the characters, and important cultural themes. Open-ended questions and guided vocabulary activities will lead you through scene analysis, helping you identify essential elements while practicing both your language skills and your critical thinking. Your professor will probably go over some of these scenes in class, and reviewing them ahead of time will give you the confidence to join the discussion and share your ideas.
- Les pages de grammaire (.4, .5, .6, .7) : Each grammar page is designed to match the scenes chosen for each movie. Ideally, you will use these grammar points as you discuss the scenes, so that grammar practice and film analysis go hand in hand. This approach will help you express your ideas more clearly, strengthen your arguments, and make your comments on each scene more precise and engaging.
- Qu'en pensez vous ? : This section focuses on the main themes of each film and gives you extra questions to keep the conversation going. These prompts are meant to help you think more deeply, share your own perspectives, and connect the film’s ideas to your everyday life.
- Pour aller plus loin : You will have the chance to explore each film’s themes through different types of media (like news clips, documentary excerpts, short literary texts, songs, and more). These materials create new pathways to dive deeper into the themes, discover more about the French-speaking world, and stay connected with influential artists, innovative projects, and current events.
- Comment en parler ? : Finally, you will practice real-life conversations and build your communication skills through vocabulary activities and dialogue prompts that focus on everyday interactions. You will pick up idiomatic phrases and common questions that will make your conversations with native speakers sound more natural.


