Get ready for first year study with these suggestions from our academics.
Looking to get yourself ready for first year study? Have a look through the following list of recommendations of things to read, listen to and watch from the School of Cultures and Languages.
Taster lectures
- Dr David Hornsby, Senior Lecturer in French and Linguistics, explores the relationship between language and society in Franglais: a beginner’s guide, and discusses how “borrowed” words from other languages have developed the lexicon.
To improve your language skills and learn more about French culture, choose from the following activities:
Language activities online:
Practice your French language skills by following these lessons online (A1 for beginners, and A2/B1 for A-level French). You can also follow them on Facebook for daily tips!
Reading activities:
Sign up for free to the ‘Institut Français’ online. In their ‘Culturethèque’, you can read books, comic books, and magazines in French.
We would particularly recommend the following:
Comic books:
Short stories and novels:
- Annie Ernaux, Les années
- Sébastien Japrisot: Un long dimanche de fiançailles
- Caroline Lamarche, Nous sommes à la lisière [short stories]
Non-fiction:
- Guardian, Notre Dame and the Culture It Inspired – from Matisse to the Muppets
- Vanessa Schwartz, Modern France: A Very Short Introduction
Want a taste of what life is like for a Modern Languages student at Kent? Hispanic Studies student Rebecca guides you through a typical week:
Listening activities
Films and series to watch in French, or in French with French/English subtitles:
Films (on Netflix)
- La Vie d’Adèle [Blue is the warmest colour] (Abdellatif Kechiche, 2013), Netflix
- Bienvenue à Marly-Gomont [The African doctor], (Julien Rambaldi, 2016)
- Divines (Julien Rambaldi, 2015)
TV series: (on Netflix/amazon prime)
- Le Bureau des Légendes [The Bureau] (2017)
- 10% [Call My Agent] (2015)
- Plan Coeur [The Hookup Plan] (2018)
Youtube:
Loulou (2017)
Music:
You’ll find plenty of recent hits and classics of Francophone music on this Spotify playlist – dig in!
Dr Wissia Fiorucci, Modern Languages Co-ordinator and Director of Education, talks about the challenges and rewards of learning languages: