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Projects: Module 01 — Introduction: Sounds, Alphabet, and First Words

Module 01 projects focus on pronunciation and listening — the foundations of speaking French.

Pronunciation Journal (Beginner)

Level: Beginner Estimated time: 2–3 hours spread over one week

Brief

For one week, make a daily 2-minute voice recording of yourself reading aloud from the module's dialogue examples and number list. On day 7, listen to all recordings in sequence. Write 3–5 observations about how your pronunciation changed over the week.

What to Record

Each day, read the following aloud: 1. The alphabet (A to Z, using French letter names) 2. Numbers 1–20 3. The formal dialogue (Example 1 in the module README) 4. One sentence you composed yourself using module vocabulary

Reflection Questions

After listening back to all seven recordings: - Which sounds improved most? - Which sounds are still difficult? - Can you hear the nasal vowels distinctly? - Does your French r sound different from your English r?

Acceptance Criteria

  • 7 recordings made
  • Written reflection of 3–5 observations
  • At least one observation specifically about nasal vowels

Liaison Hunt (Beginner-Intermediate)

Level: Beginner Estimated time: 1 hour

Brief

Find a French song, poem, or short audio clip (maximum 2 minutes). Listen carefully and identify: 1. At least 3 examples of mandatory liaison 2. At least 2 examples of elision 3. At least 1 example of a nasal vowel you can hear clearly

Write out the phrase containing each example, mark the liaison/elision, and note the phonetic form.

Resources for Finding Material

  • Any French children's song (Frère Jacques, Au clair de la lune, Alouette)
  • TV5Monde audio clips
  • RFI Journal en français facile (even at B1 level, you will be able to identify the phonological phenomena)

Note

You will not understand most of what you hear at this stage — that is fine. This project is only about hearing and identifying the phonological features you learned in Module 01, not about comprehension.