Passport A1 (PA1)
Start date
All year round
Duration
Up to 3 months
Admission level
Strict A0
(absolute beginners who have never studied French)
Format
100% online, asynchronous self-study program
The online program to start learning French independently
Why choose Passport A1? Who is it for?
This program is designed for adults who wish to begin learning French and later continue their language learning journey.
Initial level: Strict A0 (absolute beginners who have never studied French).
Student profile:
- Adults (18+) holding at least a secondary school diploma.
- Comfortable using common digital tools (computer, smartphone, stable internet connection).
- International audience wishing to:
– Join an A1+ or Passport A2 online course,
– Enroll in an A1B in-person course,
– Or simply discover the French language.
Learning objectives
This program allows strict A0 beginners to reach level A0 (50) on the eLAO scale — the required threshold to access A1+ or Passport A2 courses.
Specific objectives:
- Reading comprehension: Read and understand very simple texts (introductions, descriptions, messages, menus, ads, invitations, notices).
- Guided writing: Write simple sentences and short guided texts (introductions, routines, itineraries, projects, descriptions, opinions).
Linguistic content:
- Vocabulary: Basic topics such as identity, family, habits, places, housing, food, leisure, weather, preferences.
- Grammar: Subject pronouns, definite/indefinite articles, present tense of common verbs (être, avoir, aller, faire), possessive adjectives, basic affirmative and interrogative sentences, elementary agreements.
Detailed program
In up to 3 months, this self-paced introductory program enables learners to reach level A0 (50) and continue their French studies. It follows a structured grammatical and lexical progression for quick and effective learning.
Estimated total workload: 60 to 70 hours, including:
- 16 hours of written reinforcement modules (asynchronous, self-correcting MOOC).
- Approximately 23 hours on the CCFS mobile app.
- 1 hour for eLAO assessments (intermediate + final eLAO+).
- 20 to 30 hours of additional self-study (review, rewriting, memorization).
This program is available as a MOOC: all resources are accessible upon registration. Students progress at their own pace through a cumulative learning approach (vocabulary and grammar introduced gradually).
Themes covered: Identity and introductions, daily life, travel, food, leisure and weather, housing, invitations and stories, tastes and opinions.
Resources:
- CCFS mobile app (interactive exercises, videos, vocabulary and grammar training).
- Written reinforcement modules (16h): videos, short texts, self-correcting quizzes.
- eLAO tests (intermediate + final eLAO+).
Instruction language:
- General instructions in French and English.
- Exercise instructions in French only (for immersion).
Teaching methods
Organization:
- 100% asynchronous, no teacher supervision.
- Unlimited access for 3 months.
Recommended pace:
- 5 to 6 hours per week (3 to 4h on platforms + 2h personal work).
- Around 60 to 70 total hours over 12 weeks.
Methodology:
- Self-training guided by auto-corrective activities.
- Task-based approach (reading simple documents, guided writing).
- Immediate feedback through digital tools.
Assessment
Self-assessments included: in each unit (quizzes, exercises, guided writing).
Intermediate eLAO test:
- Content: grammar, listening and reading comprehension, vocabulary.
- Purpose: self-assessment and adjustment of learning pace.
Final eLAO+ test:
- Content: grammar, listening and reading comprehension, vocabulary, and oralproduction.
- Purpose: final evaluation and orientation.
Validation criteria:
- Completion of at least 80% of the MOOC content.
- Achievement of a minimum A0 (50) score on the eLAO+ test.
Outcome:
A Certificate of Participation from the Cours de civilisation française de la Sorbonne is awarded.
After Passport A1
Passport A1 is just the beginning of your journey at the CCFS.
Depending on your level, you may continue with:
- Any A1+ or A1B course, depending on your results,
- The Passport A2 program if you plan to stay in France (required level for a long-stay visa or residence permit renewal).
You can thus continue progressing in a recognized academic and international environment at the heart of the CCFS.
Enrollment procedure
- Registration online via this website or at the institution’s admissions office.
- Admission is finalized only once payment and application validation are complete.
- After validation, the student will receive an email with login details for the learning platform and mobile app.
- A Certificate of Enrollment is issued upon submission of required administrative documents (ID copy, translated high school diploma, ID photo).
Administrative fees:
- An annual €75 registration fee applies (a special €40 discount is granted for online courses).
