1 · How to use the course
Read this once. একবার পড়ে নিন।
Each unit has the same seven parts
- Objectifs — what you will be able to do (the DELF "can-do" statements). লক্ষ্য
- Vocabulaire — 30–45 words and phrases: French · pronunciation in Bengali script · English · বাংলা. Click 🔊 on any French word to hear it. শব্দভাণ্ডার
- Grammaire — two or three grammar points, explained in English with tables, each ending in a সংক্ষেপে box in Bengali. ব্যাকরণ
- Dialogue — a conversation, line by line: French, English, বাংলা. Play the whole thing or one line at a time. সংলাপ
- Exercices — five to seven self-checking exercises: fill-in, multiple choice, matching, transformation, listening. অনুশীলনী
- Tâches — a writing task and a speaking task in DELF format, with a model answer you reveal after trying. কাজ
- Auto-évaluation — tick what you can now do. Progress is saved in your browser. নিজে মূল্যায়ন
The exercises
- Type in the blanks, click Vérifier. Green = correct. Orange = right letters, wrong accents — the correct form appears beside it. Red = wrong; the answer appears so you can learn it.
- Where two answers are acceptable, either counts.
- Listening exercises use your browser's French voice (Chrome, Edge and Safari all have one). Click 🔊, listen as many times as you like, then answer. You do not need audio files or an internet connection.
- Writing tasks: write in the box first, then open the model answer. Compare, do not copy.
- Speaking tasks: say it out loud, record yourself on your phone, listen back. Then play the model with 🔊 and imitate the rhythm.
2 · What A1 and A2 actually mean
The CEFR levels, and what an examiner expects at each
You can survive.
Introduce yourself and others; ask and answer simple questions about where you live, people you know, things you have; understand slow, clear speech and short simple texts (signs, forms, short messages); write a postcard or fill in a form.
নিজের পরিচয় দিতে পারা, সহজ প্রশ্ন করা ও উত্তর দেওয়া, ধীরে বলা কথা বোঝা, ফর্ম পূরণ করা, ছোট বার্তা লেখা।
Roughly 80–100 hours of study. Units A1·1–12.
You can manage daily life.
Handle routine exchanges — shopping, work, family, health, housing; describe your past, your background, your plans; understand the main point of short announcements and simple texts; write a short personal letter or email.
দৈনন্দিন কথাবার্তা চালানো, অতীত ও ভবিষ্যৎ নিয়ে বলা, ঘোষণা ও সহজ লেখা বোঝা, ব্যক্তিগত চিঠি/ইমেইল লেখা।
Roughly a further 100–120 hours. Units A2·1–12.
3 · The exams
DELF for certification, TEF or TCF Canada for immigration. Formats change — verify on the official sites before booking.
| Exam | Sections & timing | Scoring | Where / cost (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DELF A1 | Listening 20 min · Reading 30 min · Writing 30 min · Speaking 5–7 min (+10 min prep) | 100 points, 25 per section; pass at 50 with at least 5 in every section | Alliance Française de Dhaka; roughly BDT 6,000–9,000 (verify) |
| DELF A2 | Listening 25 min · Reading 30 min · Writing 45 min · Speaking 6–8 min (+10 min prep) | Same rule: 50/100 to pass, 5 minimum per section | Same centres; same order of cost |
| TEF Canada | Reading 60 min · Listening 40 min · Writing 60 min (2 tasks) · Speaking 15 min (2 tasks) | Each section mapped to NCLC 1–12; A2 ≈ NCLC 4, B2 ≈ NCLC 7 | Alliance Française de Dhaka; roughly BDT 25,000–40,000 for all four (verify) |
| TCF Canada | Listening ~35 min · Reading 60 min · Writing 60 min (3 tasks) · Speaking 12 min (3 tasks) | Same NCLC mapping | Also accepted by IRCC; check which is offered on your dates |
The exam prep file has the task types for each section, marking criteria, strategies, and a full mock DELF A1 and DELF A2. Do the mock at the end of A1·12 and A2·12. পরীক্ষার ধরন, নম্বর দেওয়ার নিয়ম ও মক টেস্ট আছে exam-prep ফাইলে।
4 · The study plan
One unit a week at 6–8 hours; two weeks for the review units. Sustainable around a job and a baby.
Weekly rhythm (about 7 hours)
| Day | Work | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Objectives + vocabulary: read, listen, repeat each word three times; add all to Anki | 60 min |
| Day 2 | Grammar 1 & 2 with the Bengali summaries; exercises 1–3 | 60 min |
| Day 3 | Dialogue: listen five times, shadow it aloud, then read the translation; exercises 4–5 | 50 min |
| Day 4 | Listening exercise ×3; grammar 3; remaining exercises | 50 min |
| Day 5 | Writing task — write, compare with the model, rewrite | 45 min |
| Day 6 | Speaking task — record, listen, re-record; culture note; self-check | 45 min |
| Every day | Anki review (10 min) + one dialogue re-listened (5 min) | 15 min |
Calendar
- Week 0: this page + Sounds & alphabet. Do not rush it; every later unit depends on it.
- Weeks 1–11: A1·1 to A1·11, one per week.
- Weeks 12–13: A1·12 (review) + mock DELF A1. Book DELF A1 for about week 14 if you want the certificate; otherwise use the mock as the gate.
- Weeks 14–24: A2·1 to A2·11.
- Weeks 25–27: A2·12 (review) + mock DELF A2 + exam-prep strategies. Book DELF A2 for about week 28.
- Then: keep going to B1. The verb reference and the exam file remain useful for two more levels.
5 · Unit map
Each unit builds on the previous. The verb tables and exam file are references you return to throughout.
Foundations
A1 — twelve units
Se présenter
Greetings, name, nationality, être, s'appeler, subject pronouns, tu/vous.
Les gens
Professions, age, avoir, un/une/des, negation ne…pas, numbers to 100.
La famille
Family, possessives, le/la/les, plural, c'est / il y a.
Le quotidien
Daily routine, telling time, -er verbs, reflexive verbs, days and months.
La ville
Places, directions, aller, à/de + articles, the imperative.
Manger et boire
Food, partitives du/de la, prendre/boire, at the café, quantities.
Faire les courses
Shopping, prices, vouloir/pouvoir, ce/cette, colours, adjective agreement.
Loisirs et goûts
Likes and dislikes, faire du / jouer au, question forms, pourquoi / parce que.
La maison
Rooms, furniture, prepositions of place, il faut, describing a home.
Le temps et les projets
Weather, seasons, futur proche, invitations, on.
Le passé
Passé composé with avoir, past participles, yesterday and last weekend.
Voyager · Bilan A1
Transport, hotel, passé composé with être, full A1 review and mock exam.
A2 — twelve units
Raconter sa vie
Life events, passé composé review, imparfait introduced, depuis / il y a / pendant.
Décrire quelqu'un
Appearance and character, comparatives and superlatives, adjective position.
Au travail
Jobs and workplace, savoir vs connaître, direct object pronouns le/la/les.
La santé
Body, illness, at the doctor, devoir, advice, indirect object pronouns lui/leur.
Le logement
Renting, ads, pronouns y / en, relative pronouns qui / que.
Les habitudes d'avant
Imparfait in full, imparfait vs passé composé, childhood and change.
L'avenir
Futur simple, si + présent, wishes with je voudrais / j'aimerais.
Écrire et communiquer
Phone, email, formal and informal letters — the DELF A2 writing task.
Services et démarches
Bank, post office, complaints, conditionnel de politesse, relative où, negations.
Sorties et opinions
Cinema, restaurants, giving opinions, agreeing and disagreeing, adverbs in -ment.
Vivre au Canada
Québec French, immigration and admin vocabulary, tonic pronouns, tu/vous in Québec.
Bilan A2
Full A2 review, mock DELF A2, TEF strategies at A2.
References
6 · French for a Bengali speaker — what is easy, what is hard
Knowing where your mother tongue helps and where it fights you saves months
Easier than it looks
- Vowel richness. Bengali has a large vowel system and distinguishes এ/অ্যা, ও/অ — French é/è and o/ô are not alien to you. English speakers struggle more here.
- Dental t and d. French t and d are dental like Bengali ত/দ, not English alveolar. You already have them.
- No aspiration. French p/t/k are unaspirated — like Bengali প/ত/ক, not ফ/থ/খ. Do not add breath.
- Nasal vowels. Bengali has চন্দ্রবিন্দু (ঁ). French nasals an/on/in are the same idea; the course writes them with ঁ.
- Verb endings change by person — as in Bengali (আমি করি / তুমি করো / সে করে). The idea is familiar; only the forms are new.
- Formal and informal "you". tu/vous works like তুমি/আপনি. You already have the instinct for when to switch.
Genuinely hard — plan for these
- Grammatical gender. Bengali has none. Every noun is le or la, and articles, adjectives and some verb forms agree. Learn every noun with its article from day one — never "table", always "la table". The course does this throughout.
- The sounds [y] (u), [ø]/[œ] (eu), [ʁ] (r). None exist in Bengali. Module 0 gives mouth positions. Expect two months of deliberate practice; they are the sounds examiners notice first.
- Silent letters. Most final consonants and the final -e are silent. Your eyes will want to say them; your ears must win.
- Liaison. "les amis" is lez-ami. The word boundary moves. Listen more than you read in the first weeks.
- Word order. French is subject–verb–object like English, not SOV like Bengali. Think in English for structure, then translate — this course gives English first for exactly that reason.
- Articles everywhere. Bengali often omits them; French almost never does. "I like coffee" = J'aime le café.
7 · Typing French accents
é è ê ë à â ç ù û ü î ï ô œ — you need them in the exercises and the exam
Hold the key
Hold e for a second and a popup offers é è ê ë; press the number. Same for a, c, i, o, u. Or: ⌥e then the vowel for acute, ⌥` then vowel for grave, ⌥i then vowel for circumflex, ⌥c for ç.
Add the keyboard
Settings → Time & Language → Language → English → Options → add United States-International. Then ' + e = é, ` + e = è, ^ + e = ê, ' + c = ç. Or use the French (Canada) layout — worth learning if you are going to Québec.
Long-press
Long-press any vowel on the keyboard to see accented versions. Add a French keyboard in settings for autocorrect in French — it speeds writing tasks a lot.
In the exercises, a right answer with missing accents shows orange and the correct form — so you always learn the accent, but you are not blocked by it.
8 · Free resources that pair well with this course
- Anki (free on desktop and Android) — put every vocabulary word in, French on the front with 🔊-style audio if you like, English + বাংলা on the back. Ten minutes a day is the single biggest accelerator in language learning.
- TV5Monde – Apprendre le français — free graded exercises with real video, A1 to B2.
- RFI Savoirs / Journal en français facile — slow news; from A2 onward.
- Le Point du FLE — an index of thousands of free exercises by level and grammar point.
- Forvo — real native pronunciations of any word, when the browser voice is not enough.
- Alliance Française de Dhaka — classes, the DELF/TEF/TCF exam centre, and a library. The teacher is what this course cannot give you.
- Français avec Pierre / InnerFrench (podcast) — Pierre for A1–A2, InnerFrench from A2/B1.
- Radio-Canada Ohdio and TFO — Québec French audio and children's programmes, excellent for A2 listening with the Canadian accent.
- Language exchange — Tandem/HelloTalk; fifteen minutes with a native speaker weekly from A1·6 onward.
- Immigration Québec's "Francisation en ligne" — free online French courses for future immigrants; check eligibility.
9 · Setup checklist
Tick each. প্রতিটি সম্পন্ন করে টিক দিন।
Test the French voice
Click here → Bonjour ! Bienvenue dans votre cours de français. If nothing plays, switch to Chrome, Edge or Safari. 🔊 চেপে দেখুন কণ্ঠ শোনা যায় কি না।
Install Anki and create a deck called "Français"
Card format: front = French word with article; back = pronunciation, English, বাংলা, one example sentence.
Set up accent typing on your computer and phone
Type é è ê ç à ù once each to confirm.
Block the weekly hours and put the two exam target dates in the calendar
DELF A1 ≈ week 14; DELF A2 ≈ week 28. Even if you do not sit them, the dates keep you honest.
Start Module 0 — Sounds & alphabet
Open it. Spend the whole first week there.