FSI Sub-Saharan French Fast

What are FSI FAST courses?

The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) is a branch of the US government responsible for providing training for diplomatic staff preparing for postings abroad, and a large part of this concerns language instruction.

At the core of this are what are known as Basic courses, intensive study programs designed to give students an in-depth knowledge of the target language in around six months.

However, for those unable to dedicate the necessary amount of time required for a Basic course, FAST courses were created to give students a grounding in the language before their postings.

At the same time, these courses were intended to give them some cultural knowledge about the countries where they were being sent.

FAST stands for “Familiarization And Short-Term Training”, and the emphasis is on being able to function in common situations in a practical way rather than in-depth mastery of the language.

These courses were specifically designed to be taught by an instructor, making them less suitable for autonomous study.

However, with such a wealth of written and audio resources, FAST courses can still be of value when adapted and used to complement other study materials.

What is FSI Sub-Saharan French FAST?

This FSI sub-Saharan French course consists of 38 lessons dealing with a range of situations that you are likely to encounter while living, working or traveling in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa.

The course was originally intended to be completed in around 40 five-hour days of study along with around 25 hours spent reviewing the material, making this a comprehensive introduction to the French of the region.

Although this course first appeared in the early 1980s and much of the material is now quite dated, it still contains plenty of useful information, making it a useful addition to your study resources.

How can you use FSI Sub-Saharan French FAST?

Since FAST courses were designed very much to be used with a teacher, trying to use this course as your primary coursebook is unlikely to produce the results you are hoping for.

However, when used alongside other study materials – or perhaps to supplement regular French classes you are taking – this free sub-Saharan French course can help you gain an insight into the language and culture of the region.

For example, you can use the recordings to work on your listening comprehension as well as to help your ear become attuned to the sound of this particular kind of French.

To get the most of these materials, you will need to be a little creative in working out how best to use them – but the chance to benefit from this comprehensive collection of free study resources will make it worth persevering.

Taking it further

However you decide to use FSI sub-Saharan French FAST, you will never be able to learn the language without taking your new skills out into the real world and trying them out.

For this reason, I recommend that you start practising your French with native speakers as early as possible so using French becomes a part of your daily life. Then, when you do this, you will see how quickly your French begins to progress.