French 5 (LL209)
Summary
Level:
Advanced. This module is offered to undergraduates who already have a good knowledge of French: A level, grade A or B (or equivalent), or who have successfully completed French 4.
Main Objectives:
To strengthen reading and writing skills and reinforce the communicative skills acquired during previous study of the French language. Focus will be put on understanding French culture to enable students to engage with native speakers when visiting a French-speaking country.
Credits:
30 CREDITS, also available for 24 CREDITS.
Teaching:
One 2-hour language class each week for 21 weeks.
Students are reminded that 1 credit = 10 hours of study, therefore the minimum expected amount of study is 240 hours, which averages over 10 hours per week. A substantial amount of independent study is therefore required. Students can make use of Moodle to facilitate this.
Students will take part in the online exchange with the Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Tutors:
Claude Trégoat, Magali Toscan
Course Texts (must be bought by student)
G. Vandaele & P. Turk (2018), Action Grammaire - Fourth edition, Hodder Education, ISBN-13: 978-1-5104-3486-8
Course Description
The emphasis of the module will be on improving the following skills:
- communicating more effectively in French, in situations ranging from informal conversation to a formal interview or presentation
- understanding extended speech (presentations, news reports, lectures...) and the majority of films in standard French
- reading and understanding articles in French and a varied range of fictional and non-fictional passages
- gaining practice in writing essays in French
- writing formal, transactional, non personal emails in French
- facilitating students’ self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses in order to improve their learning skills
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students will have:
- developed competence in a broad range of complex and non-routine language tasks across a wide and often unpredictable variety of contexts
- consolidated and expanded grammatical and syntactical competence
- become more proficient in using a wider range of register and style both in speaking and writing
- furthered their awareness and appreciation of French and francophone culture
- developed a proficiency in some of the stylistic resources of French, through an appreciation of literary and non-literary texts.
By the end of the course, students should be able to perform at Level B2+ Independent user (vantage) of the Common European Framework.
Successful completion of French 5 qualifies students to progress to French Language through Films and/or French through Translation.
Syllabus
Themes
Activities will be centred on literary/non-literary texts and audio-visual material focusing on the following themes:
- aspects de la vie française (i.e. consommation, fracture sociale, individualisme, nouvelles technologies etc.)
- unification et diversité linguistique
- éducation supérieure
- droits de l'homme
- constitution et institutions
- partis politiques
- culture (ex: lecture de nouvelles, cinéma, etc..)
Grammar
Consolidation of major elements, such as:
- gender
- all tenses
- hypotheses
- passive form
- direct & indirect object pronouns
- relative pronouns
- conjunctions
- Important Notes
- Speaking Examinations Information for Students
- Test/exam marks in the Language Centre
- Grammar Skills
Assessment Scheme:
1 portfolio (ongoing terms 1 & 2), 1 oral examination and 1 final examination (term 3)
Assessment summary and skills weighting: Assessment
Marking criteria (written): Marking criteria written (levels 3, 4, 5 European)
Marking criteria (oral): Marking criteria (oral) levels 3, 4, 5