French intermediate accelerated (LL255)
Summary
Level:
The module is designed to enable students who have demonstrated higher linguistic skills to fast-track two levels, (levels 3 and 4), in one year instead of two.
Main Objectives:
To improve and strengthen reading and writing skills, listening and speaking skills and develop greater fluency in a French-speaking environment.
Credits:
This is a 24 or 30 CREDIT module.
Teaching:
3 hours 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.
Tutor:
Claude Trégoat
Course Texts (must be bought by student)
- Dufour et al. (2018), Edito B1 - Méthode de français, Didier, ISBN: 978-2278087730 (term 1)
- Heu, E. & Mabilat, J-J (2015), Edito B2 - Méthode de français, Didier, ISBN: 978-2278080984 (term 2)
Course Description
The module will strengthen reading and writing skills and will also reinforce the communicative skills acquired during previous study of the French language. Students will gain further insights into the culture and civilisation of French-speaking countries. The module will offer a more advanced study of language structure and syntax, and will concentrate on using the target language for discussing and analysing aspects of French and society.
Successful completion of French Intermediate Accelerated qualifies students to progress to French 5.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students will have:
- developed competence in a broad range of complex or technical language tasks performed in a wide variety of work and social contexts
- improved and consolidated the four skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) at a higher intermediate level
- increased their knowledge of grammar, syntax and register
- studied different aspects of society and culture with a view to developing an understanding of contemporary France and French-speaking countries.
By the end of the course, students should be able to perform many tasks at Level B2 Independent user (vantage) of the Common European Framework.
Syllabus
Communicative skills
Listening, speaking as well as reading and writing activities will be supported by a variety of authentic written and spoken material focusing on aspects of life and culture in French-speaking countries in addition to topical issues.
Term 1 will cover items such as :
Origins/family/social relations, Employment, Consumer society, the French language, Media and the news, the Environment
Term 2 will cover items such as :
France and the French, Travel and Adventure, Ecology, Health + Fitness, Work + the Workplace, the Arts, Technology, Tomorrow's world.
Grammar
We will cover items such as:
- revision of basic tenses: present, perfect, imperfect, future and conditional
- compound tenses: ie. pluperfect and conditional perfect
- the subjunctive
- adjectives
- adverbs
- comparatives and superlatives
- direct and indirect object pronouns
- demonstrative and emphatic pronouns
- relative pronouns and more complex sentences
- question forms
- idioms
- prepositional phrases
- pronominal verbs
- making a hypothetical statement
- conjunctions to develop oral and written skills
- Important Notes
- Speaking Examinations Information for Students
- Test/exam marks in the Language Centre
- Grammar Skills
Assessment Scheme:
1 interim test (term 1), 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