Module Information

Module Identifier
FR30130
Module Title
French Language
Academic Year
2023/2024
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 2 (Taught over 2 semesters)
Pre-Requisite
(Normally) Eligibility for entry to Level 3 French.
Reading List
Other Staff

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Oral Examination  (A 15-minute interview with two members of staff (one of whom may be the external examiner, who may join in). During this interview the candidate will be asked: (a) to offer a brief presentation (maximum 5-7 minutes) in the target language on a selected topic and (b) to engage in a general conversation arising in the first instance from the presentation itself. Some weeks before the oral exam, students will be provided with 8 topics taken from the topics covered during the oral classes throughout the year. They will need to prepare all eight of these topics as only one of them will be given to the student in the exam. The final exam topic will be provided to the candidate at the beginning of the examination. There will be no period of preparation time immediately beforehand. Candidates are reminded that they are not allowed to read from a script and are not allowed to bring any notes into the examination room; they must not deliver a previously learnt speech. The presentation should lead into (and be constructed so as to lead into) a conversation and further discussion of the topic. A more general conversation will follow.  20%
Semester Assessment 20%: 8 written assignments, 4 of them under exam conditions (those taken under exam conditions counting twice as much as the others); 10%: oral (4 marks based on attendance, active contribution and performance in small oral groups); 20%: listening comprehension (4 tests).  50%
Semester Exam 3 Hours   Written Examination    30%
Supplementary Exam 3 Hours   If the module has been failed, the supplementary exam will consist of a 3-hour written examination which will count for 100%. If the student has failed the oral exam but has a passing average without the oral exam being taken into consideration, the supplementary exam will consist of an oral examination only (same format as in May/June). The mark of this supplementary oral exam will be integrated into the final mark.  100%

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module, if you have made satisfactory progress, you will be able to:

- quantify your own improvement in French vocabulary, grammatical knowledge and spoken language since before going abroad
- listen to and understand complex French on various subjects and of various registers
- translate idiomatically into and out of French, using factual or fictional texts
- translate selected unseen passages in class
- prepare passages for translation and discussion in class
- explain and justify your own choice and use of different linguistic registers
- demonstrate active command of stylistic levels of French
- demonstrate competence in preparing effectively for writing in different contexts: structuring work, constructing logical argument and expressing ideas in the appropriate linguistic register
- apply language skills acquired in French, and during the year abroad, with particular emphasis on achieving as native-like a pronunciation as possible
- express yourself with confidence using a rich and varied vocabulary
- apply orally the complex vocabulary and grammatical structures introduced in written classes
- present independently prepared material in spoken or written French
- analyse and discuss complex French texts
- give detailed insight into French cultural and political affairs

Language modules have, as an integral part of their structure, regular homework assignments and class tests as well as end of year examinations. All assessment is designed to measure your progress against learning outcomes at the appropriate level.

Brief description

This module consists of five hours of work per week. Translation, Writing Skills, Oral and Tutorial classes take place every weeks; you will have Listening class every two weeks, alternating with a Grammar Practice class.

The module mark constists of a combination of continuous assessment (50%), oral examination (20%) and written examination (30%).

Aims

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Content

The goal of this module is to prepare you to work with French as a language professional. You will cover writing skills in a variety of formats, with a focus on typical patterns (vocabulary, grammar) specific to a given setting. In translation classes, you will consider complex issues of translation (both French-English and English-French), as they appear in today's working environment. The oral classes will prepare you to gather information from a variety of sources, and present them verbally in a coherent, well-structured format, in presentation and in dialogue. In listening, you will be asked to retrieve complex information from a variety of souces. The weekly and bi-weekly tutorial classes, which will not be assessed, will complement the above, and they are also an opportunity for you to raise any topics and questions you would like to discuss in further depth.

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Subject Specific Skills By the end to the year, students will communicate fluently on a wide variety of French topics

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6