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French Language

Module description

This module will allow you to consolidate and develop your language skills in French. You will work on the key skills of language learning – reading, writing, speaking and listening – through a variety of exercises. You will develop your understanding of French grammar and deepen your knowledge of French society and culture. The material for study is drawn from a range of sources, including language textbooks, recent articles, and a short novel.

This module is designed for students with an A-level in French language or equivalent, and who wish to acquire the foundation for studying French at Level two and beyond.

Module aims - intentions of the module

• To reinforce and extend the level of the four skills - listening, reading, speaking and writing – achieved at A-level.
• To consolidate your understanding of French grammar, and facilitate your application of this to written and oral tasks.
• To increase your level of comprehension of written and spoken French.
• To enhance your ability to communicate in accurate French, in a clear and structured manner.
• To expand your vocabulary in French.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Write and speak French with increased accuracy, and increase proficiency in aural and reading comprehension
• 2. Apply knowledge of a range of grammatical features of French, including some complex or advanced structures, to a range of linguistic exercises
• 3. Use the target language in a wide range of linguistic exercises
• 4. Use bilingual and monolingual dictionaries to expand vocabulary, establish basic meanings, and find key grammatical information
• 5. Express ideas and opinions orally in French and interact with other students in a group and with the tutor

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Understand a broad range of linguistic terminology, and apply this to verbal and written work
• 7. Keep abreast of current affairs by engaging with the French-language media (printed and electronic, including television and radio)

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 8. Communicate information in verbal and written form in a foreign language
• 9. Express and defend opinions on a range of topics
• 10. Use IT skills effectively to support language development
• 11. Advance linguistic competence independently, with guidance from course tutors

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

Each week the contact hours will be distributed as follows:

• Plenary lecture (1 hour): Introduction to the grammatical point under study
• Anglophone seminar (1 hour): Grammar consolidation and discussion; linguistic study of a literary text; translation into English
• Francophone seminar (1 hour): Reading comprehension; acquisition of vocabulary and cultural knowledge; translation into French
• Oral class (1 hour): Debate and discussion

• Grammar topics will include uses of the past tenses; passive forms; articles; the subjunctive; relative and interrogative pronouns; word order; compound and pronominal verbs.
• Anglophone and Francophone seminars will dovetail to offer opportunities for diverse linguistic tasks through the year. These typically include: translation; reading comprehension; dictation; grammar exercises; vocabulary building; composition.
• Topics for oral classes will be drawn from current affairs.

  You receive a detailed module syllabus at the start of the academic year.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Margaret Jubb and Annie Rouxeville,Ã?¢ï¿½Ã?¯French Grammar in Context Fifth EditionÃ?¢ï¿½Ã?¯(Routledge, 2014). Please ensure you purchase theÃ?¢ï¿½Ã?¯Fifth Edition 

• A bilingual dictionary, e.g. Collins-Robert. 

• A monolingual dictionary, e.g. Larousse or theÃ?¢ï¿½Ã?¯Petit Robert 

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1348

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

• Extra resources for developing language skills are available at the Foreign Language Centre.

Key words search

French, Language, Level 1, France, written, oral