Advanced French Language Skills (MLF3111)

Staff	Professor Aidan Coveney - Convenor Dr Damien Gaucher - Lecturer
Credit Value	30
ECTS Value	15
NQF Level	6
Pre-requisites	MLF2001 ‘French Language, Written and Oral’, or equivalent level of French
Co-requisites	None
Duration of Module	Term 1: 11 weeks; Term 2: 11 weeks;

Module aims

To extend your command of French vocabulary, syntax and idiom and to increase the understanding of the nuances of the French language through the medium of translation.

To enhance your ability to communicate in a clear and structured manner ideas of a complex and abstract nature, both in written and oral form.

ILO: Module-specific skills

1. Apply a knowledge of a broad range of grammatical features of the target language, including some complex or advanced structures, to a range of linguistic exercises
2. Tackle complex translation passages in and out of the target language based on a wide range of topics in a variety of written styles
3. Present a case in spoken and written French in answer to challenging questions on a range of abstract and contemporary issues
4. Use bilingual and monolingual dictionaries to research conventions of usage, find synonyms, and explore nuances of meaning
5. Discuss complex topical and abstract issues in an appropriate register of spoken French using a broad range of vocabulary and idiom
6. Summarise, in French, complex texts relating to a range of abstract and contemporary issues, and comment on them

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

7. Understand and use in class discussion a broad range of linguistic terminology, using this terminology to a certain extent to conceptualise his/her mistakes in the target language and to identify strategies for improving his/her linguistic accuracy
8. Engage critically with the French-language media (printed and electronic, including television and radio), using it as a resource for independent researches

ILO: Personal and key skills

9. Communicate meanings of some complexity in French, and (through translation) in English
10. Express and defend opinions on a wide range of current and abstract issues
11. Advance his/her linguistic competence independently, with limited guidance

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:

Classes for Translation, Oral and Written Communication Skills: weekly in Terms 1 and 2. In Translation, the texts are selected from the module booklet and relate to a range of topics, including aspects of modern and contemporary France. In the Written and Oral components, work is focussed on a small number of broad themes, relating to France and the contemporary world.

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

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
66	234	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	22	20 x 1-hour written classes
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	22	20 x 1-hour translation classes
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	22	20 x 1-hour oral classes
Guided Independent Learning	234	Private study

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
10 formative tasks per year (writing, translation)	Variable	1-11	For marked written work, individual written feedback. For other practice work, feedback is normally oral and collective

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
0	75	25

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Translation examination	50	Exam	1-2, 4, 7, 9, 11	Collective, written feedback via ELE
Written examination	25	1 hour	1, 4, 6-11	Collective, written feedback via ELE
Oral examination	25	15 minutes	1, 3-5, 7-9	On request, individual written or oral feedback

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

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Translation examination	Translation, examination	1-2, 4, 7, 9, 11	Referral/Deferral period
Written examination	Written examination	1, 4, 6-11	Referral/Deferral period
Oral examination	Oral examination	1, 3-5, 7-9	Referral/Deferral period

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

Module booklets, available at the beginning of the year, for Translation, Written and Oral work.

Also recommended:

Jean H Duffy, Using French Vocabulary [C.U.P., 1999]
Marie-Noëlle Lamy, The Cambridge French English Thesaurus (C.U.P., 1998)
Glanville Price, A Comprehensive French Grammar [Blackwell, latest edition]
Major French and French-English dictionaries.
Major newspapers/periodicals, especially Le Monde, Le Nouvel Observateur, Le Point (available in the Library).

Module has an active ELE page?

Yes

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2244

As shown on ELE: e.g. web sites of major French national media.

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Audio and audio-visual resources in the Foreign Language Centre

Available as distance learning?

Origin date

17/07/2013

Last revision date

27/07/2020

Key words search

French Language, communication skills, translation skills (bi-directional)