The French Language, Present and Past (MLF1103)

Staff	Professor Aidan Coveney - Convenor Dr Zoe Boughton - Convenor
Credit Value	15
ECTS Value	7.5
NQF Level	4
Pre-requisites	Either A-Level French/equivalent OR Term 1 of MLF1052: French Language for Beginners
Co-requisites	None
Duration of Module	Term 2: 11 weeks;

Module aims

The aim of this module is to introduce you to the phonetics of contemporary French, to the history of French and to Old French in particular and to lay the foundations for further linguistic study of French, in its contemporary and historical forms. It is a prerequisite for the modules Evolution of the French Language and Varieties of French [both Level 2], and Sociolinguistics of French and Dialectology in France [Level 4].

ILO: Module-specific skills

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the articulatory phonetics of French and the main points of contrast with English.
2. Demonstrate an ability to interpret and produce IPA transcription of French
3. Show a basic reading knowledge of Old French and an understanding of its distinctive grammatical features and how these help illuminate modern French usage.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

4. Demonstrate the ability to carry out personal and collaborative research using resources ranging from conventional Old French dictionaries and grammars to Internet [World-Wide Web]-based materials.
5. Recognise and understand basic terminology relating to articulatory phonetics, Old French Grammar and the external history of French.
6. With initial guidance, find your way around the relevant subject areas of the University Library and access and use learning resources specified by the course tutor(s)

ILO: Personal and key skills

7. Improved capacity to monitor your own and others' speech and articulation
8. Show a greater sensitivity to forms of language that are not governed by explicitly formulated 'rules' and a concomitant flexibility in the reading and interpretation of texts.

Syllabus plan

The first part focuses on the sounds of contemporary Standard French: how they are produced and work together as a system and how they differ from English pronunciation. It includes practice in transcribing spoken French using the International Phonetic Alphabet, and the study of liaison and connected speech. The second part introduces historical linguistics, the study of language change over time. Many aspects of the modern language [for instance, its spelling system] are the result of the changes that French has undergone in the course of over 1,000 years of development. As well as close study of extracts from the medieval period, the module will involve discussion of such issues as the relationship between language change and historical changes, and the interaction between French and other languages. Lectures will introduce you both to the external history of the French language and to the main features of the structure of Old French. Seminars will involve discussion and group translation of selected passages, and you will have the opportunity to improve your translation skills using Internet-based resources.

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

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
16	134	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	15	Lectures and seminars
Scheduled Learning and Teaching	1	Conclusion
Guided Independent Study	134	Private study

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Short versions of exam-related questions	500 words maximum	1-8	Individual and collective, written and oral feedback

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
0	100	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Examination	100	1.5 hours	1-8	Individual, written and

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
Examination	Examination	1-8	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

P. Rickard: A History of the French Language, (Routledge)
Either: M. Léon & P. Léon: La Prononciation du français (Armand Colin)
Or: BALL, Rodney. Phonetics for students of Modern Languages. At: http://humbox.ac.uk/62/

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=1351

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

An extended reading list will be made available at the start of the module.

Available as distance learning?

Origin date

31/01/2018

Last revision date

05/02/2019

Key words search

Linguistics, French