ML6066: High-Level Proficiency in French Language

School French
Department Code MLANG
Module Code ML6066
External Subject Code 100321
Number of Credits 15
Level L6
Language of Delivery English
Module Leader Dr Catherine Chabert
Semester Autumn Semester
Academic Year 2022/3

Outline Description of Module

This module aims to refine students’ linguistic and cultural competencies acquired in French at previous levels. By fortifying productive (written and oral), receptive (aural and reading) and mediation (translation, précis, textual analysis) and intercultural awareness skills, students will achieve capacity for graduate employment or higher degrees of specialisation. To accomplish this, they will work with a variety of oral, aural and textual materials, primarily aimed at consolidating communicational skills in the French language. Students will use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes, while also fine-tuning their transferable skills.

On completion of the module a student should be able to

  1. Read, understand and speak the target language to a level comparable with B2/C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR)
  2. Express themselves fluently and spontaneously in formal contexts without much obvious searching for expressions.
  3. Collect, select, evaluate and present information or interpretations of material on a specific topic for oral presentation.
  4. Collect, select, evaluate and present information or interpretations of material on a specific topic in writing.
  5. Mediate between source and French language by means of translating and/or interpreting across a wide range of topics.
  6. Comment critically on aspects of the cultures, communities and societies where the language is used.

 

How the module will be delivered

The module will be delivered through a range of interactive teaching sessions supplemented by online teaching and learning activities and materials – and may include, where relevant, asynchronous materials such as lecture recordings. Full details on the delivery mode of this module will be available on Learning Central at the start of the academic year – and may be, in part, determined by Welsh Government and Public Health Wales guidance.  

Independent Learning: You will be expected to spend a significant amount of time studying and participating in individual and collaborative activities outside the live sessions. Materials will be provided on Learning Central which will help you develop your expertise as an independent language learner. You will be asked to consolidate your language learning by learning vocabulary and linguistic structures, and by reading, watching and/or listening to material in the French language. You will also be expected to prepare and complete exercises and activities online, to complete written, listening and oral tasks. Over the course of the year, you will continue to develop your repertoire of effective language learning strategies acquired in previous years.

Skills that will be practised and developed

Language skills

  • Express him/herself fluently and spontaneously in the French on a wide range of topics and registers.
  • Understand a wide range of longer texts and recognise nuances in meaning and use.
  • Write clear, well-structured, detailed texts in French on complex subjects.
  • Refine knowledge and understanding of language varieties, register, genre, nuances of meaning and language use.
  • Use the French language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.
  • Engage in online exchanges between several participants, effectively linking his/her contributions to previous ones on the thread.

Intercultural awareness, understanding and competence

  • Critically understand other cultures and practices other than student’s own.
  • Articulate to others the contribution that the Insert culture has made at a regional and global level.
  • Appreciate and evaluate critically student’s own culture.

Language-related skills

  • Develop awareness and understanding of student’s own approaches for learning French language.
  • Develop awareness and understanding of student’s own learning style and learning opportunities of French language.

Generic skills

  • Use French language creatively and precisely for a range of purposes and audiences.
  • Extract and synthesise key information from written, spoken and other sources.
  • Organise and present ideas within the framework of a structured and reasoned argument.
  • Develop digital literacy.
  • Develop problem-solving skills.
  • Use French source materials appropriately.
  • Make effective use of language reference materials such as grammars, standard and specialised dictionaries
  • Write and think under pressure and meet deadlines.
  • Manage own learning.
  • Effective communication, presentation and interaction.
  • Ability to work creatively and flexibly with others as part of a team.
  • Linguistic mediation skills.

How the module will be assessed

The key language skills are receptive (reading and listening), production (speaking and writing), mediation (translation between two languages) and intercultural awareness. Developing these skills involves acquiring metalinguistic and lexical competence, i.e. studying the building blocks of the language including grammatical and lexical patterns and structures. All of these skills are assessed through continuous assessment over the course of the module which reflects the progressive and accumulative nature of language learning.

The method(s) of assessing the learning outcomes for this module are set out in the Assessment Table, which also contains the weightings of each assessment component.

Mapping of Assessments to Intended Learning Outcomes:

Aural assessment assesses ILOs 1, 6

Translation assesses ILOs 4,5

Oral assesses ILOs 1, 2, 3,6

THE OPPORTUNITY FOR REASSESSMENT IN THIS MODULE:  

You may be required to resit one synoptic assessment for 100% of the module if you fail the module. The Examination Board will advise you which assessments you need to resit. Resit assessments that are not supported by extenuating circumstances will be capped at the pass mark applicable to your programme.

Assessment Breakdown

Type % Title Duration(hrs)
Oral/Aural Assessment 20 Listening Comprehension N/A
Class Test 40 Translation Into French N/A
Oral/Aural Assessment 40 Oral Presentation & Discussion N/A

Syllabus content

Les deux mots-clés à retenir pour ce cours de langue sont consolidation et professionnalisation. Consolidation parce que, les premiers mois, nous insisterons beaucoup sur la précision de votre expression en revenant sur certains points de langue et en étudiant quelques textes littéraires. Cela vous aidera à vous exprimer avec plus d’aisance et de précision. Professionnalisation parce que nous mettrons également l’accent sur votre préparation au monde du travail tel qu’il est aujourd’hui, c’est-à-dire en mutation. Les tâches à effectuer varieront de manière à développer différents aspects de votre expression et compréhension orales et écrites.

A travers les thèmes étudiés, tous à partir d’une sélection de documents authentiques écrits et /ou audio-visuels, et récemment publiés, nous allons progressivement nous familiariser aux récentes tendances sociétale en France et dans certains pays francophones. L’objectif est de mieux les connaître, afin de pouvoir en traiter, oralement et par écrit, et d’être préparé à vos débuts dans la vie professionnelle.


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