MLF3111 - Advanced French Language Skills
2022/3 Module description
| Staff | Dr Damien Gaucher - Lecturer Professor Aidan Coveney - Convenor |
|---|---|
| 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 description
MLF3111 gives you the opportunity to develop your language skills to a very high level, while enhancing your understanding of modern and contemporary France. Translation work (in both directions) enables you to hone your skills as high-level bilinguals, and to develop further your command of grammar and lexis. Written Communication Skills are taught by Francophone staff, and train you to produce high-quality résumés and essays, while the Oral classes focus on developing your speaking skills further, particularly in presenting ideas and arguments, and engaging in debate. The Written and Oral classes focus on various engaging topics related to contemporary France.
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
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?
No
Origin date
17/07/2013
Last revision date
27/07/2020
Key words search
French Language, communication skills, translation skills (bi-directional)
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