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PLF1130 - French Beginners

2017/8 Module description

Staff	Miss Caroline Blay - Convenor
Credit Value	30
ECTS Value	15
NQF Level	4
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
Duration of Module	Term 1: 11 weeks; Term 2: 11 weeks;

Module description

French Beginners is intended for students who have little or no previous knowledge of French and provides an introduction to the French language and culture in a general context. It is also suitable for students with a GCSE (Grade C or below) in French. The emphasis is on enabling you to communicate orally in French.

French Beginners can be taken towards achieving ‘with proficiency in French”, see http://humanities.exeter.ac.uk/flc/undergraduate/proficiency.

 

Module aims

The module is intended for students who have little or no previous knowledge of French and offers an introduction to French language and culture. This module is broadly equivalent to A1 / low A2 Basic User level of the Common European Framework and aims to:

• provide students with a solid foundation of the basic grammatical structures of the target language thus enabling them to communicate effectively across the four key language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) at an elementary level on a variety of general topics
• enable participants to give and understand information and to achieve a confident elementary level of communicative competence in everyday situations
• provide an introduction to the customs, culture and society of the regions/countries in which the languages are spoken and to develop student awareness of the general social and cultural background of the language.

ILO: Module-specific skills

• 1. Demonstrate a sound grasp of the basic grammatical structures of the target language
• 2. Read and comprehend simple written and aural texts and extract specific, predictable information related to every-day situations
• 3. Communicate effectively on a variety of general topics requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters, both orally and in writing

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

• 4. Understand the principles of learning a foreign language intensively and organise his/her learning with guidance from the tutor.
• 5. Use available learning aids in a variety of media, such as a reference grammar and bilingual dictionary, to consolidate his/her learning

ILO: Personal and key skills

• 6. Communicate at a basic level in the target language
• 7. Make progress through developing skills of self-study and application and develop an awareness of and sensitivity to a foreign culture

Syllabus plan

The module provides a systematic approach to acquiring essential grammar structures in a communicative context and in accordance with the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

It covers the following grammar / topics (non-exhaustive):

 

• Articles: definite, indefinite and partitives.

• Interrogation and negation

• Gender and number: nouns and adjectives

• Adjectives: possessives and demonstratives

• Various prepositions

• Verbs: imperative, present, perfect and future: reflexive verbs

 

Topics (non-exhaustive):

• Self and family: introducing oneself, stating name, age, nationality etc... and talking about the family, describing members of the family.

• World of work: professions, holiday jobs.

• Home and the environment: describing house/flat, towns and villages, finding the way around town.

• Shopping: buying food, clothes,

• Talking about leisure activities.

• Holidays and travel: buying train tickets, using various means of transport, booking various types of accommodation. Staying in Paris, sightseeing, Some francophone countries.

• Food and drink.

 

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

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
88	212	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled learning and teaching activities	88	Language classes
G	212	Consolidate class work by learning vocabulary and structures, and by reading, watching or listening to material from a wide range of sources in French. Prepare exercises and activities for class, write assignments and further develop a repertoire of effective language learning strategies.

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
6 formative tasks per year (grammar and vocabulary, writing, reading and listening comprehension)	Variable	1-5, 7	Written and oral

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
	40	60

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
In class test	20	1.5 hours	1-5, 7	Written Feedback Sheet & oral feedback with opportunity for individual follow-up with tutor/s.
In-Class Listening Test	15	30 minutes	2, 7	Written & oral Feedback with opportunity for individual follow-up with tutors/s
Oral Test	25	7/8 minutes	1, 3-7	Written Feedback Sheet (upon request)
Written Examination (organised centrally)	40	1.5 hours	1-5, 7	Written Feedback (upon request)
	0

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
In class test, listening test, written exam	Written Exam	1-5, 7	Referral/deferral period
Oral test	Oral test	1, 3-7	Referral/deferral period

Re-assessment notes

Oral Test = 25%, Written Examination = 75%

The Re-Assessment Written Exam will include all the skills assessed by the In-Class Test, the In-Class Listening Test, and the Written Exam. Nevertheless, students will only be expected to retake the sections they have been deferred/referred (ie. the skills covered by the In-Class Test, the In-Class Listening Test, and/or the Written Exam). The same % of credit applies.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Alter EGO + A1 : Livre De L'Elève + CD-Rom by Annie Berthet, Emmanuelle Daill, Catherine Hugot, Véronique-M Kizirian, Monique Waendendries

Publisher: Hachette; 4 edition (30 Jan. 2012)

ISBN-13: 978-2011558107

Module has an active ELE page?

Yes

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=6680

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

Grammaire progressive du français - Niveau Débutant. Avec 400 exercices. Audio-CD 2ème édition by Maîa Grégoire

Publisher: Cle International (Oct. 2010)

ISBN-13: 978-2090381146

Available as distance learning?

No

Origin date

31/01/2017

Last revision date

31/01/2017

Key words search

French, beginner