Module LZF-3040:
French Lang. Skills (3 Major)

Module Facts

Run by School of Languages, Literatures, Linguistics and Media

40 Credits or 20 ECTS Credits

Semester 1 & 2

Organiser: Dr Armelle Blin-Rolland

Overall aims and purpose

  1. To consolidate key areas of advanced grammar.
  2. To further develop advanced test translation skills into and out of the target language.
  3. To develop oral and aural skills to a high standard through exposure to a wide range of audio visual material.
  4. To promote appropriate use of style and register in written and oral work.
  5. To develop and refine advanced skills in structured formal essay writing and paraphrasing tasks.

Students on this module will be working towards achieving C1/C2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)

Course content

This 40 credit module running throughout the year promotes appropriate use of style and register in all written and oral work and ensures that students can deal with variations in register and idiomatic expression in a confident and accurate manner. Through exposure to selected texts, complex grammatical structures and audiovisual materials, students acquire reading, writing, aural and oral skills which match the required standard of final year linguists.

Assessment Criteria

excellent

70+%: An excellent knowledge of vocabulary and grammar and an excellent ability to translate and paraphrase the prescribed range of texts. Excellent oral and aural competence.

threshold

40-49%: A limited knowledge of vocabulary and grammar and a limited ability to translate and paraphrase the prescribed range of texts. Basic oral and aural competence.

good

50-69%: A good knowledge of vocabulary and grammar and a good ability to translate and paraphrase the prescribed range of texts. Good oral and aural competence.

Learning outcomes

  1. Demonstrate in essay and translation work a sophisticated command of both French and English/Welsh that is alive to the rhetorical range of both languages.

  2. To understand and process complex texts and audiovisual materials varying in style, tone and register and comment on these texts in a concise and fluent manner.

  3. Display an ability in oral work to present in fluent French arguments that could be followed by native speakers of French with comparative ease.

  4. Students will be able to offer accurate and empathetic translations which not only capture the meaning of the text, but also its mood.

  5. Students will demonstrate in essay writing a sophisticated command of French of suitably advanced register and lexis.

  6. Students will be able to present and defend oral material of sophisticated content and style, with a strong command of appropriate native speaker idiom.

  7. Students will show advanced levels of accurate and incisive aural comprehension, and demonstrate the ability to correlate written and spoken contemporary French language.

Assessment Methods

Type Name Description Weight
CLASS TEST listening comprehension (video summary) 10
ESSAY Essay 10
CLASS TEST Article Summary/paraphrasing 10
EXAM Translation Exam 25
ORAL Oral exam 25
ORAL Oral for Book/Film Review 20

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Hours
Private study 334
Tutorial

1 x 1 hour translation class per week for 11 weeks per semester 1 x 1 hour applied language skills class per week for 11 weeks per semester 1 x 1 hour conversation class per week for 11 weeks per semester

 66

Transferable skills

  • Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
  • Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
  • Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
  • Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
  • Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sensitevely with others
  • Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
  • Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
  • Teamwork - Able to constructively cooperate with others on a common task, and/or be part of a day-to-day working team
  • Argument - Able to put forward, debate and justify an opinion or a course of action, with an individual or in a wider group setting
  • Self-awareness & Reflectivity - Having an awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses, aims and objectives. Able to regularly review, evaluate and reflect upon the performance of yourself and others

Subject specific skills

  • The ability to use the target language creatively and precisely in short written assignments in the target language. (Benchmark statement 5.14)
  • The ability to translate short passages into and out of the target language. (Benchmark statement 5.3, 5.4)
  • Engaging with, interpreting and critically evaluating short and longer contemporary texts (short stories, films, novels) in the target language (Benchmark statement 5. 8, and 5.9)
  • Effective oral communication and presentation skills (including delivery and argument development, discussion and defence) in the target language through individual and/or group discussions. (Benchmark statement 5.3, 5.4)
  • The ability to use the target language creatively and precisely in oral assignments, showing familiarity with a range of topics and registers in formal and informal situations. (Benchmark statement 5.3, 5.4)
  • Develop aural comprehension skills in the target language, supported by a wide range of appropriate materials in different media. (Benchmark statement 5.3, 5.4)
  • The ability to read, understand and summarise written texts in the target language. (Benchmark statement 5.3, 5.4)
  • The ability to use the target language creatively and precisely in sophisticated written assignments in the target language. (Benchmark statement 5.14)
  • The ability to translate sophisticated passages into and out of the target language. (Benchmark statement 5.3, 5.4)
  • Engaging with, interpreting and critically evaluating short and longer contemporary texts (short stories, films, novel) in the target language (Benchmark statement 5. 8, and 5.9)
  • Fully proficient to skilful oral communication and presentation skills (including delivery and argument development, discussion and defence) in the target language through individual and/or group discussions. (Benchmark statement 5.3, 5.4)
  • The ability to use the target language creatively and precisely in oral assignments, showing adroitness with a very wide range of topics and registers in formal and informal situations. (Benchmark statement 5.3, 5.4)
  • Further develop aural comprehension skills in the target language, supported by a wide range of appropriate materials in different media. (Benchmark statement 5.3, 5.4)
  • The ability to read, understand and summarise more sophisticated written texts in the target language. (Benchmark statement 5.3, 5.4)

Resources

Resource implications for students

There are no resource implications for students

Pre- and Co-requisite Modules

Courses including this module

Compulsory in courses: