ML5023 - French Core Language and Communication Skills 2 (A)

You will attend interactive and engaging language seminars and workshops (five hours per week) and academic tutorials by arrangement. In addition to written, oral and aural sources, other media will be used in order to consolidate and refine your knowledge of the French-speaking world and your French language skills. You will work on authentic, contemporary materials, which are edited in-house, in the multi-media laboratories using ICT, cutting edge software and online materials. You will gain a critical understanding of the events, attitudes and cultures that are relevant today and the recent historical events that have shaped modern France. You will also be required to undertake directed and independent study, and you will be given weekly preparation guidelines to actively engage in informed discussions in seminar groups. While academic tutors adopt a wide range of different methods and approaches to language teaching, in general a communicative approach is adopted in oral/ aural skills and you are expected to engage fully in order to boost your oral fluency in preparation for semester two and the placement abroad.

The materials used on this module will be made available to you by your tutors and you will be supported by access to a wide range of translation materials, exercises and draft fair copies for your own independent learning. You also have access to materials in the Language Zone in the Library, IPTV (Internet provided TV) and VoD (Video on Demand). Your directed learning will take the form of preparation for seminars (including reading, translation, listening, presentation preparation and rehearsal) both individually and in small groups. Your independent learning will consist of further directed reading and investigation of sources, the consolidation of seminar materials, and revision/ preparation for the assessment included in the module. Throughout the semester you will receive individual attention from your tutors, and you will be able to receive guidance on how to approach your assessment/ examinations. You will be supported in finding your own critical voice in the midst of linguistic and cultural materials. You will be encouraged to gain a solid understanding of the French language and culture and your tutors will be happy to discuss your ideas and interests informed by their own teaching and research profiles.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:
• You will become more familiar with French language and culture. You will study texts derived from a wide range of authentic, contemporary political, journalistic and academic sources. You will become increasingly familiar with current affairs in France and the historical background (MLO1).

Intellectual/ Professional skills & abilities:
• You will be able to demonstrate your knowledge of more complex lexical and syntactical structures of French, enhancing your ability to recognise and compose in different styles and registers (MLO2).
• You will develop your applied translation skills, transferring meaning, nuance and style, while respecting register, from French to English (MLO3).
• You will develop the accuracy of your listening comprehension skills and a command of spoken French commensurate with level 5 (MLO4).

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• You will develop a solid understanding of global issues and intercultural communication from a French Studies perspective (MLO5).

30% Translation (French » English) exam (MLOs 1,2,3)

35% Aural Comprehension Exam (1 hour) (MLOs 1, 4, 5)

35% Statistical Commentary in French (MLOs 1, 2, 3, 5)

Your assessment is designed to match course aims and learning outcomes, encouraging you to build on seminar materials with the support of your tutor.

The translation exam and the statistical commentary (coursework) test different skills, including lexical, grammatical and syntactical structures, familiarity with the cultural conventions of the French language, initiative and research skills in a foreign languages and studies context. You will be encouraged to actively engage in discussions on applied language and register in both French and English seminars.

Formative assessment will be an ongoing feature of the module. You will deliver informal, short presentations in some of the seminar hours. You will present your preliminary ideas to the class in a friendly and constructive environment, in order to receive feedback from both your colleagues and your lecturers. You will also develop your listening skills and have access to both directed and independent learning materials as well as IPTV (Internet provided TV) and VoD (Video on Demand).

Formative feedback will be directly relevant to the summative assessment, and will be a feature of the e-Learning Portal.

ML4002 and ML4003

ML5024 (or semester 2 placement)

Please find details of this module in the other sections provided.