| Unit name | French Language and Cultures 1b |
|---|---|
| Unit code | FREN10034 |
| Credit points | 40 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Mrs. Demont |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of French |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
This intensive introduction to a modern foreign language aims to do two things:
Those essential language skills cannot be acquired independently of the cultures in which any language is spoken.
In this unit, you will begin a journey from complete beginner to intermediate and ultimately higher levels through interactive and independent tasks covering receptive and productive skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Over the year, you will acquire a linguistic and grammatical range which will prepare you to understand the variety of language use and learn to reflect competently on communication both in your mother tongue and in the language you are learning.
Students usually follow a coursebook or set of materials created by the tutors covering everyday topics, such as personal life, education, hobbies, and culture.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit forms the basis for your linguistic and intellectual progress in the rest of your language degree. It is therefore a “must-pass” component in your studies.
As you develop a growing insight into language use in different communicative and cultural contexts, you will also draw on this knowledge to form a bridge to other areas of knowledge and analysis across your course.
Building on your productive and receptive skills you will be able to reflect on cultural contrasts between the language and cultures you are learning about and those you are already familiar with.
Overview of content
You will achieve a level of communicative competence in the language equivalent to the following aspects of the CEFR at level B1 threshold.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Students will have progressed from knowing nothing of the language they are learning to a level of communicative competence where they are beginning to be independent users of the language. This will enable them to acquire more sophisticated skills in the following year.
You will take part in a variety of in-person classes that focus on revising and developing your awareness of and practising target language structures. Using authentic and prepared materials in class, you will acquire the tools to reflect on the pluricentric nature of the target language’s cultures and gain intercultural insight and awareness.
Alongside explicit grammar and vocabulary instruction, there will also be an emphasis on developing your communicative competence in receptive and productive skills using interactive methods, pair work and other exercises. The activities you carry out in class will be followed up with formative tasks and self-directed exercises that are a vital part of your progress and build up your knowledge and confidence from week to week. Regular set homework is crucial in preparing for classes from week to week and gaining meaningful feedback to improve your performance, but you will also need to engage in independent study beyond these directed activities if you are to achieve the levels of linguistic fluency and intercultural competence our students aspire to. Your tutors will offer guidance on this.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
It is important that we monitor beginners’ language learning early in the process.
You will therefore sit an in-class written test at the end of TB1, which functions as an important checkpoint on your progress and a formal opportunity for feedback from your tutors. You will then be assessed on all key skills through three examinations towards the end of the year.
Assessment will therefore consist of:
In order to progress into Year 2, students would need to achieve a pass mark (40) and to have attempted all components of assessment. Marks of below 40 in any of the four language skills would not prevent a student from progressing, as long as the overall average remained above 40 and the student has attempted all components of assessment. Students who receive an overall mark of below 40 will normally be required to re-sit all failed or missed components.
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. FREN10034).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
