At the end of this course, the students are supposed to be able to do in:
Listening
- Can understand enough to follow extended speech on abstract and complex topics beyond his/her own
field, though he/she may need to confirm occasional details, especially if the accent is unfamiliar.
Can recognise a wide range of idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms, appreciating register shifts.
Can follow extended speech even when it is not clearly structured and when relationships are only
implied and not signalled explicitly.
- Can understand a wide range of recorded and broadcast audio material, including some non-standard
usage, and identify finer points of detail including implicit attitudes and relationships between speakers.
Reading
- Can understand in detail a wide range of lengthy, complex texts likely to be encountered in social,
professional or academic life, identifying finer points of detail including attitudes and implied as well as
stated opinions.
Speaking
- Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously, almost effortlessly. Has a good command of a broad
lexical repertoire allowing gaps to be readily overcome with circumlocutions. There is little obvious
searching for expressions or avoidance strategies; only a conceptually difficult subject can hinder a
natural, smooth flow of language.
- Can use language flexibly and effectively for social purposes, including emotional, allusive and joking
usage.
- Can easily follow and contribute to complex interactions between third parties in group discussion even
on abstract, complex unfamiliar topics.
- Can easily keep up with the debate, even on abstract, complex unfamiliar topics.
- Can argue a formal position convincingly, responding to questions and comments and answering complex lines of counter argument fluently, spontaneously and appropriately.
Writing
- Can take detailed notes during a lecture on topics in his/her field of interest, recording the information
so accurately and so close to the original that the notes could also be useful to other people.
- Can write clear, well-structured expositions of complex subjects, underlining the relevant salient issues.
- Can expand and support points of view at some length with subsidiary points, reasons and relevant
examples.
Main themes
" Regards croisés¿ (Crossed Glances). Through different themes, the student makes ¿ round trips¿ between the French-speaking culture and the other cultures. This theme is explored through literature, song and the cinema.
Grammar Employment(Use) of compound past, imperfect and past perfect, future, future tense p
Grammar
Use of past tenses, imperfect and past perfect, future tense, near future, present conditional, past conditional; use of the subjunctive, passive voice.
Content and teaching methods
In this course, the student is alternately going to listen to, to read, to learn of the vocabulary, to revise the grammar, to make presentations and to discuss. He will have to write various texts during the semester:
- a review of a film
- a broadcast radio text
- a white card(map)
- a scientific conference report
Specific points such as humor, improvisation, stylistic devices, joking usage will be approached at this level. Some projects will be prepared in multidisciplinary and multicultural groups.
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)
Prerequisites ( Ideally in terms of skills):
To master upper intermediate skills (level B2) as described in the common European Framework of reference of the Council of Europe during an oral placement test.
Assessment:
During the semester:
The 4 written productions completed during the semester count for the final evaluation (10%)
The 5 oral exercises played in front of the class count for 10% of the final evaluation.
An oral presentation in group counts for the final evaluation (10%).
A language test counts for 10% of the final evaluation.
The examination programme (60%): listening: 3 documents , reading: 1document (1500-2000 words), writing: one essay (support points of view at some length with subsidiary points, reasons and relevant examples) .speaking: support and argue a formal position convincingly.
Course material : syllabus, Intranet (Moodle platform)
References:
Several books to read
A grammar book
Training staff:
A group of about 20 students
The teacher is available during his reception time and can be contacted by email.
Guidance in the self-learning center (C.A.A.) and in the multi-media room
Other:
This course corresponds to C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference.
Equivalent courses given in the other UCL curricula: -