Level B2 of the Common European Frame of Reference for Languages.
Humour and the cinema are the two axes around which learning the French language and its varieties takes place. Within these topics, the student goes back and forth between the francophone culture and other cultures. Links are regularly made to literature, songs and the press. All this creates the environment for studying vocabulary in all its nuances and complexities and for learning stylistic devices and plays on words.
Grammar
The course covers complex sentences, all verb tenses, adverbs of intensity and comparison, prefixes and suffixes, stylistic devices, registers of language, expression of causation, consequence, hypothesis, concession and opposition, as well as linguistic varieties of French in francophone countries.
By the end of the course, the student will be able to...
In listening
- understand long stretches of speech, even if this is not well-structured, and to understand TV programmes and films effortlessly.
In reading
- understand long and complex texts and specialized articles
In speaking
- give presentations about complex subjects in a clear and detailed way, structure and conclude the presentation appropriately
- express opinions with ease and precision in conversation with native speakers
In writing
- write structured texts developing his/her point of view and write an essay or report
The contribution of this Teaching Unit to the development and command of the skills and learning outcomes of the programme(s) can be accessed at the end of this sheet, in the section entitled “Programmes/courses offering this Teaching Unit”.
During the semester
Written work, presentations and the mid-term language test count for 40% of the final grade.
Exam (60% of the final grade)
-
Written:
3 listening texts (MCQ),
1 reading text of 1500 to 2000 words (MCQ),
1 text to write (explain and expand on an opinion). - Oral : giving a clear and well-structured comparison of a novel and its film adaptation (expressing an opinion with justification, giving relevant examples, using finely nuanced language).
In this course, the student listens, reads, learns vocabulary, revises grammar, makes presentations and participates in debates. He or she writes various texts throughout the course:
- a film review
- a synopsis of a French book chosen from a list of titles suggested by the teacher
and a choice of
- a summary of documents
- carte blanche
- lecture notes
Some projects are carried out in pluridisciplinary and multicultural teams.
In this course, the student is an active participant, speaking regularly and expressing opinions on the topics covered. The aim is to develop the student's ability to understand and produce complex texts in specialist areas and to understand that which is the most difficult for speakers of other languages, humour.
Various tools, in particular techniques from the world of theatre, are available to help the student progress with confidence in learning the subtleties and nuances of the language.
Course notes, the Moodle learning platform and the progressive grammar of French (perfectionist level)
This course is at level C1 of the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference.
