Learning outcomes

lafr1ba  2019-2020  Louvain-la-Neuve

The "Ancient and Modern Languages and Letters" Bachelor's programme trains students seeking to become specialists in the study of the French and Latin languages. By examining relevant texts and resources, they will gradually develop the ability to master the fundamentals of French and Latin – in terms of linguistics, grammar, syntax and vocabulary – and of literary genres and the history of literature in these two languages. In Latin, they will also be able to easily translate intermediate-level texts. The challenge for them, at the end of the third year, is to be able to use the knowledge they have acquired to write up an individual assignment of limited scope, applying rigorous academic criteria.

On successful completion of this programme, each student is able to :

Specifically, graduates with a Bachelor in Ancient and Modern Languages and Literatures , will: 
1. Develop a structured knowledge of the French and Latin languages (linguistic and literary) and handle both easily using the frameworks and markers they will have progressively acquired.

1.1. Master the fundamentals of French and Latin at different levels of linguistic and pragmatic analysis (phonetics and phonology, vocabulary and phraseology, syntax, semantics, text and discourse).
1.2. Use and apply the knowledge they have acquired (lexical and grammatical) to French and Latin texts in different activities (translation and prose exercises, essays, dissertations, manipulation of grammatical forms, individual research).

2. Make appropriate use of the vocabulary, notions and concepts specific to the various areas of the French and Latin languages.

2.1. Find and manage basic information: collect, classify, compare and analyse essential data.
2.2. Contextualize in time, analyse and interpret the different movements and genres in the two literatures studied, as well as their principal authors and works.

3. Use the knowledge acquired in the two fields studied to identify, situate and describe specific cases, and to apply the necessary analysis tables and methods to them.

3.1. Place the works produced in both fields in their historical, social and cultural context.
3.2. Develop the basis of a critical approach: identify original sources, assess their provenance and value, and produce a concise presentation.
3.3. Use the basic knowledge acquired in both disciplines to analyse literary texts and language corpora in French and Latin.

4. Achieve a fluency in written and spoken French that allows them to produce a university-level discourse on literary and linguistic topics in the various areas of the French and Latin languages.

4.1. Put into practice the main elements of academic discourse (bibliography, topic development, methodology, analytical practices) they have learned as part of their language and literature studies, and which can also be usefully applied to the various humanities disciplines (philosophy, history, art history).
4.2. Understand and make appropriate use of the various basic research tools available in each of the fields studied (general and specialized bibliographies, electronic resources).
4.3. Understand the fundamentals of Western philosophy, history, arts and literature (literary and linguistic theory).

5. Draw connections between the different course disciplines to develop an overall perspective of the study of language and literature and to stimulate their intellectual curiosity for humanities in all its diverse and complementary forms.


6. Have a good understanding of the historical, cultural and institutional contexts of French and Latin languages and literatures.


7. Identify the issues of a research topic based on the observation of specific literary and linguistic data in order to analyse the content of this data and how it functions.

7.1. Collect and handle key information on a given topic or issue using carefully selected tools and strategies.
7.2. Produce a written report of the results of an individual research project of limited scope.

8. Draw on this knowledge and expertise to develop skills in their daily lives that will help them become useful citizens and play their part in society.


As with all bachelors in the Faculty of Philosophy, Arts and Letters
9. Have a fundamental understanding of the fields of philosophy, history, art history, archaeology and literature.


10. Be able to understand and write competently on academic topics.


11. Be responsible for their own learning: organize their own workload (prioritizing, anticipating and planning all their activities over time), take a step back to critically assess the knowledge they have gained, how they have gained it and the work they have produced, and take the initiative to gain new knowledge and learn other methods and skills.


12. Be able to use the subject-specific knowledge and skills they have acquired to open their minds to other cultures and develop a sense of social responsibility and a critical approach to themselves, society and knowledge.


13. Have written and spoken fluency in at least one modern language (English, Dutch or German) with the ability to communicate clearly, coherently and in a well-argued fashion on general topics and subjects relating to their field of study.


14. Demonstrate a critical understanding and in-depth knowledge of the discipline(s) of their chosen minor subject.