This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.

Undergraduate Handbook 2006-2007 (archived)

Module FREN1011: FRENCH LANGUAGE 1

Department: Modern Languages and Cultures (French)

FREN1011: FRENCH LANGUAGE 1

Type	Level	Credits	Availability	Module Cap	Location
Open	1	20	Available in 2006/2007	250	Durham

Pre-requisites

B in French at A level (or its equivalent).

Corequisites

One further Level 1 French module from: Reading French Literature (FREN1031), Literature and Society in the 20th Century (FREN1041) or Language Power and the Making of the French Nation (FREN1051).

Excluded Combinations

Not available to students following the European Studies programme; French in Society I (LANG1281).

Aims

To further improve the skills acquired at A-level in speaking and listening, reading and writing.

Content

The module is taught in three strands: in the grammar/translation class, students consolidate their grammar knowledge and develop their translation skills through a variety of grammar-based language exercises and the translation of texts from French into English.
in the oral class, students develop their speaking and listening skills through a range of oral exercises (conversation, discussion and individual presentations).
in the language laboratory class, students develop their aural comprehension skills through video and audio exercises and their reading and writing skills through text-based comprehension and writing exercises.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge

Subject-specific Skills

By the end of the course students will have gained in confidence, fluency and accuracy in both productive (spoken and written) and receptive (listening and reading) skills.

Key Skills

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

The module is taught in three strands: in the grammar/translation class, students consolidate their grammar knowledge and develop their translation skills through a variety of grammar-based language exercises and the translation of authentic texts from French into English.
in the oral class, students develop their speaking and listening skills through a range of oral exercises (conversation, discussion and individual presentations).
in the language laboratory class, students develop their aural comprehension skills through video and audio exercises and their reading and writing skills through text-based comprehension and writing exercises.
In each strand, student preparation and class work, formative exercises and feedback are precisely modelled on the summative assessments which have been devised to meet the learning outcomes.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total Hours
Practicals	42	1 Per Week	1 Hour	42
Preparation and Reading				158
Total				200

Summative Assessment

Component	Component Weighting	Element	Element Weighting
Written examinations	60%	Translation exam - French>English	33.33%
		Translation exam - English>French	33.33%
		Exam - comprehension - resume & paraphrases	33.33%
Aural examination	20%	Video comprehension examination	50%
Aural examination	20%	Audio transcription examination	50%
Oral examination	20%	Oral presentation	100%

Formative Assessment

Regular language exercises; 1 presentation.

Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.