Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2006-2007 (archived)

Module FREN1011: FRENCH LANGUAGE 1

Department: MODERN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES (FRENCH)

FREN1011: FRENCH LANGUAGE 1

Type	Open	Level	1	Credits	20	Availability	Available in 2006/07	Module Cap	250	Location	Durham

Prerequisites

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 Combination of Modules

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

Formative Assessment:

Regular language exercises; 1 presentation.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University