FRN2040 - French studies 4

Leader(s): Philip Anderson

Offered

Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)
South Africa Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

In the Language and Culture component of the unit, students will participate in a variety of theme-based activities developing more sophisticated speaking, writing and reading and aural comprehension skills, acquiring explicit grammar competence and awareness of discourse and register, and gaining insight into the socio-cultural specificity of contemporary France. In the Specialized Culture component, students will further develop their understanding of how, in the French context, everyday life reflects and embodies cultural and social change.

Objectives

Upon completion of this unit students should have met the following objectives in the following areas: Communicative competence and linguistic knowledge:

1. Consolidated and improved their existing speaking, listening, reading and writing skills so as to be able to communicate effectively in an increased range of situations and on a wider range of themes including self, family, study, work and leisure, their own and French society, history, and cultural values.
2. Developed language skills in relation to exposition and argument in a number of contexts such as casual debate, formal pressing of a petition, letter-writing, formulating a written petition.
3. Developed information seeking skills in the form of more advanced reading skills, more advanced questioning and interview skills, writing letters and emails to request information.
4. Developed increased explicit grammatical knowledge, empowering the student as an autonomous learner, and explicit awareness of discourse structure and register.
5. Understood the cultural specificity of certain features of communicative practices in French and understand and use aspects of them such as forms of politeness, modes of address in spoken and written French.
6. Developed learning strategies appropriate to their learning style, reinforcing preferred learning modes and developing other modes. Socio-cultural awareness:
7. Acquired a greater critical knowledge and understanding of modern French society, its values and their evolution.
8. Developed a critical understanding of the nature of "cultural studies" and of the artificiality of the boundaries between disciplines.
9. Developed research skills.

Assessment

Continuing assessment assignments: 35%
Class tests: 15%
2 Exams: 50%

Contact hours

5 hours (2 1-hour lectures and 3 hours of language-culture classes) per week

Prerequisites

FRN2030 or equivalent

Prohibitions

FRN1040