Monash University

Leader(s): Dr Natalie Doyle

Offered

Clayton First semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

The Language and Culture component of this unit is designed to help students secure knowledge of French syntax through the study of grammar and translation from English to French. It aims to develop their comprehension skills and the capacity to express ideas in both oral and written French, through a range of class activities in which student production is modeled on authentic contemporary documents, both spoken and written. In the Specialized Culture component (French Culture & Everyday Life), students will develop an understanding of how, in the French context, everyday life reflects and embodies cultural and social change.

Objectives

The unit aims to:

1. Consolidate and develop the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
2. Consolidate and develop correct use of French at the level of sentence structure and an explicit grammatical competence in French.
3. Promote a capacity for autonomous language learning.
4. Promote the appropriate use of spoken and written discourses in French.
5. Develop a critical awareness of the nature of "cultural studies" and of the artificiality of the boundaries between disciplines.

Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to meet the following objectives.
Communicative competence and linguistic knowledge:

1. Express themselves, both orally and in writing, correctly, fluently and appropriately, on a wide range of topics and in the different contexts studied in the oral and written expression component of the unit which include: situations in which events are retold and chronological information provided, or refused, situations in which discourse is reported, described or commented upon, , situations in which discourse has to be structured logically and hypotheses formulated, situations in which logical arguments are conveyed, accepted or refuted, situations in which information is processed, ideas presented or reported orally, situations in which ideas are presented or reported in writing.
2. Understand and demonstrate an understanding of magazines and newspapers, audio and video documents.
3. Demonstrate explicit competence in French grammar in the areas reviewed in the Grammar component of the unit and an awareness of the key-differences between English and French syntax
4. Demonstrate competence in the use of language reference material.
5. Demonstrate autonomous learning strategies.

Socio-cultural awareness:
6. Acquire a greater critical knowledge and understanding of modern French society, its values and their evolution.
7. Develop research skills.

Assessment

Assignments (Written and Oral): 15%
Class tests (written): 30%
Specialized culture component: 25%
Exam: 30%

Contact hours

5 hours ( 2 lectures and 3 tutorials)

Prerequisites

FRN1040

Prohibitions

FRN1050/FRN2050