ATS3235 - New Caledonia and global French: Immersion into post-colonial francophone cultures in South Pacific - 2019

6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Arts

Organisational Unit

French Studies

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Patrick Durel

Coordinator(s)

Dr Patrick Durel

Unit guides

Offered

Overseas

  • Summer semester A 2019 (Flexible)

Prerequisites

Intermediate Level 2 or A2 CEFR preferred.

Notes

Study tour taking place in New Caledonia over three weeks

Synopsis

The study program enables students to develop a critical understanding of the diversity of postcolonial situations through a close encounter with New Caledonian cultures and languages through a seminar series and first hand experience of these cultures through immersion. They will examine political and cultural discourses which frame the situations of various groups and cultural artefacts which emanate from them - both tangible material objects and intangible experiences, spaces and feelings.

Starting in Nouma, students take level-appropriate language training at the University of New Caledonia or CREIPAC, engage in global and intercultural learning through classes, seminars, and field trips. During this phase students develop their individual research projects and the focus for their video documentary.

They then travel to small Kanak communities where they get first hand experience of Kanak culture.

Students come back to Nouma, where they refine their research project through a series of discussion seminar.

Students come out of their experience equipped with a more sophisticated understanding of the diversity of postcolonial situations through a close encounter with New Caledonia's melting-pot, through the many cultures and languages, all bound by the official language, French, the language of the colonial power and yet the only language enabling one another to communicate.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the unit, students should be able to:

  1. explain with nuance the diverse postcolonial situations in New Caledonia;
  2. critically examine the cultural artefacts and discursive frameworks of political and cultural discourses which accompany and frame the situations of various groups in a postcolonial environment;
  3. extrapolate such discourses and artefacts to broader global challenges;
  4. relate these challenges to their own field of interest or discipline;
  5. deploy theoretical tools to analyse relevant case studies on topics provided or chosen for assessment;
  6. competently employ digital literacy skills.

Assessment

Within semester assessment: 100%

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study