FRE121: French Language and Culture 1b

FRE121: French Language and Culture 1b is a the continuation module for those who have passed FRE120: French Language and Culture 1a. It is not, strictly speaking, a module for absolute beginners and you may find it a difficult to address unless you have passed FRE120. We recommend that you visit the FRE120 online module guide and cover the materials and activities for the module if you wish to make progress with FRE121.

The web page you are reading now is your online module guide. You should, ideally, print it out and keep in your personal file.

Week 1:The French Experience Unité 5: Les Courses
              Computer lab hour: Some or Any (du, de la, de l', des)

Week 2:The French Experience Unité 5: Les Courses
              Computer lab hour: Fillings and Flavours

Week 3:The French Experience Unité 6: Toutes Directions
             Computer lab hour: the Perfect Tense

Week 4:The French Experience Unité 6: Toutes Directions
              Computer lab hour: More Prepositions

Week 5: Self-study week (no French classes)

Week 6:The French Experience Unité 7: A Toute Vitesse
              Computer lab hour: Tu and Vous

Week 7:The French Experience Unité 7: A Toute Vitesse
              Computer lab hour: Comparisons

Week 8:The French Experience Unité 8: Hotels et Campings
              Computer lab hour: Which/What

Week 9: The French Experience Unité 8: Hotels et Campings
               Computer lab hour: the Future Tense

Week 10:The French Experience étape 1 &2 (revision)
                Computer lab hour: mixed revision session

Week 11: TCA  (grammar, reading & writing, listening & speaking)

Week 12: TCA  Feedback

Assessment of the module is through a mixture of one time-constrained assessment at the end of the semester (see 'Teaching Schedule') worth 60% of your overall module grade.

By the end of Week 10 of Semester 2 you are also required to submit:
 

• one learning portfolio  in which you present to your tutor all your notes from the module that you have taken so far
• one mini project in which you present a 1,000 word written presentation in English of an aspect of France (e.g. history, culture, geography etc.). Although the mini project is in English, you should have researched it using as many French-language sources as possible. You are strongly encourage to use the WWW for information searches.

Both learning portfolio and mini project are each worth 20%.

It will not be possible to cover all the exercises and activities covered in the coursebook within the three hours per week of class contact time so you will be expected to go through them in your own time.

In addition to this, you will need to ensure that you have learnt the vocabulary covered in each section. 'Info Langue' and 'Mot a Mot' are small boxes set into the pages of  listing the useful vocabulary used in each unit. You are expected to learn these words as you will be given a short vocabulary test each week.

By the end of the module, you should be able to answer correctly most of the questions in the Étape 2 self-assessment exercises at the end of unit 8 of the coursebook.

You are also expected to do additional work on the areas of grammar covered. We have our own grammar web site with explanations and exercises to help you. You will be given additional grammar worksheets which you are expected to complete in your own time and on which you will be tested in class. These in-class tests will form part of your Learning Portfolio.

All ULS modules include a Learning portfolio as part of their assessed work. This is because we want to encourage you to see language learning as a process that needs small and regular time devoted to it rather than a last minute burst of activity.

A learning portfolio is a documentation of a variety of learning tasks undertaken in the course of your language module. Different to other forms of assessment which mainly test what you have learnt, the learning portfolio focuses on how you have gone about language learning. It is part of the assesed work required for this module and gives you the opportunity to demonstrate the effort, time and thought which went into improving your linguistic skills. Avoiding errors and mistakes is therefore much less important than experimenting with language and trying out new and different learning strategies.

You will be set tasks by your tutor(s) during the module sessions. Some of these - e.g. vocabulary tests - may be marked by your student peers in class. Some may be handed in to your tutor(s) and returned to you with feedback. You should keep all work marked learning portfolio in a special section of your file as you will be required to submit it all towards the end of the module. All pieces of work will be marked and the different marks added together to form a single learning portfolio mark. Once marked, your learning portfolio will be ready for you to collect from the Language Centre (Forster Building).
 

There is a coursebook around which FRE121 is based and which is an essential purchase. It is called The French Experience (BBC Books) and may be bought from Blackwells. This book contains all the grammar you will need and some important vocabulary, although you may find it useful to purchase a dictionary as well.

If you are serious about taking your French further after this course we would suggest that you buy the best dictionary that you can afford. Here is a list of dictionaries - in the £10-15 bracket -that you might consider buying for this module:
 

Oxford Hachette  Concise French Dictionary
Collins Robert French Concise Dictionary
Larousse Concise French Dictionary

Language classes are quite different from traditional lectures where the only person who speaks is usually the lecturer and where the students listen and take notes. In French classes you will be actively involved in speaking and listening and although there will also be some reading and writing this will mainly be carried out as homework.

Teaching methods include both traditional and modern techniques and students practise French through a variety of activities such as, guided speaking practice, listening comprehension activities, grammar and vocabulary exercises, group and pair work, language games, etc.. Materials used include recordings in French, videos and a variety of written material. You will be encouraged to participate actively in class and to try out the French you have learnt.

Although both English and French are used in class, the amount of French will gradually increase as students become more proficient.

The short answer to this question is no. If you really wish to make progress in French - or indeed in any foreign language - you will need to practice regularly. Ideally, you should aim to put in another two and a half to three hours per week of self-study. As a general rule, it is better to do a little a lot, than a lot a little. Short but regular exposure to French is far more useful than a three hour binge once a week. Try to build into your weekly timetable about half an hour's French every day.

There are two main facilities of use to you as a language learner: the Language Centre (room 6) in the Forster Building and the Main Library on Chester Road.
 

1. The Language Centre

The Language Centre has a wide range of audio and video cassettes of different levels from beginner to the more advanced learner. There is also an extensive collection of French films on video cassette in French but with English subtitles. A full list of materials available at Language Centre may be found there and staff are always on hand to advise you.

Self-study language courses available in the Language Centre of particular interest to students of FRE121 include:

 
The French Experience (book + cassette + video)
Breakthrough French (book + cassette)
A vous la France (book + cassette + video)
Express Track French (book + cassette)

All of these courses are extremely useful and it is up to you to find the one which bests suits your needs. In addition to these self-study courses, the centre receives copies of Authentik, a quarterly publication of contemporary news articles and an accompanying  cassette (+transcripts).

If you are interested in improving your pronunciation R. Martineau and J. McGivney's French Pronunciation (audio course) offers a good introduction to the sounds of French.
 

2. The Library

The library has a wide selection of current newspapers, magazines and periodicals of general interest. Newspapers and magazines you might consider dipping into regularly include:

Le Monde
Le Nouvel Observateur
L'Évenement du jeudi

The World Wide Web

As well as the two physical centres for language learning resources, you might also like to go to the WWW for additional materials. Click on our Links to Language Resources on the Web page for links to useful sites.

If you find that you are having particular problems with your French and need advice, your first port of call is your language tutor and module leader (Tony McNeill) who will be more than happy to help you.

You can also leave messages for me in my pigeon-hole in the Senior Common Room in Forster Building or by sending me an email at: tony.mcneill@sunderland.ac.uk or by telephoning me on 515 2239.