FRE122: French Language and Culture 2 

Introduction

FRE122: French Language and Culture 2 is a module for those who are not absolute beginners but who have taken one or more years of French at some point in their lives. Many of you will have GCSE French or equivalent at grade 'C' or lower and will feel that your familiarity with French is somewhat rusty. You are probably what we would call a faux débutant, a false beginner, and you will need to cover some of familiar ground. It may help you to look at what beginners doing FRE120 and FRE121 are covering.

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

Teaching Schedule

Semester 1

Week 1: No classes. ULS registration week

Week 2: Introduction to module/Re-introduction to French/The French Experience
            Computer Lab Session (2.00-3.00 in Forster 113): Grammar Consolidation

Week 3: The French Experience Unité 9: Intérieurs
            Computer Lab Session (2.00-3.00 in Forster 113): 'Maisons de caractère

Week 4: The French Experience Unité 9: Intérieurs
               Language Lab Session (2.00-3.00 in Forster 201)

Week 5:The French Experience Unité 10: Loisirs
            Computer Lab Session (2.00-3.00 in Forster 113): Perfect and Imperfect Tenses

Week 6:The French Experience Unité 10: Loisirs
               Language Lab Session (2.00-3.00 in Forster 201)

Week 7: Self-study week (no French classes)

Week 8:The French Experience Unité 11: Bon Appétit
            Computer Lab Session (2.00-3.00 in Forster 113): Recettes

Week 9:The French Experience Unité 11: Bon Appétit
               Language Lab Session (2.00-3.00 in Forster 201)

Week 10:The French Experience Unité 12: Forme et santé
            Computer Lab Session (2.00-3.00 in Forster 113): Une alimentation saine

Week 11:The French Experience Unité 12: Forme et santé
               Language Lab Session (2.00-3.00 in Forster 201)

Week 12: TCA  (grammar, reading & writing, listening & speaking)
 
 

INTER-SEMESTER BREAK - NO CLASSES IN JANUARY





Semester 2

Week 1: TCA Feedback

Week 2:The French Experience Unité 13: Au Travail
            Computer Lab Session: the Future Tense (2.00-3.00 in Forster 113)

Week 3: The French Experience Unité 13: Au Travail
               Language Lab Session (2.00-3.00 in Forster 201)

Week 4: The French Experience Unité 14: Plaire et séduire
            Computer Lab Session: demonstratives (2.00-3.00 in Forster 113)

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

Week 6:The French Experience Unité 14: Plaire et séduire
               Language Lab Session (2.00-3.00 in Forster 201)

Week 7:The French Experience Unité 15: Par tous les temps
            Computer Lab Session: Méteo France (2.00-3.00 in Forster 113)

Week 8:The French Experience Unité 15: Par tous les temps
               Language Lab Session (2.00-3.00 in Forster 201)

Week 9:The French Experience Unité 16: Voyages
            Computer Lab Session (2.00-3.00 in Forster 113)

Week 10:The French Experience Unité 16: Voyages
               Language Lab Session (2.00-3.00 in Forster 201)

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

Week 12: TCA Feedback


Assessment

Assessment of the module is through a mixture of two time-constrained assessments at the end of each semester (see 'Teaching Schedule') each worth 30% of your overall module grade.

By the end of Week 10 of Semester 2 you are also required to submit one learning portfolio
worth 20% and one mini project worth 20%.

What's expected of you

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 Étapes 3 and 4 self-assessment exercises at the end of every 4 units of the coursebook.

You are also expected to do additional work on the areas of grammar covered. You will be given additional gramar worksheets which you are expected to complete in your own time. This additional work will form part of your Learning Portfolio.

The 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).

Examples of learning portfolio task types for this module include:


The Mini Project

A mini project is an inquiry into one aspect of the target language culture. It is a written text of around 400 words accompanied by a supporting dossier of materials. You are encouraged to use materials in the Language Centre, the Main Library and on the web to research your mini project.

Grammar and Vocabulary

Although grammar is covered in class, you are expected to work on grammar consolidation in your own time. Your coursebook contains a short section ('Language Summary' pp.232-46) that provides a brief description of the grammar topics covered in the BBC coursebook. We also have our own web site of grammar explanations and exercises. Here is a list of the main grammatical areas to be covered and their location in the book:
 
 

 perfect tense  The French Experience p.178 & pp.240-1 
 imperfect tense  The French Experience p.108 & p.241
 future tense  The French Experience p.152 & p.241
 si + tenses  The French Experience p.174
 reflexive verbs  The French Experience p.154 & p.242
 impersonal pronouns (y and en)  The French Experience p.118 & p.241
 adverbs   The French Experience p.118 & p.236

Books to Buy

There is a coursebook around which FRE122 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


Teaching & Learning

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.

Is Three Hours per Week Enough?

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.

What Facilities are Available to the Language Learner?

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 FRE122 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 French literature section of the library contains some novels, poems and plays that may be suitable for the more confident learner.


Who Should You See for Advice?

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.
 
 

Return to ULS French Homepage

o0o
Text & Concept: Tony McNeill
The University of Sunderland
Last Updated: 25.05.2001