FRENCH LANGUAGE (LEVEL B1)
Syllabus
EN
IT
Learning Objectives
This French course (42 h) aims to achieve a B1 level in line with the competences set out in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Through this course, students will be able to:
KNOWLEDGE AND COMPREHENSION SKILLS:
- ability to understand the main elements in clear standard language discourse on familiar topics frequently encountered at work, university, leisure, etc.
- ability to understand the main points of many radio and television broadcasts on current affairs or topics of personal or professional interest
- ability to understand commonly used written texts related to everyday life or work.
ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
- ability to describe, by linking simple expressions, experiences and events, one's dreams, hopes and ambitions
- ability to justify and explain opinions and plans.
- ability to write simple, coherent texts and personal letters explaining experiences and impressions.
AUTONOMY OF JUDGEMENT:
- Evaluate personal and work contingencies, considering critical success factors, in order to formulate strategies to improve the personal (current and/or future) work situation;
- Making relevant judgements on the appropriateness of various language levels (standard,
sustained, ...);
COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS:
- Dealing with situations one may face while travelling in an area where the language is spoken.
- Present concepts and make logical connections quickly.
Through this course, students will be able to:
KNOWLEDGE AND COMPREHENSION SKILLS:
- ability to understand the main elements in clear standard language discourse on familiar topics frequently encountered at work, university, leisure, etc.
- ability to understand the main points of many radio and television broadcasts on current affairs or topics of personal or professional interest
- ability to understand commonly used written texts related to everyday life or work.
ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
- ability to describe, by linking simple expressions, experiences and events, one's dreams, hopes and ambitions
- ability to justify and explain opinions and plans.
- ability to write simple, coherent texts and personal letters explaining experiences and impressions.
AUTONOMY OF JUDGEMENT:
- Evaluate personal and work contingencies, considering critical success factors, in order to formulate strategies to improve the personal (current and/or future) work situation;
- Making relevant judgements on the appropriateness of various language levels (standard,
sustained, ...);
COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS:
- Dealing with situations one may face while travelling in an area where the language is spoken.
- Present concepts and make logical connections quickly.
Program
At the B1 level, independent users can comprehend the main points of clear and standard input on familiar topics commonly encountered in work, school, leisure, and daily life. They possess the ability to handle most situations that may arise while traveling in a region where the language is spoken and can generate straightforward, connected texts on subjects of personal interest or familiarity. Additionally, B1-level learners can articulate experiences, events, dreams, hopes, and ambitions, providing brief reasons and explanations for their opinions and plans.
In terms of language functions, they can describe people's physical attributes and character, express emotions and moods, depict cities, geography, and climate, make comparisons between places, individuals, and customs, discuss leisure activities, offer their opinions, demonstrate agreement or disagreement, narrate past events, talk about future plans and schedules, formulate hypotheses, provide advice and assess possibilities, give instructions and orders, grant or prohibit permission, request and furnish information, express obligations, and convey reported speech connected to the present.
Regarding grammatical content, learners at this level must be familiar with various grammatical elements, including the passé composé and l'imparfait (past tenses), temporal indicators like "il y a" and "depuis," expressions of duration, adverbs ending in -ment, intensity adverbs, exclamations using "Quel" + noun and "Comment/Qu'est-ce que" + phrase, as well as various other elements such as negation, cause and consequence expressions, possessive adjectives and pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, quantity expressions, and more.
The lexical content includes vocabulary related to everyday life, encompassing topics like home, work, university, food, leisure, and nature, along with descriptions of physical characteristics and personalities. Furthermore, learners are equipped with general abstract vocabulary to discuss contemporary issues like climate change, emigration, politics, and interculturality, or topics of personal interest such as art, cinema, sports, music, and emotional states.
In terms of language functions, they can describe people's physical attributes and character, express emotions and moods, depict cities, geography, and climate, make comparisons between places, individuals, and customs, discuss leisure activities, offer their opinions, demonstrate agreement or disagreement, narrate past events, talk about future plans and schedules, formulate hypotheses, provide advice and assess possibilities, give instructions and orders, grant or prohibit permission, request and furnish information, express obligations, and convey reported speech connected to the present.
Regarding grammatical content, learners at this level must be familiar with various grammatical elements, including the passé composé and l'imparfait (past tenses), temporal indicators like "il y a" and "depuis," expressions of duration, adverbs ending in -ment, intensity adverbs, exclamations using "Quel" + noun and "Comment/Qu'est-ce que" + phrase, as well as various other elements such as negation, cause and consequence expressions, possessive adjectives and pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, quantity expressions, and more.
The lexical content includes vocabulary related to everyday life, encompassing topics like home, work, university, food, leisure, and nature, along with descriptions of physical characteristics and personalities. Furthermore, learners are equipped with general abstract vocabulary to discuss contemporary issues like climate change, emigration, politics, and interculturality, or topics of personal interest such as art, cinema, sports, music, and emotional states.
Books
Inspire 2 Jean-Thierry Le Bougnec et M.José Lopes ed. HACHETTE FLE
Bibliography
Inspire 2 Jean-Thierry Le Bougnec et M.José Lopes ed. HACHETTE FLE
Grammaire FOCUS (A1/B1) ed. HACHETTE FLE
Grammaire FOCUS (A1/B1) ed. HACHETTE FLE
Teaching methods
Tasks will be set within the framework of a communicative methodology. Meetings with the teacher are aimed at activating the language that is required to communicate at this level and at monitoring progress. Students must undertake the activities presented in the class manual and other activities independently in order to consolidate the required linguistic and socio-cultural content.
Exam Rules
Students will undergo assessment through a final written and oral exam, which accounts for 60% of their overall grade. The written test is designed to assess their proficiency in various areas, including grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and listening comprehension, with exercises presented in a multiple-choice format. Other tasks involve linguistic completion and transformation exercises based on the course's linguistic content. Additionally, students will engage in a written production activity, either based on a provided text or a specific prompt.
In this intensive course, continuous assessment plays a crucial role, constituting 40% of the final grade. Students are expected to independently reinforce their linguistic and cultural knowledge by utilizing supplementary course materials and actively participating in classroom activities. Their final grade will be a composite of their performance in
independent learning and their contributions to in-class activities.
Those students who do not actively engage in the course will be required to prepare extra reading materials. Non-attending students will need to take the final written and oral exam, which includes an additional written component based on assigned readings. Their grade
will be determined solely by this final examination.
Furthermore, students who have attended less than 80% of classes will be categorized as non-attending students and will also be mandated to take the final exam.
For assessment purposes, the following scheme will be used:
Unsuitable: major deficiencies and/or inaccuracies in the knowledge and understanding of the topics; limited capacity for analysis and synthesis, frequent generalisations and limited critical and judgmental skills, the topics are set out inconsistently and with inappropriate language;
18-20: barely sufficient knowledge and understanding of the topics with possible generalisations and imperfections; sufficient capacity for analysis synthesis and autonomy of judgement, the topics are frequently exposed in an incoherent way and with inappropriate/technical language;
21-23: Routine knowledge and understanding of topics; ability to analyse and synthesise correctly with sufficiently coherent logical argumentation and appropriate/technical language
24-26: Fair knowledge and understanding of the topics; Good analytical and synthetic skills with arguments expressed in a rigorous manner but with language that is not always appropriate/technical.
27-29: Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the topics; considerable capacity for analysis and synthesis. Good autonomy of judgement. Arguments presented in a rigorous manner and with appropriate/technical language
30-30L: Excellent level of knowledge and thorough understanding of topics. Excellent analytical and synthetic skills and independent judgement. Arguments expressed in an original manner and with appropriate technical language.
In this intensive course, continuous assessment plays a crucial role, constituting 40% of the final grade. Students are expected to independently reinforce their linguistic and cultural knowledge by utilizing supplementary course materials and actively participating in classroom activities. Their final grade will be a composite of their performance in
independent learning and their contributions to in-class activities.
Those students who do not actively engage in the course will be required to prepare extra reading materials. Non-attending students will need to take the final written and oral exam, which includes an additional written component based on assigned readings. Their grade
will be determined solely by this final examination.
Furthermore, students who have attended less than 80% of classes will be categorized as non-attending students and will also be mandated to take the final exam.
For assessment purposes, the following scheme will be used:
Unsuitable: major deficiencies and/or inaccuracies in the knowledge and understanding of the topics; limited capacity for analysis and synthesis, frequent generalisations and limited critical and judgmental skills, the topics are set out inconsistently and with inappropriate language;
18-20: barely sufficient knowledge and understanding of the topics with possible generalisations and imperfections; sufficient capacity for analysis synthesis and autonomy of judgement, the topics are frequently exposed in an incoherent way and with inappropriate/technical language;
21-23: Routine knowledge and understanding of topics; ability to analyse and synthesise correctly with sufficiently coherent logical argumentation and appropriate/technical language
24-26: Fair knowledge and understanding of the topics; Good analytical and synthetic skills with arguments expressed in a rigorous manner but with language that is not always appropriate/technical.
27-29: Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the topics; considerable capacity for analysis and synthesis. Good autonomy of judgement. Arguments presented in a rigorous manner and with appropriate/technical language
30-30L: Excellent level of knowledge and thorough understanding of topics. Excellent analytical and synthetic skills and independent judgement. Arguments expressed in an original manner and with appropriate technical language.