Bess French Language & Civilisation 1 (French Society and Economy)

FR1040 Handbook

2016-17

BESS FRENCH LANGUAGE & CIVILISATION 1 (FRENCH SOCIETY AND ECONOMY)

French Department

School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies

Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

1.A Note on this Handbook

2 2.Introduction

3 3.Key Dates

4.Staff Contacts

5.General Information

6.Description of Module FR1040

7.Grading Criteria

8.Plagiarism

9.The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)

10.General Programme Regulations

11.Useful Guidelines

12.Student Supports

1. A Note on this Handbook

This handbook applies to all first year students taking module FR1040 (BESS, Soc.Soc.Pol, Business Studies, Social Studies and Business and Law students who chose French as an option as well as Business Studies and French for whom it is compulsory).

The module is taught by the French department, School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies (SLLCS). This handbook provides a guide to what is expected of you on this programme, and the academic and personal support available to you. Please retain for future reference.

The information provided in this handbook is accurate at time of preparation. Any necessary revisions will be notified to students via e-mail and notices on the notice board. Please note that, in the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the General Regulations published in the University Calendar and information contained in course handbooks, the provisions of the Calendar’s General Regulations will prevail.

2. Introduction

Welcome to the French Department, School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, in Trinity College.

FR1040, BESS French Language and Civilisation is compulsory for all Business Studies and French students and is available as an option to students studying BESS, Business and Law, Sociology and Social Policy, Business Studies or Social Studies. This module is part of what we often describe as the BESS French programme and has been specifically designed for students taking the above courses and Business Studies and French.

Other related French modules

FR104A Law and French students will take this module only during the first semester (Michaelmas Term or MT). The content is the same as for FR1040 MT.

FR1050, BSF French Writing Skills 1,is specific to Business Studies and French students.

We hope that you will enjoy this module. It aims to provide you with a better understanding of many aspects of contemporary France, to help you improve your oral and written French and develop your language learning skills so that you can become independent learners.

The approach used is based on the principle that the best way to learn a language is to use it. This means that we expect you to participate fully in the range of activities on offer. The modules are delivered through French, so as to maximise your contacts with the language. For some of you, this may be a new approach; others will already have a similar experience. Don’t worry, we know that it will take time for some of you to adjust, but we can guarantee that if you engage fully with us and with all the facets of the course (including the self-guided and self-access components), you will benefit from it and find that by the end of the first semester, attending a lecture in French, listening to a television broadcast, writing short paragraphs and discussing aspects of French society with other students will have become much easier.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the module coordinator.

We wish you all the best for your first year in Trinity.

3. Key Dates for your diary

Date / Event / Place
Wednesday 28th September, 2 p.m. / FR1040 First Lecture / Room 2039
Week starting 3rd October / FR1040 Tutorials start / Check your personal time-table on My.tcd.ie
Week starting 7th November / Study Week (Revisions, not holidays!) / No lecture, no tutorials
Wednesday 14th December 2016@ 2pm / MT MCQ TEST vocabulary and grammar / Room 2039 (during the normal lecture).
Week starting 16th January / Hilary Term starts – / FR1040 Lectures and tutorials restart. Check your on-line time-table for any changes
Wednesday 29th March 2016 @ 2pm / HT MCQ TESTvocabulary and grammar / Room 2039
Wednesday 5th April 2016 @ 2pm / Aural Exam(mini-lecture in French followed by questions in English on the lecture; answer questions in English) / Room 2039
Week starting 10th April / Oral exams / Time-table will be posted on notice board. Make sure you are available during the whole week
Between 2nd and 27th of May 2017 / Written exams / Check your exam time-table in My.tcd.ie
Between 28th of August and 8th September 2017 / Repeat exams (written, oral and aural only) – MCQs NOT included / Check your exam time-table in My.tcd.ie. Oral & aural will normally take place on same day as written paper. Check the noticeboard near 4089 for details

Details are correct at the time of publication. Some changes might be necessary later on.

4. Staff Contacts

Name / Role / Room / E-mail / Phone
Dr Claire Laudet / Head of Department
JF and Module Coordinator for
FR1040; FR104A;
FR1050, MichaelmasTerm / 4089/4090 / / 01 896 2278
Dr Paule Salerno-O’Shea / JF and Module Coordinator for
FR1040; FR104A;
FR1050, Hilary Term / 4113 / / 01 896 1472
Ms Florence Signorini / Teaching staff / 4080 /
Blandine Scoazec / Language Assistant / 4078 /
Méliné Kasparian / Language Assistant / 4078 /
Juliette Serres / Language Assistant / 4078 /
Céline Thobois / Language Assistant / 4078 /
Ms Tracy Corbett / Executive Officer
Bess French Office (not BESS Office) / 4089
Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays only. The office is open to students from 9.30 a.m. till 11.00 a.m. / / 01 896 1333

5. General Information

This is a 10 ECTS credits module.

Tutorial attendance is compulsory and will represent 5% of the end-of-year mark for the module. See further details in section 6.

The BESS/BSF French notice board is located next to room 4094 on level 4 of the Arts Building.

Course materials will be made available on a week-by-week basis through BlackBoard/MyModule. Click on

Computers, language laboratories and satellite TV/video workstations: In addition to the IT Services computer rooms (see map at you can access the facilities of the Centre for Language and Communication Studies (CLCS) located on level 4 of the Arts Building.

Audio Language laboratory
For self-access use: Room 4074.
Video/satellite TV
Self-access use only: Room 4074.
Computers/DVD playback
Self-access use: Room 4074.
Self-access and occasional class use: Room 4073.

Up-dates and new information will be sent by e-mail to your TCD e-mail account (MyMail). Make sure to CHECK YOUR TCD E-MAIL TWICE A WEEK.

6.Description of ModuleFR1040

BESS FRENCH LANGUAGE & CIVILISATION 1 (FRENCH SOCIETY AND ECONOMY)

10 ECTS credits (between 200 and 250 student-input hours)

This is a year-long module, delivered during both Michaelmas and Hilary terms.

It is compulsory for JF BSF students and an option for other cohorts.

Course overview

The course will introduce students to social and economic issues in the contemporary France context and make them aware of the specificity of France in these areas. The program has been designed to help students identify and develop language-learning skills they will then be able to use on their own.

Michaelmas Term (first semester)

Contemporary French Society

Timetable week number / Teaching week / Topic
5 / Week 1: / Introduction – Presentation of the module
6 / Week 2: / Spaces and ‘territoires’
7 / Week 3: / Demography: the population of France
8 / Week 4: / Immigration
9 / Week 5: / Social groups and social classes in France
10 / Week 6: / Secularism
11 / Week 7: / Study Week (no lectures, no tutorials)
12 / Week 8: / Primary and secondary education in France
13 / Week 9: / Third level education in France
14 / Week 10: / Inequalities
15 / Week 11: / Reducing inequalities: French social policies
16 / Week 12: / Conclusion and MCQ test

Hilary Term (second semester)

The French Economy

Time-table week / Teaching week / Topic
21 / Week 1: / Agriculture
22 / Week 2: / Industry
23 / Week 3: / The service sector
24 / Week 4: / French international trade
25 / Week 5: / Employment and unemployment in France
26 / Week 6: / The budget
27 / Week 7: / Study Week (no lectures, no tutorials)
28 / Week 8: / State intervention in France
29 / Week 9: / The economy of France: recent developments 1
30 / Week 10: / The economy of France: recent developments 2
31 / Week11: / Revisions and MCQ test
32 / Week 12: / Revisions and Aural test

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

make connections between events and facts from French current affairs and the wider French societal and economic framework outlined during the course;
follow lectures on these topics in French and take notes using an outline of the lecture;
read, identify and understand the structure and main points of French textbooks and articles from specialized periodicals and newspapers on the above topics;
read the same materials to locate and retrieve specific information;
understand a French native speaker presenting factual information on these topics;
discuss these topics with a French native speaker;
make short and structured oral presentations on aspects of French society and the French economy;
use authentic sources and course materials to develop their vocabulary and other language competencies;
describe, compare and contrast the situation in France and Ireland in the context of a discussion with French native speakers;.

Teaching methods

The course combines lectures, listening and reading comprehension activities, guided private study, tutorials and personal work. All lectures and tutorials are conducted in French. Each week’s teaching is centred on a specific topic.

Teaching Information

The module is delivered through a number of structured components. We advise you to follow the order below as each component builds on the skills, knowledge and vocabulary learnt in the previous component.

Every week you are expected to do the following:

In the early part of the week, you should do some preparatory lexical work on the theme for the week. The activities also include grammar and language points. See ‘A faire avant le cours’ folder on MyModule/BlackBoard.

(2 hours/week).

A listening comprehension activity, usually web-based. See ‘ A faire avant le tutorat’ folder on MyModule/Blackboard. You can use the CLCS computer facilities, any public access computer room if you have your own headphones or you can do this at home (but you may need to download additional software or up-dates to be able to view some documents). Please ensure you bring your worksheet to your tutorial every week.

(1 hour/week)

Attend the weekly lecture. Handouts will be available on MyModule/Blackboard for downloading and printing. Alternatively, you can bring your laptop to the lecture. Make sure that you save the documents sent to you on your own computer and/or on a USB.

The lectures are delivered in French on a topic related to the theme for the week.

(Lecture: 1 hour/week; reviewing and updating notes: 1 hour/week)

A reading comprehension task to be completed before your tutorial. A document will be available in MyModule/BlackBoard for downloading and printing Print the document, do the various tasks and bring it to your tutorial class every week.

(1 hour/week)

Attend your weekly tutorial, starting in week 2 of Michaelmas term and week 1 of Hilary term. Check your individual timetable at my.tcd.ie and/or the BESS/BSF French notice board next to room 4094. Relevant hand-outs will be distributed during your tutorials. Tutorials aim to give you the opportunity to apply and practice with your fellow students what you have learnt during the week, under the guidance of a French native speaker. Tutorial worksheets are only available during the tutorial and will not be made available electronically.

(1 hour/week)

Please note that attendance at tutorials is compulsory and counts for 5% of the module mark.

Personal work: review your notes, organise and learn new vocabulary, learn the grammar points, check the answers for the listening and reading comprehension activities, do some additional reading and listening, practice French conversation with a friend. Additional resources may be made available.

(1hour and a half per week at least)

Total: 8 hours and a half per week.

If this sounds a lot, remember that you are studying for 60 credits this year; this is a total number of between 1200 and 1500 student-input hours. Assuming you study for 32 weeks (22 weeks of lectures, 2 reading weeks, 1 week of study over the Christmas period, 3 weeks of exam revision, 4 weeks of exams,), and that the exams themselves will represent approximately 18 hours of student-input, you should be studying (in the broad sense) for 37 to 46 hours per week in total (so between 6 and 7.5 hours per week, per subject). This is what College thinks it takes to be successful! Keep this in mind when organising a part-time job or your social life!

If you do much less or much more, go and get advice from either your College tutor or Student Learning Development: ( )

Module timetable

Please check the noticeboard near 4094 and my.tcd.ie for timetable information.

Key texts

A one-volume bilingual dictionary, such as Robert-Collins or Oxford-Hachette or on-line equivalent. Pocket dictionaries are not sufficient.

Lecture hand-outs and other course materials are available from my.module (BlackBoard Learn). Materials for the tutorials are handed in during the tutorial class.

Assessment methods

The module is assessed as follows:

Annual Sitting:

Tutorial attendance5%
MCQ MT7.5%
MCQ HT7.5%

Written Exam Paper (3 h)35 %

Oral Examination25 %

(10 min. preparation + 10 min. presentation/discussion)

Listening Comprehension Test(note taking)1h.20 %

See for past papers

Students must satisfy the examiners with respect to both oral and aural assessments and written examinations.

You will be permitted to take the Supplemental examinations in late August/early September only if the court of examiners is satisfied that you have made a serious attempt at the annual examinations. Please check carefully your exam results in My.tcd.ie and the exam regulations in your main course handbook[1]and contact your College Tutor if you have any queries

Supplemental (Repeat) Sitting:

3-hour written paper (reading comprehension), 50 % of final mark.
An oral examination, 25 % of final mark.
An aural test, 25 % of final mark.

The results of the supplemental examinations are only based on the components above. Neither the MCQ nor attendance marks are included.

Students must be available during the whole supplemental examination period.

Attendance at tutorials is compulsory. Attendance Marks are allocated on a sliding scale, thus:

Attendance at 19 tutorials or more out of 21: 5 points

Attendance at 17 or 18 tutorials: 4 points

Attendance at 15 or 16 tutorials: 3 points

Attendance at 13 or 14 tutorials: 2 points

Attendance at 12 or fewer tutorials: 0 point

(5% of overall FR1040 mark).

An absence can only be excused if a medical certificate is presented to the BESS French Office in room 4089.

Continuous assessment

MCQ tests

These tests will take place during the 12th teaching week of MT, and at the end of HT (teaching week 11), 7.5% of overall FR1040 mark each.

Failure to sit MCQs will result in a mark of 0/100 unless a medical certificate is presented to the BESS French Office in room 4089. Students are expected to be available during term time for continuous assessment tests.

The MCQs comprise questions on both vocabulary and grammar. There is no negative marking. You will receive 1 point for a correct answer, 0 for a blank and 0 for a wrong answer.

Sample MCQ questions (MT):

1. Le taux de ...... exprime le nombre de décès pour 1000 habitants.

A - décèsB - mortalitéC - morbiditéD - mort

2. Une famille formée de 2 parents et de leurs enfants est une famille ......

A – atomiqueB - nucléaireC - normaleD- biparentale

3. La 1ère personne du pluriel de l’imparfait du verbe “finir” est ......

A - nous finirionsB - nous finissons C- nous finissionsD - nous finissiont

4. Autrefois, les enfants ...... toujours à l’école à pied.

A - vontB - allaientC - sont allés D - ont allé

The MCQ and attendance marks are included in the calculation of the overall mark for the summer examinations.

Examinations

The examinations will be graded using the following scale:

1 First / Excellent / 70-100%
2.1 Upper Second / Good / 60-69%
2.2 Lower Second / Quite good / 50-59%
3 Third / Adequate / 40-49%
F1 Fail 1 / Weak / 30-39%
F2 Fail 2 / Extremely weak / 0-29%

Grading Criteria

• The following grade profiles are general and typical: a candidate may not fit all aspects of a profile to fall into that grade band.

• The criteria set out below are applied in a manner appropriate to the Junior Freshman year.

• Allowance is made for work that is written under examination conditions, i.e. where time is limited and there is no access to dictionaries or other resources.

Written and aural comprehension papers

In FR1040, whereas in written comprehension papers both content and productive language competence are assessed, aural comprehension is judged predominantly on content, according to the requirements of the different questions:

For multiple choice questions, gap filling and re-ordering exercises, content only tested;
For summary of points of content in English, correctness and completeness as well as cohesion are assessed.

Where answers in English are required, clear, correct English and coherent structure are prerequisites for a II.2 mark or higher.

Oral Examinations

The following elements are taken into account to assess a student’s performance:

Performance of the task (30%), pronunciation/intonation (10%), fluency (10%), accuracy (10%), risk-taking and argumentation (20%), overall impression (20%).

• The following descriptions relate to a non-native learner of the language.

• The grade profiles are general and typical: a candidate may not fit all aspects of a profile to fall into that grade band and there may be elements that do not apply to every oral presentation.

• The criteria set out below are applied in a manner appropriate to the year of the degree programme.

I 70+ This grade indicates work of exceptional quality. A first-class oral performance will demonstrate some, though not necessarily all, of the following:

• Excellent level of fluency and accuracy: the language is spoken with few mistakes in lexis, syntax, morphology and pronunciation

• Rich, complex and idiomatic language, employing a wide range of appropriate lexis correctly;

Bess French Language & Civilisation 1 (French Society and Economy)

Table of contents

1.A Note on this Handbook

2

2.Introduction

3

3.Key Dates