Trinity College Dublin
Two-Subject Moderatorship French
Senior Sophister
School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
2010/11
Please note that a word version of this document is available from the Department webpage.
This Handbook should be read in conjunction with relevant entries in the University Calendar. In case of any conflict between the Handbook and the Calendar, the provisions of the Calendar shall apply. Copies of the University Calendar can be purchased, consulted in the Library, or on the web:
http://www.tcd.ie/calendar/
TABLE OF CONTENTS
General Information ……………………………………………………………….. Page 3
Senior Sophister Requirements and Assessment Procedures ………………… Page 6
ECTS ……………. ……………………………………………………………….. Page 8
Examination Procedures …………………………………………………………… Page 9
Essay Writing & Writing in French …………………………………………….… Page 12
Senior Sophister Courses:
Language ……………….……………………………………………………. Page 14
Topics …………………………………………………………………….…… Page 15
Special Subjects …………………………………………………………………...….. Page 25
Plagiarism …………………………………………………………………………...… Page 26
Important Calendar Regulations ………………………………………………………. Page 28
GENERAL INFORMATION
This handbook applies to all students taking Senior Sophister Two-Subject Moderatorship French. It 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 College e-mail and the Department notice board: be sure to consult both regularly. 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 General Regulations will prevail.
The Department of French is part of the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural studies. Trinity College College has the world's oldest tradition of modern language studies, with chairs dating back to 1776. Today the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies combines the strengths of this tradition in a group of established Departments which between them teach almost a dozen languages at undergraduate and postgraduate level. The School's research in literary, language and cultural studies ranges from the medieval to the very contemporary. The Head of School is Dr Sarah Smyth and the School is part of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. For further information, consult: http://www.tcd.ie/langs-lits-cultures/ .
LECTURING STAFF
Individual telephones can be accessed from outside College by pre-fixing (01) 896; email addresses are followed by <@tcd.ie>.
Professor David Scott, (Head of Department), room 3135, tel. 1374, email <dscott> (sabbical leave Hilary term 2011)
Dr Sarah Alyn-Stacey, room 4105, tel 2686, email <salynsta>
Ms Annick Ferré, room 4104, tel. 1977, email <ferrea>
Dr Edward Arnold, room 4106, tel. 1836, email <ejarnold>
Professor Johnnie Gratton, room 4090, tel 2278, email <grattonj>
Dr James Hanrahn, room 4107, tel. 1841 email <jhanrahan>
Dr Rachel Hoare, room 4103, tel. 1842, email <rmhoare>
Dr Claire Laudet, room 4108, tel. 2313, email <claudet>
Mr David Parris, room 4112, tel. 1979, email <dparris> retired from 31/12/2010
Dr Paule Salerno-O'Shea, room 4113, tel. 1472, email <psalerno>
Lecteurs/Lectrices - Room 4077, ext 1248
Jean-Baptiste FOURNIER
Gwenaëlle LEVAVASSEUR
Marion NAUGRETTE
Etudiant(e)s étranger(e)s - Room 4111
Hugo LUQUET
Nastasia PACAGNINI
Maud PELISSIER
Alexandra TAUVRY
Samantha WEYER-BROWN
Senior Executive Officers
Ms Mary Kelly / Ms Sinéad Doran, room 4109, tel. 1553, email <french>
Executive Officer
Tracy Corbett/Lorraine Kerr, room 4089, tel. 1333, email <tcorbett>, <lkerr>
Term Dates 2010-2011
Michaelmas Term:
Monday 27 September 2010 – Friday 17 December 2010
Study week: 08 November 2010 – 12 November 2010 inclusive
Hilary Term:
Monday 17 January 2011 – Friday 8 April 2011
Study week: 28 February 2011 – 4 March 2010 inclusive
Exam Period:
Tuesday 3 May 2011 – Friday 27 May 2011
Teaching Term Dates: Academic Year 2010-2011Michaelmas Term / Hilary Term
Wk 5 / 27 Sept - 01 Oct / Teaching Week 1 / Wk 21 / 17 Jan - 21 Jan / Teaching Week 1
Wk 6 / 04 Oct - 08 Oct / Teaching Week 2 / Wk 22 / 24 Jan - 28 Jan / Teaching Week 2
Wk 7 / 11 Oct - 15 Oct / Teaching Week 3 / Wk 23 / 31 Jan - 04 Feb / Teaching Week 3
Wk 8 / 18 Oct - 22 Oct / Teaching Week 4 / Wk 24 / 07 Feb - 11 Feb / Teaching Week 4
Wk 9 / 25 Oct - 29 Oct / Teaching Week 5 / Wk 25 / 14 Feb - 18 Feb / Teaching Week 5
Wk 10 / 01 Nov - 05 Nov / Teaching Week 6 / Wk 26 / 21 Feb - 25 Feb / Teaching Week 6
Wk 11 / 08 Nov - 12 Nov / Teaching Week 7 Study week / Wk 27 / 28 Feb - 04 Mar / Teaching Week 7 Study week
Wk 12 / 15 Nov - 19 Nov / Teaching Week 8 / Wk 28 / 07 Mar - 11 Mar / Teaching Week 8
Wk 13 / 22 Nov - 26 Nov / Teaching Week 9 / Wk 29 / 14 Mar - 18 Mar / Teaching Week 9
Wk 14 / 29 Nov - 03 Dec / Teaching Week 10 / Wk 30 / 21 Mar - 25 Mar / Teaching Week 10
Wk 15 / 06 Dec - 10 Dec / Teaching Week 11 / Wk 31 / 28 Mar - 01 Apr / Teaching Week 11
Wk 16 / 13 Dec - 17 Dec / Teaching Week 12 / Wk 32 / 04 Apr - 08 Apr / Teaching Week 12
Coordination
Overall Year Coordinator (until 31st December, 2010): Mr David Parris
SENIOR SOPHISTER REQUIREMENTS AND ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES
Please keep this document for reference
Definition of learning outcomes:
On successful completion of the programme, students will be able to:
· communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, in English and French, with native speakers in academic, professional and social settings,
· organize and present ideas in English and French, within the framework of a structured and reasoned argument, oral or written,
· demonstrate a broad knowledge of the historical, social and cultural development of France and French speaking countries,
· analyze critically and independently, in English and French, a variety of texts and documents from different periods and sources,
· demonstrate an ability to use specific disciplines such as linguistics, literature, ideas and culture to analyze and contextualize texts, other documents, concepts and theories,
· translate a range of texts to and from French, with accuracy, consistency and appropriateness of register and expression,
· identify original research questions in one of the fields of linguistics, literature, ideas and culture and select and use appropriate methodologies and relevant resources, leading to the writing of a dissertation
· mobilize the knowledge, strategies and skills needed for further intellectual development and independent, life-long learning as well as for undertaking further, autonomous study.
The requirements for Senior Sophister students in TSM French in 2009/10 are as follows:
1. Language: All students are required to attend language classes, and submit regular written work.
2. Topics: Students select two Topics from the range offered. All choices are subject to availability, to timetable constraints and to the approval of the Head of Department. For details of courses, see list below. One assessment essay counting toward the overall final mark must be submitted in respect of each topic.
Submission dates:
Essay 1: 12pm on first day of HT (17 January 2011)
Essay 2: by 12pm on the last day of the end of week 10 HT (25 March 2011)
One essay shall be in English and the other in French. The essay and examination marks shall be combined in the proportions 50:25:25.
3. Special Subject Dissertation: Each student selects a special subject of his or her own choice, in consultation with an appropriate member of staff. Please note that members of staff are instructed not to accept more than their quota of supervises, and the fact that a student wishes to be supervised by a member of staff does not guarantee that the member of staff will be able or willing to act. It would obviously be prudent to consult with the supervisor of your choice at an early stage. The candidate's work on this special subject is to be embodied in a dissertation of 9,000 to 12,000 words, to be written in English or French, or in an alternative piece of submitted work of a different nature but of comparable substance, to be submitted in either case by Dissertation: by 12noon on the first day of teaching week 8 (7 March 2011). A computer-generated word-count must be included on the title page of your submitted dissertation. Please note that, if you exceed the set word-limit, your dissertation will be returned with an instruction to reduce the length appropriately. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure (s)he maintains adequate contact with her/his supervisor, who will provide guidance on how to improve content. Students should also ensure that they receive a copy of the Departmental document which provides essential notes on preparation and presentation of dissertations.
4. Residence Abroad Requirements[1]:
Students taking one or more modern languages other than English must spend not less than two months in the country of each language in order to fulfill the requirements of their course; students of Irish must spend at least the same amount of time in the Gaeltacht. The residence required for each language MUST BE COMPLETED before the moderatorship examination in that language. Students who fail to meet this requirement will have their Moderatorship exam results witheld. This requirement can be waived only in exceptional circumstances and with the prior approval of the schools or departments concerned.
The assessment for Moderatorship Part II for 2010/2011 is as follows:
1. Language paper I = 5 ECTS (Translation into French (50 points) + résumé (50 points))
2. Language paper II = 5 ECTS (Translation from French (50 points) + essay (50 points))
3. Topic I = 15 ECTS (term essay (50 points) and two examination questions (together, 50 points))
4. Topic II = 15 ECTS (term essay (50 points) and two examination questions (together, 50 points))
5. Special subject = 15 ECTS (thesis or equivalent work to be submitted in French or English 100 points).
6. Oral examination = 5 ECTS (50 points)
7. Options I and II = 20 ECTS (submitted work, carried forward from Junior Sophister: 150 marks)
Items 1) to 6) add up to 550 points, which are then reduced mathematically to a mark out of 500 rounded up, and combined with the assessment carried forward from JS, which carries 150 marks, thus giving a final mark out of 650 – see below. Candidates must satisfy the examiners in respect of the language assessment as a whole (nos. 1,2 and 6) by achieving an average of 40/100 (or better).
The oral examination takes place in the presence of an extern examiner. As part of this examination, candidates will be required to deliver an oral exposé on one of two subjects chosen by the candidate, and approved in advance. The examination is followed immediately by discussion, also in French, of the candidate’s dissertation, which may result in a modification of the provisional mark given.
Students are required to submit two term essays during the year, one per topic and one of which must be written in French. Students may decide which topic their essay may be written on for each term (e.g. a student may submit a MT essay for Topic 1 in French and a HT essay for Topic 2 in English.)
Candidates should note that, following comments from extern examiners concerning an unduly narrow focus of study in some instances, all ‘Topic’ papers will carry the rubric that candidates should avoid substantial overlap with (a) answers on the same paper and (b) dissertation subjects.
WHAT IS ECTS?
The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is an academic credit system based on the estimated student workload required to achieve the objectives of a module or programme of study. It is designed to enable academic recognition for periods of study, to facilitate student mobility and credit accumulation and transfer. The ECTS is the recommended credit system for higher education in Ireland and across the European Higher Education Area.
The ECTS weighting for a module is a measure of the student input or workload required for that module, based on factors such as the number of contact hours, the number and length of written or verbally presented assessment exercises, class preparation and private study time, laboratory classes, examinations, clinical attendance, professional training placements, and so on as appropriate. There is no intrinsic relationship between the credit volume of a module and its level of difficulty.
The European norm for full-time study over one academic year is 60 credits. The Trinity academic year is 40 weeks from the start of Michaelmas Term to the end of the annual examination period 1 ECTS credit represents 20-25 hours estimated student input, so a 10-credit module will be designed to require 200-250 hours of student input including class contact time and assessments.
ECTS credits are awarded to a student only upon successful completion of the course year. Progression from one year to the next is determined by the course regulations. Students who fail a year of their course will not obtain credit for that year even if they have passed certain component courses. Exceptions to this rule are one-year and part-year visiting students, who are awarded credit for individual modules successfully completed.
EXAMINATION PROCEDURES
1) Examination papers and assessment essays will be set and marked according to the agreed procedures of the Department. In the case of Moderatorship (or degree) examinations, papers will be submitted to extern examiners for comment prior to submission to the Senior Lecturer’s office.
2) Sophister language papers and all Moderatorship part II papers will be double-marked.
3) For each year or course, a Chief Examiner will be appointed to co-ordinate the running of the examinations, return marks, and provide relevant information to candidates. The Chief Examiner shall, in agreement with the Head of Department, convene an examiners’ meeting to review and finalize marks, in the presence of extern examiners where a Moderatorship examination is concerned. In the case of interdisciplinary courses (ES, CSLL) the only function of the French Department meeting is to return a mark to the relevant course co-ordinating committee.