Course Title: French 5
Part A: Course Overview
Course Title: French 5
Credit Points: 12.00
Course Coordinator: Prof. Kerry Mullan
Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 2264
Course Coordinator Email: kerry.mullan@rmit.edu.au
Course Coordinator Location: Building 37. Level 5. Room 32
Course Coordinator Availability: By appointment
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
Required Prior Study
You should have satisfactorily completed LANG1197/LANG1430 French 4 or Year 12 French before you commence this course.
Alternatively, you may be able to demonstrate the required skills and knowledge before you start this course. .
Contact your course coordinator if you think you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning.
Students who have had approximately 180 hours of French tuition in another institution and have reached an upper intermediate level (B1 on the CEFR*) may be allowed to enrol in the course but only after a placement test. (Please contact the course coordinator to organise this.) Please note that enrolments may be refused on the basis of previous French study or abilities, and enrolment in a different course may be recommended. A student’s enrolment in a course for which s/he holds incompatible qualifications may be cancelled at any time. This cancellation may involve forfeiture of credit, and students may remain liable for course fees.
* Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
Course Description
This course is the fifth of eight consecutive courses in French offered at RMIT University.
The course will build on your existing knowledge of the French language and culture by engaging with film and multimedia and by examining a range of topical social issues. Through the analysis of a wide range of authentic materials (interviews, newspaper articles, songs) which discuss these themes, you will be given the opportunity to reflect on some social issues in contemporary France, and to apply these to the Australian context.
All classes will be delivered in French, and emphasis will be placed on the development of oral fluency and aural competency, as well as your written ability in the French language.
You will be encouraged to be responsible for your own learning and to build on your knowledge to a level where learning can continue in further study or self-directed learning. The course will equip you with further knowledge for cross-cultural situations within the framework of language and associated non-verbal communication.
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
This course will complement the RMIT capabilities you are developing in your program.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Communicate effectively and confidently in both oral and written French on familiar topics in most social and vocational contexts
- Reflect on and begin to use a variety of registers in the French language appropriately in a range of contexts
- Evaluate and debate in French some topical social issues in contemporary French culture (e.g. the question of French identity), in French
- Analyse and discuss a range of authentic spoken and written materials in French, including film and multimedia
- Use the language learning strategies you have acquired, and demonstrate independent learning.
- Critically debate areas of cultural values and norms in French speaking countries and contrast them with the Australian context.
Overview of Learning Activities
A variety of structured in class exercises provide opportunities to develop your skills, with emphasis placed on communicative skill building, guided and natural conversations, and hypothetical situations.
Multimedia teaching and learning resources, and readings relating to sociolinguistics and cross-cultural communication issues will be introduced and discussed. Various role-plays, exercises and games are employed to expose potential difficulties which may arise in cross-cultural communication.
You will be expected to participate actively in many pair and group activities and to use only French. Therefore, regular class attendance is important to support your learning.
Overview of Learning Resources
You may need to purchase a prescribed text and a recommended language dictionary. Multimedia teaching and learning resources and tools will also be used, and made available through MyRMIT Studies.
Include text: The Ultimate French Review and Practice (Premium fourth edition)
RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.
There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal.
Overview of Assessment
Assessment Tasks
You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes.
Assessment Task 1: Listening and writing, 25%, CLO1, CLO2, CLO3, CLO4, CLO5.
Assessment Task 2: Oral debate with written component, 25%, CLO1, CLO3, CLO4, CLO6.
Assessment Task 3: Listening and writing, 30%, CLO1, CLO2, CLO3, CLO4, CLO5, CLO6.
Assessment Task 4: Two ‘devoirs’/homework: Oral and written (300-500 words each), 20%, CLO1, CLO3, CLO4, CLO5.
Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.
If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.
Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions.