Overview
This language module is designed for students who have completed Level 903/003 Elementary 3 or have a low A2 standard of the language in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), for example a good GCSE. Through a variety of methods – including both spontaneous and prepared class discussions on various topics - students will develop an upper elementary competence in reading, writing, listening and speaking and an understanding of upper elementary grammar. At the end of this 12-week module students will have reached an A2+ proficiency level in the CEFR and will be able to confidently carry out everyday tasks, including unfamiliar ones, express their opinions about familiar topics and function in basic professional contexts. They will have a good understanding of life and culture of countries where the language is spoken and the intercultural skills necessary for their language proficiency level.
Schedule
Week 1: Discussing the education system in France – The future tense (futur simple), expressing wishes and hopes.
Week 2: Evaluating the pros and cons of artificial intelligence – Expressing hypothesis using si + present/future tenses; the conditional present.
Week 3: CV writing in French – Present and past time markers
Week 4: Speaking about (un)happiness in the workplace – Expressing feelings and emotions
Week 5: Assessing the advantages of working from home – Expressions of obligation, prohibition, and permission.
Week 6: Talking about interview techniques – Reported speech (direct and indirect).
Week 7: Discussing the benefits of travelling abroad – Formation of questions using different registers (formal/informal/neutral).
Week 8: Describing past holidays – Using the passé compose and imparfait tenses simultaneously.
Week 9: Evaluating sustainable travel initiatives, discussing travel blogs – Expressing restrictions using ne…que; using the gerund to express simultaneity or the way of doing something eg. en faisant, en allant, en ayant, en étant
Week 10: Comparing Belgian and French culture – Expressing appreciation of and interest in things; use of tout/toute/tous/toutes.
Week 11: Talking about reading habits and the books we like – Expressing duration; using ne…personne; ne…rien; and ne…aucun/aucune.
Week 12: Written and speaking tests will take place this week. Completing the assessment is required for students taking the course as part of their degree, or if they would like to have the course recorded in their HEAR.
For all other students, taking the tests is also strongly recommended, as a measure of your progress and learning.
Textbook details:
ISBN: 9788411571548
30 approx. (same book as used in Level 3)
Study Hours
The total number of study hours for this module is 150 hours, in line with undergraduate university modules. This includes class meetings, assessment preparation and self-directed study in line with guidance from the course lecturer.
If you are studying on the extracurricular option, we recognise that the total number of hours that you may be able to study every week may depend on your availability and previous experience studying languages, however, expected contribution to classes, homework completion, and learning outcomes will not vary.
Course Lecturer: John McInally
John completed his PhD at the University of Liverpool in early 2024. A specialist in Belgian colonialism in Africa and cultural production about the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, he has held the position of Research Fellow in Francophone African Studies at the University of St Andrews since March 2024. Having previously been a French and German teacher in secondary schools, John taught both these languages alongside undergraduate cultural modules at the University of Liverpool from 2018 to 2024. John has lived, worked and studied in both France and Germany and has a passion for the language of both countries as well as a deep interest in the history and cultures of the areas in which they are spoken.
Fees for language courses are £190/£95.
Please note that the ‘last date available to book’ date is only a guide. We reserve the right to close bookings earlier.
In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure enrol as soon as possible. Registrations will not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm.
Visit our fee bands page to see which fee applies to you.
Back to: Languages