30950 - French Language and Linguistics 1 (A)

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student possesses a fundamental knowledge of metalanguage and various aspects of a descriptive-analytic model of the French language and is competent in all communicative skills at the B1 level of the parameters set by the Council of Europe.

Course contents

The teaching of French language and linguistics in the three-year degree programme aims to highlight the main features of the French language in all its dimensions (phonetics, morphology, lexicology, syntax) and to provide students with methodological tools to practise it correctly.

Language courses (Grammaire et textes + Oral)

Year 1 consists of a single language exercise course (6 hours per week for each group) for the preparation of the written test (Grammaire et textes) and for the preparation of the oral language test (Oral). Students are expected to follow the exercises throughout the academic year (first and second semester). These will be accompanied by the official course (Linguistique française) held by the lecturer, Prof. Valeria Zotti, which will only be held in the 2nd semester.

Official course (Linguistique française)

The official course aims to introduce the fundamentals of French linguistics and its main branches (phonetics and phonology, morphology, semantics and lexicology), through a reflection on the cultural distinctiveness of the French linguistic landscape and a thoughtful practice of the main lexicographic resources in electronic media.
In the first part of the course, the main stages of the history of linguistics in the French-speaking field will be traced, dwelling on some key concepts for the descriptive study of language with a scientific approach (langage, langue, parole, discours).
In the second part of the course, the constituent aspects of the Le Petit Robert alphabetic and analogue French language dictionary will be examined, a starting point for the study of the basics of French phonetics and orthography, lexicon formation (etymology and derivation) and its semantics. The analysis of Le Petit Robert French language dictionary, as "the place where the advances made by research in the field of language sciences over the centuries are condensed," will be combined with reference exercises and practical applications aimed at highlighting its usefulness for understanding and producing the/in French language, as well as for translating vocabulary.

The official course, taught by Prof. Valeria Zotti, will take place only in the 2nd semester.

Readings/Bibliography

Language courses: 

• Grammaire française pour italophones, par F. Bidaud, UTET (+ Exercices de grammaire française pour italophones, par F. Bidaud, UTET)
• Grammaire progressive du français (niveau intermédiaire et avancé), CLE International.
• Phonétique progressive du français (niveau intermédiaire), CLE International.
• Vocabulaire Progressif du français (niveau intermédiaire), CLE International.
• Manuel de Français. Compétences linguistiques, communicatives et culturelles, par Françoise Bidaud, HOEPLI.

Official course: 

A. Lehmann, F. Martin-Berthet, Lexicologie. Sémantique, morphologie, lexicographie, Paris, A. Colin, 2013.

J. Podeur, L'oeil écoute. Méthode de prononciation du français, Liguori, 2005 [e-book].

A supplementary handout will be made available on the VIRTUAL platform.

Teaching methods

Language courses

Tutorials will be held throughout the year and will be used to prepare for the final exam, which must be taken after the end of the lectures  (starting with the summer session - 1st session: May/June; 2nd session: August/September; 3rd session: January/February).

- Grammaire et textes for written preparation (D. Caddoux / M. Cohen / T. Manconi)

- Oral for oral preparation (D. Caddoux / M. Cohen / T. Manconi)

Official course

In addition to the language exercises, students will only have to take classes related to the OFFICIAL COURSE (Lecturer: Prof. Valeria ZOTTI for group A - beginners and false beginners, and for group B - advanced) in the 2nd semester.

The two groups of the official course (A and B) are divided on the basis of the possession or not of language certifications or ESABAC diploma to be documented to the lecturer at the beginning of the course (February 2023), by writing to Prof. Zotti (valeria.zotti@unibo.it)

Assessment methods

To obtain the 9 CFUs of teaching French Language and Linguistics 1, you will have to take:

- a single written test of Grammaire et textes (during the three sessions: 1 written call for each session)

- one Oral linguistic assessment test (during the three sessions: 1 oral call for each session)

- a written test related to the official course (2 appeals per session, a total of 6 appeals in an academic year)

Please note: Each passed partial test remains valid for 4 sessions (including the first one, the one in which the test was taken), i.e., for one calendar year. E.g. If the written part of Grammaire e textes is passed in the first session in May, the student/s will have to complete the two missing parts (oral + official course) and verbalize the overall grade of the exam by the May session of the following a. y. Otherwise, he/she will have to take the partial again.

Teaching tools

Printed materials, audiovisual, Power Point, online resources.

Office hours

See the website of Valeria Zotti