B2504 - Language and Culture of French-Speaking Countries (First Language) II

Course contents

The course aims to consolidate and further develop the linguistic structures acquired in previous years at the morphological, syntactic, and lexical levels, with particular emphasis on discourse coherence and linguistic variation. Part of the course will also be devoted to the analysis of contemporary French society and the French-speaking world.

More specifically, the course will focus on the following objectives:

1. Consolidation of written and oral expression: through text manipulation exercises (reformulation activities), students will broaden and refine their linguistic repertoire in a variety of domains and develop greater proficiency in academic French. This work will also strengthen listening comprehension skills as well as socio-cultural competences.

2. Linguistic reflection through a contrastive Italian/French approach: in addition to reinforcing the grammatical structures of French, the course will address issues of interference between Italian and French (at both morphological and syntactic levels), with the aim of minimizing transfer errors and deepening students’ metalinguistic awareness.

3. Analysis of contemporary French society, its emerging challenges, and current debates in various fields, together with an introduction to selected cultural topics related to the French-speaking world (Francophonie).

Readings/Bibliography

Compulsory

LECTURE NOTES available on Virtuale E-learning platform

M.F. Merger, L. Sini, Le nouveau côte à côte, Amon Edizioni, 2013

 

Online resources

http://bdl.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/bdl/gabarit_bdl.asp?Al=1

https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/

 

Recommended

GRAMMAR BOOKS

F. BIDAUD, Grammaire du français pour Italophones + Exercices de grammaire française pour Italophones, Utet Università

 

DICTIONARIES

- Le Petit Robert (dictionnaire unilingue)

- Dictionnaire des synonymes, nuances et contraires, Le Robert (« Les Usuels »)

- Dictionnaire des combinaisons de mots, Le Robert, (« Les Usuels »)

Teaching methods

The course includes:

• an in-depth study of grammar aimed at consolidating previously acquired knowledge and enabling students to reach C1 level, as well as a contrastive linguistic analysis of Italian and French through practical exercises to be completed both at home and in class;
• further development of written expression and stylistic competence (formal and academic register), as well as discourse cohesion and coherence (expressions of cause, consequence, purpose, opposition, concession, hypothesis, and condition);
• practical training in listening comprehension and in written and oral reformulation of authentic texts, to be carried out in class or at home, followed by individualized feedback and correction by the instructor, enabling students to prepare effectively for the writing component of the examination. Work completed at home requires the mandatory use of the Virtuale e-learning platform;
• oral presentations (“Exposés”) to be prepared and delivered in small groups on a topic chosen in agreement with the instructor.

Attendance is mandatory and students must attend at least 70% of the total course hours. The course is supplemented by a French Language Lectureship (20 hours), with a minimum attendance requirement of 70%.

Assessment methods

Written exam:

Writing: production of several short texts based on the activities and text types covered during the course (reformulation, expansion, adaptation, etc.). The use of a monolingual dictionary is permitted.

It is strictly forbidden to use AI during the exam. Any violation of this rule will be considered a serious breach of academic ethics.

Oral exam:

Oral interview in French on the cultural content covered in class (materials provided by the instructor and exposés presented by students during the semester).

Please note:
Students who complete an exposé during the semester will receive one extra point added to their final grade for the French Language and Culture exam.

 

Learning assessment scale:

30-30L Excellent. The candidate possesses excellent linguistic skills (at morphological, syntactical and lexical levels, with particular attention being given to cohesion/coherence, language variation, “la phrase complexe et la prise de risques”) with a very high level of proficiency in the language studied.
27-29 Above Average. Candidate makes only minor errors and demonstrates a solid command of the required skills and competencies.
24- 26 Generally Good. Candidate shows some gaps, indicating reasonable mastery of the required skills and competencies.
21-23 Adequate. Candidate shows significant deficiencies and only adequate mastery of the required skills and competencies.
18- 20 Minimal. Candidate meets only the minimum required level and shows minimal mastery of the required skills and competencies.
< 18 Failed. Candidate does not meet the required standard and shows completely inadequate mastery of the required skills and competencies.

 

Students with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) or with disabilities that can affect their ability to attend courses are invited to contact the University service for students with disabilities and SLD at the earliest opportunity -- ideally before the start of the course: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students. The University service will suggest possible adjustments to the course work and/or exam, which must then be submitted to the course leader so they can assess their feasibility, in line with the learning objectives of the course. Please note that adjustments to the exam must be requested at least two weeks in advance.

Teaching tools

• Materials available on the Virtuale e-learning platform
  (The access password will be provided during the first class)

• Materials listed in the bibliography

• Computer, video projector

Office hours

See the website of Samantha Iafrate