French Language and Culture Through the Media

Curriculum guideline

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Print Guideline
Course
MODL 3111
Discontinued
No
Course code
MODL 3111
Descriptive
French Language and Culture Through the Media
Department
Modern Languages
Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Credits
3.00
Start date
End term
202220
PLAR
No
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
22
Contact hours
Seminar: 4 hours/week Lab: 1 hour/week
Method(s) of instruction
Lab
Seminar
Learning activities

Activities may include, but are not limited to the following:

Oral:

  1. Listening or watching French language broadcasts from radio and television.
  2. Watching films, made for television fiction, episodes of mini-series.
  3. Class discussions (could be in the form of a simulated editorial meeting, a debate or a press review).
  4. Oral comprehension exercises (summarizing, commenting, focusing on key concepts).
  5. Individual or group presentations, personal commentary with a question-and-answer portion or group podcasts simulating a talk show, debate or roundtable discussion.

Written:

  1. Reading French language newspapers and magazines.
  2. Writing personal commentary or opinion essays.
  3. Summary, synthesis or analysis of an article, news report, film or TV episode.
  4. Critique of published criticisms (book, film reviews, political commentaries, editorials, etc.).

Oral and Written:

  1. Vocabulary exercises (using new words, learning the different senses of a word, using new idiomatic expressions).
  2. Independent background research (political and economic structures, biographies, historical context).
  3. Activities or tests that combine oral and written work, such as group discussions followed by individual written work.

Lab discussions and conversation exercises in small groups.

Course description
The course is an introduction to contemporary French and Francophone cultures as represented in French media. A variety of topics will be covered to offer a cross-section of French-speaking society. Students will also develop their written and spoken French through a critical observation of French media. The course is taught entirely in French.
Course content
  1. French and Francophone culture as seen in French language media.
  2. Vocabulary from a variety of topics in the French media including current events, politics, economy, technology, arts and culture, lifestyle and trends, history, travel and sports.
  3. Complex sentences and grammatical forms.
  4. Lexicon and expressions used for criticism.
Learning outcomes

Students will:

  1. Discover or enhance their knowledge of French and Francophone culture through the media.
  2. Develop reading comprehension skills through French language newspapers and magazines.
  3. Develop aural comprehension skills by listening to French language radio broadcasts and by watching television broadcasts and films.
  4. Develop oral communication skills through discussion, debates, presentations and analysis.
  5. Develop writing skills through various compositions (summaries, commentaries, criticism).
  6. Learn how to synthesize information in French by concentrating on key words, the contexts in which the words are used, the relationship between word and image, and the nature of the material.
  7. Learn to differentiate between written and oral French by comparing print media to interviews, debates, speeches and dialogues.
  8. Build vocabulary through exposure to a variety of current topics in French language media including politics, business, society, and the arts.
  9. Develop a vocabulary for criticism in French.
  10. See the French and Francophone perspective of world events, and compare how the same events are presented in the local media.
  11. Use new media and Internet sources in French, such as Web versions of newspapers, podcasts, streaming media and video on demand.
  12. Understand differences in language registers depending on the medium and the genre.
  13. Understand certain cultural, political and institutional practices in French and Francophone societies.
  14. Review complex sentences and grammatical forms such as condition and hypothesis, indirect discourse, expressions of cause, opposition, time, consequence, concession and comparison.
Means of assessment

Written Evaluations 50%
 
(May include but not limited to writing and reading exercises, chapter tests, paragraph writing, written homework, preparation, Final Written Exam)
 
Oral Evaluations 50%
 
(May include but not limited to oral tests, oral presentations, listening comprehension, conversation lab, attendance, preparation, class participation, Final Oral Exam)
 
Total 100%
 
No single evaluation will be worth more than 20%.

Textbook materials

Course materials or website prepared by the instructor.

Alternatively, a textbook containing materials on culture, communications, and the relationship between word and image, such as:

  • St. Onge, Susan and Ronald St. Onge. Interaction: Langue et Culture. Boston : Heinle Cengage Learning, 2011.
Prerequisites

MODL 2211 (minimum grade of C) or Assessment