French

Course summary

The course content comprises four themes: Changes in French society, Artistic and political culture in French-speaking countries, Immigration and multicultural France, and The occupation during WW2 and the “resistance”. Students will be expected to converse and write about those areas of interest as well as be able to understand reading and listening material taken from a wide range of resources, such as news items on the radio, TV, or the net, extracts from literature and articles from newspapers, magazines or blogs. They will be asked to translate and respond analytically to the study of a book and a film. UNIT OUTLINE The course comprises three units: Listening, Reading, and Translation From French to English. Written response to works and Translation from English to French. Speaking. Due to the nature of the course, candidates are strongly advised to keep abreast of current affairs by reading newspapers, watching television documentaries, and news podcasts on the Internet. The willingness to take part in class discussions and to form and express opinions is extremely important. During the course, students will need to have Modern Language-French access to a large-size bi-lingual dictionary. The department recommends the Harraps or Collins editions. Languages are increasingly called for in the world of commerce and industry, for translating and interpreting, and by the media and international organizations. French can often be combined with other disciplines at university. International careers can then be found in banking, law, accountancy, insurance, journalism, and tourism to name but a few.