French proficiency I

6 ECTS credits
180 h study time

Offer 2 with catalog number 1002943ANR for all students in the 1st and 2nd semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.

Semester

1st and 2nd semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Enrollment Requirements

Enrolling for 'French proficiency I' means that you simultaneously follow 'Grammaire et linguistique du français: introduction' or have successfully passed ‘Grammaire et linguistique du français: introduction’.

Taught in

French

Faculty

Academic Language Centre

Department

Academic Center for Language Education

Educational team

Florence Gilbert
Voorzitter ACTO (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

104 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
104 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
48 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

Pratique du français I is an intensive language course that focuses on oral and written language skills. The course consists of two separate but complementary parts :

LANGUAGE ACCURACY AND PRECISION

This practical course focuses on the revision and acquisition of French lexicon (CERL level B2-C1) and basic grammar. It focuses on the correct execution of simple and practical oral and written exercises. A concise grammatical explanation followed by adapted exercises, vocabulary lists related to current events, as well as poetry contribute to precise and accurate communication.

For this part of the course, there is both a compulsory permanent evaluation and a final examination (see further information on assessment).

SKILLS

This practical course is based on a dynamic and student-oriented method in which all skills are actively practised in a Brussels, European, international and academic context. This course allows critical reflection and exchange as well.

For this part of the course, there is both a compulsory permanent evaluation and a final examination (see additional info on evaluation).

Course material

Digital course material (Required) : via Canvas

Additional info

=> Canvas

Learning Outcomes

General competencies

Language and Communication Objectives

The student masters the French language at level B2/C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

The student can adequately interpret, analyze, evaluate, and correct French written and oral communication, including messages of specialized nature.
The student can independently edit coherent French texts and express themselves orally, adapting to purpose, audience, message, medium, and context.
The student can apply grammar in French written and oral communication.
The student is capable of achieving an advanced level of grammatical accuracy in French oral and written communication.
The student can recognize idiomatic structures in French written and oral communication and use them in new contexts.

Academic Objectives

The student can systematically, objectively, and critically supplement, broaden, deepen, and potentially adjust acquired knowledge and insights, maintaining a critical and curious, seeking attitude.
The student can develop their own scientifically substantiated judgment in the spirit of free inquiry – that is, from an open and critical perspective – and act accordingly.
The student maintains an open attitude toward lifelong and independent learning, considering the constantly changing societal context.

Diversity-Sensitive Objectives

Intercultural skills mobilize students’ knowledge, know-how, and interpersonal skills in a multilingual context through reflection and concrete actions.

The student can use the appropriate register in every French communication, even in complex communicative situations, considering the cultural background of the interlocutor.
The student can communicate nuanced information about the study area in correct French with peers and laypersons from different cultures, creatively and effectively using necessary multimedia support.
The student learns to navigate diverse language skills and backgrounds of fellow students. They actively resolve conflicts, obstacles, and misunderstandings, negotiate, mediate, and use the appropriate register.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 20% of the final mark.
Written Exam determines 60% of the final mark.
Other Exam determines 20% of the final mark.

Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Permanente Evaluatie with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 20% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Schriftelijk examen with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 60% of the final mark.

Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Permanente evaluatie with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 20% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

Module 1: LANGUAGE ACCURACY AND PRECISION

Continuous evaluation (10 points)

The student's progress is evaluated in the course of the academic year during various subtests. A description of all evaluation forms is communicated during the course at the beginning of the academic year. An overview is published on CANVAS as well.

The student is obliged to participate in all the subtests of the continuous evaluation. Failure to do so will result in denial of access to the final examination in June.

Final written exam (40 points)

This final examination covers the subject matter that was covered during the academic year and was already tested during the continuous evaluation.

The student can be exempted from this if he obtains an average of 14/20 or higher on the total of all the partial tests of the continuous evaluation.

Module 2: SKILLS

Continuous evaluation (10 points)

The student's progress is evaluated in the course of the academic year during various subtests. A description of all the forms of evaluation is communicated during the course at the beginning of the academic year. An overview is also published on CANVAS.

The student is obliged to participate in all the subtests of the continuous evaluation. Failure to do so will result in denial of access to the final examination in June.

Final examination (40 points)

This final examination concerns the evaluation of the skills, both written (20 points) and oral (20 points).

The student can be exempted from this if he obtains an average of 14/20 or higher on the total of all subtests of the continuous evaluation.

The overall final grade is the sum of the two partial grades obtained for the two separate parts (Language accuracy and precision, and Skills), provided that none of the two partial grades is below 10/20. Students who do not pass one or both modules earn the lowest module score for the course as a whole.

Illegal absences from one of the compulsory components of the (continuous) evaluation irrevocably lead to a second session.

The partial results are transferred to the second session if the result is at least 14/20. However, the student who wishes to retake a part, has to send an e-mail to the professor before the start of the second session. Once a student has renounced a partial grade, they irrevocably loses this grade.

During the second exam session, the evaluation consists of
- 75% written exam (50% module 1 + 25% module 2)
- 25% oral exam (module 2)

Students who do not obtain a pass grade for one or more separate assessment components in the first exam session can choose to carry over their scores to the second exam session rather than retaking the assessment for said components during the second exam session.

The score for a separate assessment component cannot be carried over to a subsequent academic year.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context