Linguistic dynamics in French: variation, contact, change

3 ECTS credits
75 h study time

Offer 2 with catalog number 1020991BER for all students in the 2nd semester at a (B) Bachelor - advanced level.

Semester

2nd semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Possible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Enrollment Requirements

Students must have taken 'Morphosyntaxe du français', before they can enroll this course. If you are enrolled in a preparatory programme you can register this course without restrictions. Enrolling for this course, means that you simultaneously take 'Language variation and change' or have successfully passed it. If you are enrolled in a preparatory programme you can register this course without restrictions.

Taught in

French

Faculty

Faculty of Languages & Humanities

Department

Linguistics and Literary Studies

Educational team

Tatiana Pieters
Philipp Krämer (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

26 contact hours Lecture
52 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

This class will focus on French in motion as a transversal subject: We will study language not as a static system but rather as a practice in continuous change which constantly develops new forms depending on territory, speaker, situation or time. The connection between language change and language variation will be a key aspect in this class.

We will take into account the internal and external history of French, traditional dialects and newer français régionaux in interaction with standard language, the diffusion of French in the world as a pluricentric language, stylistic variation e.g. in written and spoken language, and recent developments in the language in connection with migration, multilingualism and language contact. Besides intralinguistic dynamics in phonology, morphology, syntax and pragmatics, we will also consider the social dimension of language variation and change: How do speakers deal with differences in their language use?

Course material

Digital course material (Required) : Documenten ter beschikking in de lessen of via het leerplatform + eigen notities, Canvas
Practical course material (Recommended) : Atlas du français de nos régions, Avanzi, Mathieu, Armand Colin, 2017
Practical course material (Recommended) : Histoire de la langue française., Chaurand, Jacques, 13e édition, Presses Universitaires de France, 2021
Practical course material (Recommended) : La variation sociale en français, Gadet, Françoise, Ophrys, 2007
Practical course material (Recommended) : Manuel des francophonies, Reutner, Ursula, De Gruyter, 2017

Additional info

The class will be taught and evaluated in French, advanced knowledge of French is therefore required.

Study materials will be made available during the semester in class and via the learning management system; students are expected to take additional notes during class in preparation for the evaluation.

Learning Outcomes

General competences

Students are able to describe and analyze the most important dimensions of language variation and linguistic history of French, using theoretical models and correct linguistic terminology. They are aware of metalinguistic debates in society about variation and change, and they are able to make a scientifically founded contribution to these discussions.

Students are able to conduct an own small-scale research project (under supervision) in connection with language variation, language contact and change in French.

Students are able to extract key information from research literature on the history and variation of French and discuss such texts in groups and in class.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 60% of the final mark.
Other Exam determines 40% of the final mark.

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

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

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

Examen Andere with a relative weight of 40 which comprises 40% of the final mark.

Note: fiche de recherche+audio

Additional info regarding evaluation

Besides an oral exam at the end of the semester, the evaluation comprises an assignment during the semester with a task to investigate and analyse one or several variants or varieties of French.

The final grade is the sum of the partial grades, provided that these partial grades are not lower than 08/20. If this is the case for one partial grade, the final grade will also be lower than a 08/20, regardless of the other grade.
Absence for one of the two compulsory evaluations results in an absence for the final grade.
A partial result of 10/20 or higher is transferred to the second exam period. If the student still wants to participate to the partial evaluations during the second exam period in order to replace the partial result, he needs to send an email to the professor before the summer holiday.
A partial result cannot be transferred to a following academic year.
Once a student has notified his / her wish to participate to the second evaluation in August/September in order to replace a partial result, he/ she irrevocably loses this partial result.

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