FREN 2204 - French IIB: Culture

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2016

The course information on this page is being finalised for 2016. Please check again before classes commence.

The aim of this course is to develop a deeper understanding and a critical appreciation of France's rich cultural heritage through the study of texts and other cultural artefacts. The course is also designed to develop linguistic skills, taking into account the problems associated with the apprenticeship of reading and analysis in French. Students completing this course will therefore benefit from enhanced reading skills, vocabulary acquisition and writing skills. This year, the topic for study is 'Du texte a l'ecran' (the study of stories and their screen adaptations). See French Department handbook for more details.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code FREN 2204
    Course French IIB: Culture
    Coordinating Unit French Studies
    Term Semester 2
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Prerequisites FREN 1003
    Incompatible FREN 1012
    Course Description The aim of this course is to develop a deeper understanding and a critical appreciation of France's rich cultural heritage through the study of texts and other cultural artefacts. The course is also designed to develop linguistic skills, taking into account the problems associated with the apprenticeship of reading and analysis in French. Students completing this course will therefore benefit from enhanced reading skills, vocabulary acquisition and writing skills. This year, the topic for study is 'Du texte a l'ecran' (the study of stories and their screen adaptations). See French Department handbook for more details.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Ben McCann

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    On the completion of French IIA Culture, students will be able to:

    1. know the countries where French is spoken and understand their cultural productions such as literature and film

    2. locate primary and secondary sources of information pertaining to the study of French culture

    3. analyse cultural productions such as literature and film and be aware of the interpretative methods that can be used to deepen understanding of them

    4. work individually or in groups in collecting and organising information, and communicating arguments and ideas in adequate French, both written and spoken, to an academic audience.
    University Graduate Attributes

    No information currently available.

  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    A link to the list of textbooks for all French courses can be found on the Discipline of French Studies web site.
    Recommended Resources
    The French Research Librarian in the Barr-Smith Library, Jennifer Osborn, maintains a page of useful links for students of French. They can be found at the following url:
    http://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/guide/hum/french/

    This is an excellent resource for all the work you do in French language and culture. You are urged to consult the link “Research Skills: Literature search techniques”, which teaches you how to use the Library’s academic databases for your essays.

    For a French language website in which you will find, as well as a conventional dictionary, a dictionary of slang, synonyms and antonyms, figurative expressions, spelling and conjugations, etymologies, Old and Middle French, and varieties of French throughout the Francophone world, you should look at the url
    http://www.lexilogos.com/francais_langue_dictionnaires.htm
    Online Learning
    The following documents will be available via MyUni:
    - course outline
    - lecture slides
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    The course is taught by lectures which which provide an analysis of the topic set for study in each particular week and a seminar in which students will carry out tasks such as reading, textual/film analysis, individual presentations, tests and class discussion. The seminar session will also be used for screening the films.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    1 x 1-hour lecture (or equivalent) per week 12 hours per semester
    1 x 2-hour seminar (or equivalent) per week 48 hours per semester
    3 hours reading per week 36 hours per semester
    5 hours preparation/follow up work per week 60 hours per semester
    TOTAL WORKLOAD 156 hours per semester
    Learning Activities Summary
    Schedule
    Week 1 Introduction: avantages et inconvénients des adaptations cinématographiques de textes littéraires
    Week 2 Maupassant, Une partie de campagne (texte)
    Week 3 Renoir, Une partie de campagne (film)
    Week 4 Maupassant, Toine (texte)
    Week 5 Santamaria, Toine (film)
    Week 6 Vercors, Le Silence de la mer (texte)
    Week 7 Boutron, Le Silence de la mer (film)
    Week 8 Gaboriau, Le Petit vieux des Batignolles (texte)
    Week 9 Chabrol, Le Petit vieux des Batignolles (film)
    Week 10 Simenon, La Nuit du carrefour (texte)
    Week 11 Renoir, La Nuit du carrefour (film)
    Week 12 L'adaptation: état des lieux
    Specific Course Requirements
    Hurdle requirements
    Students who do not meet the following requirements will be awarded a grade of Fail for the course:
    - a minimum of 75% attendance in lab and tutorial classes (labs and tutes considered individually)
    - completion of all assessment tasks
    Small Group Discovery Experience
    The preparation of an oral presentation on an aspect of the Culture topic will require students to conduct research, working in pairs.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Task Type Weighting Learning Outcome
    Oral presentation Formative and Summative 15% 1-4
    Comprehension tests Formative and Summative 25% 1, 3, 4
    Analyse de scène (800 words in French) Formative and Summative 25% 1-4
    Essay (1200 words in French) Formative and Summative 35% 1-4
    Assessment Related Requirements
    It is a requirement of the course that students attend all classes. Exemption from attendance may be given only for medical reasons or for documented cases of personal hardship.

    Students must complete all assignments/assessments to pass the course.
    Assessment Detail
    Oral presentation (Analyse de texte)
    Comme pour l’exposé oral, vous devrez choisir une scène dans un des textes suivants : Une partie de campagne, Toine, Le Silence de la mer, et faire une analyse de la façon dont cette scène est représentée au cinéma. Adoptez la même structure que pour l’exposé oral : 1. une brève présentation de la scène, en guise d’introduction 2. une analyse comparative de tous les aspects les plus importants (description/décor, caractérisation, thèmes, action, etc) 3. une conclusion dans laquelle vous réfléchissez sur les similarités et les différences, et sur l’impact de ces différences sur notre perception de la scène. NB Vous ne pouvez pas choisir pour cette analyse le même texte (et le même film) que pour l’exposé oral.

    Analyse de scène

    Avec un partenaire, vous devrez faire une présentation de 10 minutes (maximum) au cours de laquelle vous analyserez une scène dans un des textes suivants : Une partie de campagne, Toine, Le Silence de la mer, en comparant son traitement par le cinéma. Présentez d’abord la scène que vous allez analyser – mais très brièvement, car tout le monde aura déjà lu le texte et vu le film ! Vous passerez donc ensuite à votre analyse, qui devra porter sur la façon dont le cinéma représente l’action, les décors, le caractère des personnages, et ainsi de suite. Dans votre conclusion, vous expliquerez les similarités et les différences (de fond, de forme, etc) entre la représentation textuelle et la représentation cinématographique de la scène, tout en réfléchissant sur les avantages et les inconvénients des deux versions et sur leur impact.

    Comprehension tests (Tests de compréhension)
    Après avoir étudié le texte en classe (cours + séminaire), nous vous demanderons dans le séminaire suivant, avant de visionner le film, de lire un extrait du texte et de répondre à quelques questions de compréhension. C’est une façon pour nous, et pour vous, de vérifier que vous avez lu et compris le texte. Nous ferons des exercices similaires dans les séminaires afin de vous préparer pour le type de questions auxquelles vous aurez à répondre.

    Essay (Dissertation)
    Vous devrez rédiger une dissertation de 1200 mots, en français. Choisissez un des sujets suivants :

    1. Examinez la façon dont le mystère et le suspense sont créés et maintenus dans Le Petit vieux des Batignolles ou La Nuit du carrefour, en comparant le texte et le film.

    2. Examinez la représentation et la fonction de l’espace dans les histoires policières, en prenant comme exemple Le Petit vieux des Batignolles ou La Nuit du carrefour et en comparant le texte et le film.

    3. Quelles techniques les cinéastes adoptent-ils pour représenter à l’écran les romans policiers, tout en donnant à leurs films un caractère personnel ?

    Conseils si vous comparez deux choses – ici, un texte et un film – ne les traitez pas séparément (c’est-à-dire, n’organisez pas votre dissertation en deux parties dans lesquelles vous analysez d’une part le texte et d’autre part le film) ; il faut organiser vos paragraphes selon des idées et faire des comparaisons entre le texte et le film dans chaque paragraphe donnez à votre analyse une structure claire, avec une introducion et une conclusion il faut citer correctement les ouvrages que vous avez consultés et inclure une bibliographie (consultez le modèle mis en ligne sur le site de la BSL, que vous trouverez en cliquant sur les liens suivants : Library – Resource Guides – French – Research Skills Literature Search Techniques) révisez votre copie (l’orthographe, les accords et les structures grammaticales de base) avant de la rendre
    Submission
    Students must submit assignments to the School of Humanities Office.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

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