English language

Teacher(s)

Cipolla Gerlanda; Fontana Milena; Longrée Françoise (coordinator); Ochsenmeier Erwin (coordinator); Riordan Madeline; Uzumcuoglu Melissa;

Language

English

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

The minimum level of English to be achieved at the end of the year is B1+ as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.   The lessons and the work that students must do at home are an integral part of mastering the language in terms of vocabulary and grammatical structures.   By the end of the course, students should be able to quickly grasp the general meaning of authentic texts and produce a structured oral summary. Students should also be able to understand and explain passages dealing with important information accurately, avoiding the pitfalls of ‘false friends’ and using structures specific to the English language, in particular the basics of legal vocabulary. There will be reading and listening comprehension tests, vocabulary and grammar questions, a composition in English and an oral examination in the form of an oral presentation. Preparation for the second year specialised language course (legal). A written exemption test will be organised at the beginning of the academic year and only very good results (16/20+) will be taken into account for exemption from the course.

Content

Since the course aims primarily to develop the ability to understand unsimplified texts, the content is drawn from the British and American press and deals with general topics as well as issues relating to the social and legal organisation of society. These texts also serve as a basis for vocabulary expansion, grammar revision, oral synthesis exercises and conversation exercises.
In addition, students will be required to understand and accurately explain passages dealing with important data, avoiding the pitfalls of ‘false friends’ and using structures specific to the English language, particularly the basics of legal vocabulary. There will be reading and listening comprehension tests, vocabulary and grammar questions, a short essay in English, and an oral exam in the form of an oral presentation.
Preparation for the second-year specialised (legal) language course.

Teaching methods

The faculty administration places students in groups or practical classes of a homogeneous or intermediate level (neither beginner nor advanced); students may only change groups with the express authorisation of the administration, and only for very limited reasons.
The English course is organised on a weekly basis, with one hour of compulsory lessons in small groups of 20-25 students or practical classes, which allows for interactive teaching methods (active participation by all students is constantly encouraged during written and oral exercises and debates). In addition to this practical session, there is the option of attending a one-hour grammar tutorial (for all students, in a large lecture theatre, with Wooclap and Kahoot exercises to ensure that everyone feels involved). This grammar course is optional in Q1 but becomes ‘highly recommended’ in Q2 if the student has less than 10/20 in the January session (in Q1). Attendance is taken at each tutorial session as well as at compulsory practical sessions.
Announcements or material covered in class and exercises to be completed at home are posted weekly on the course's Moodle page. It is essential that students check this page every week.
During Q2, students will have the opportunity to discover ‘Reading Week’ in mid-March, during which methods will be diversified: ‘traditional’ practical classes will be suspended during that week; there will be personal meetings with the professor for tailored remediation, reading/viewing assignments of complex documents and class discussions on the subject upon return to practical classes, meetings between professors, exhibition or cultural activity proposals for students, and activities in the Babbel Room.

Evaluation methods

At the very beginning of the academic year, around 20 September, written exemption tests are organised: these are only for very good students who consider themselves to be at an excellent level. These tests are OPTIONAL. The terms and conditions are communicated by the Faculty Administration. This test is only organised once a year!  Only results of 16/20 and above will be announced by the Administration and will count towards the overall mark for this EU (at the end of Q2). Students who have not obtained an exemption, i.e. those with a mark below 16/20, will not receive their mark and attendance at practical sessions is compulsory.   An absence is justified if the student submits: A medical certificate ‘or any other document whose probative value is left to the sole discretion of the chair of the jury’; By email (the original is kept by the student for a period of one year);     To the teacher responsible for the activity AND to the faculty administration (droit-slb@uclouvain.be); No later than the day after the end of the impediment (for example, for a medical certificate, the day after the last day covered by the certificate).  Special case: if this day is a Saturday, Sunday, 27 September or a public holiday, the day on which the documents are to be submitted is postponed to the next working day. In the event of a justified absence from a session, students must consult the course schedule and the tasks to be completed for the following session on the Moodle page for the course, in the section for their practical work supervisor. In accordance with Article 17§3 of the Faculty of Law Regulations, unjustified absence from more than one session will result in a mark of 0/20 (0A/20) for the entire teaching unit. The assessed tests or EXAMS are as follows: - In Q1, worth 40% of the overall mark:  a written exam, marked out of 30, organised during the last week of Q1, covering the material seen in Q1 in grammar  and vocabulary, including reading comprehension of a new text. Active participation (discussions, assignments, the instructions and dates for which are published on Moodle at least one week before the class) counts for 10%. - In Q2,  worth 60% of the overall mark: - a written exam organised during the last week of Q2 classes, covering Q2 vocabulary and grammar,  including a written expression exercise and listening comprehension of an unpublished document; it is marked out of 30 and counts for 30% of the overall result. - An oral examination consisting of a group oral presentation, for which each student receives an individual mark, marked out of 20 and counting for 20% of the overall result. Instructions and criteria are given in the introduction to the Syllabus posted on Moodle. - Active participation (discussions, assignments, instructions and deadlines for which are published on Moodle at least one week before the class) accounts for 10%. If the student did not obtain an average of 10/20 in June, he/she will take an exam in August/September that includes parts of Q2 (worth 60%, i.e. written - 30% of the marks - and oral - 30% of the marks, see June subject) and Q1 (written part only, for 40%), if Q1 was not passed in the January session with a minimum of 10/20. PS: It is compulsory to take all the written and oral examinations scheduled for the course assessment in order to validate the BDROI1140 EU. If the student scores 0A in one part, this results in a final mark of 0A, while retaining the other parts passed with a minimum of 10/20 for the next session, in the same academic year. Very important note: Regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence (or any other online tool, such as translators, spell checkers, grammar checkers, etc.): We invite each student to sign the ‘integrity pledge’ on the last page of the Syllabus and to submit it with all written work. The student must systematically indicate all sections where one or more AI tools (or any other online tools) have been used, for example in a footnote. The student must specify whether the AI was used to search for information, to write the text, or to improve or correct it. Students must also mention the AI (or other online tool) used (ChatGPT, Bing, Bard, Chatsonic, DeepL, etc.) and the date on which it was used. Sources of information must always be cited in accordance with bibliographic referencing standards. Students remain responsible for the content of their work, regardless of the sources used. In order to ensure that the student's written work is personal, criteria such as originality, critical thinking, creativity and illustration with examples (e.g. drawn from their own experience) will be taken into account.

Online resources

Course syllabus, portfolio, documents and instructions posted on MOODLE.

Bibliography

1. Un syllabus de textes et d'exercices. S'y trouvent également la Fiche de cours, ainsi que le programme des matières à préparer pour chaque cours et examens ; posté sur Moodle ;
2. Un recueil de textes PDF posté sur Moodle nommé PORTFOLIO.
3. Documents distribués au cours ; postés sur Moodle.
4. Syllabus de Grammaire (Théorie et exercices). Posté sur Moodle.La bibliographie du syllabus est intégrée à chaque chapitre du syllabus de ce cours;
Pour écrire cette fiche, l'IA www.deepl.com fut utilisée pour les traductions en anglais.
1. A syllabus of texts and exercises. It also includes the course outline and the programme of topics to be prepared for each class and exam; posted on Moodle.
2. A collection of PDF texts posted on Moodle called PORTFOLIO.
3. Documents distributed during class; posted on Moodle.
4. Grammar syllabus (theory and exercises). Posted on Moodle.
The syllabus bibliography is included in each chapter of the course syllabus.

Teaching materials

• Syllabus BDROI1140: Langue anglaise - 2025-2026

Faculty or entity

> DRTB