Interactive Anglophone Language and Civilization Seminar for Philosophy Students

Teacher(s)

Denis Philippe (coordinator);

Language

English

Prerequisites

Have reached the objectives of the course LANGL1212 or equivalent.

Main themes

The themes are related to their studies and fields of future professional activities.
Broadly speaking, these are all steeped in the English-speaking world's culture.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	grasp the content and significance of articles and reports on topics connected with their interests or their jobs. Reading comprehension : level B2+ of the « Common European Framework of References for Languages »
2	understand the TV  programmes concerning general topics and oriented towards their fields of interest in standard and clearly articulated English language. Listening comprehension: level B2+ of the « Common European Framework of References for Languages »
3	master enough grammar, vocabulary and phonetics to successfully take part in discussions, debates or language-focused activities and give their opinion on general topics. Speaking: level B2  of the « Common European Framework of References for Languages ».

Content

This Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) seminar aims at teaching content through language and vice versa.
In the first term, the course is interactive and conversation-oriented with a focus on Phonetics and Phonology. The teacher resorts to various techniques and media to help the learners participate in and lead debates. Those challenging tasks undergirds language learning.
The students will also be trained to report on articles, radio and TV programs, potcasts, give a short talk on the English-speaking world culture; discuss historical events and current news; argue about societal and philosophical debates; take part in quizzes.
Half way through the second term, they are to teach a participative class on a Philosophy-related subject. Those Student-Led Classes have to involve everybody in a knowledge-constructing approach.
In the second term, Culture learning is the focus. The teacher's book about the American Civilization as a case study lends itself to philosophical debates.

Teaching methods

The course relies on technological supports such as a Moodle platform, Teams and Internet sources as well as the teacher's book, entitled AlterNative America in Counterpoint (PUL, 2025. Second Edition), to be bought at LLN's DUC.
Training learners to become autonomous readers and listeners of authentic sources
Broadening the students' vocabulary scope and enhancing their grammatical sophistication
Teaching complex grammar points such as tenses, modal auxiliary verbs, connectives and advanced syntax.
Training students how to resort to listening strategies
Role plays, debates, discussions as well as a team student-led class
English pronunciation and stress patterns: practice and theory

As regards speaking skills, the emphasis will be on fluency and depth rather than accuracy proper.
As for the 2-credit LANGL 1315 appendix to the 3-credit LANGL 1313 course (common to all), it seeks to increase the trainees' cultural, literary and international literacy.

Evaluation methods

The final mark is based on 6 criteria, each worth 10 to 20%.

1. Class attendance and active participation (and completion of home assignments, if any).
   September session: Penalty for failing to attend: Intensive research work linked to the course's book. 10%
2. The end-of-first-term oral Phonetics exam, whose results will be factored in in the end-of-the-year grade. 20%
3. A Self-Teaching Language Usage test will round off the first-term mark. 10%
4. The team or solo Student-Led Class in Philosophy to take place after the Smart Week. 20%
5. A portfolio of essays (ft. bibliographies) to be turned on the second term's last day. 20%
   Should the teacher doubt that a student has not authored his/her own texts, he will examine him/her orally on his/her research in the course of the second session.
6. The May (or June) research-based, oral discussion on the basis of the teacher's book activities. 20%

September exam
Students will not be exempted for a part of the exam, unless the teacher deems it fair to do so. Your continuous assessment mark will no longer be taken into account. Should a student have been repeatedly absent, s/he will make up for his/her failure to attend by doing research work on the course's book. 20%

Online resources

http://moodleucl.uclouvain.be
https://pul.uclouvain.be/book/?GCOI=29303100913690

Bibliography

• Syllabus du cours LANGL1313-1315 (Free and available on Moodle)
• Plateforme Moodle du cours LANGL1313-1315
• Philippe J. Denis. AlterNative America in Counterpoint. PUL 2025 (Available at La Duc, LLN)> https://pul.uclouvain.be/book/?GCOI=29303100913690

Teaching materials

• AlterNative America in Counterpoint. Philippe J. Denis (PUL, 2025. 2nd Ed.). At La Duc, LLN

Faculty or entity

> ILV