Writing in a foreign language: linguistic and cognitive aspects

lned2737  2025-2026  Louvain-la-Neuve

Writing in a foreign language: linguistic and cognitive aspects
The version you’re consulting is not final. This course description may change. The final version will be published on 1st June.
5.00 credits
15.0 h
Q1

This biannual learning unit is being organized in 2025-2026
Language
Dutch
Main themes
This course focuses on the active transmission of German-language literary and/or theatrical texts in their particular historical and cultural context, using analytical methods to favour communicate about those texts, orally and in writing.  
Based on a thematic and corpus that will vary from year to year, it will take an all-encompassing look at both the canonical text itself and its contemporary adaptations, for example in the cinema or in graphic novels.  
Questions of content will always be addressed in their interaction with writing and creation processes . 
Learning outcomes

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

1 Students will have mastered a particular issue of German literature in its cultural context and both from a diachronic and synchronic perspective, in relation to the present day.
 
2 They will also have developed specific skills relating to the communication of contents, for example by writing lively reviews or critiques relating to the themes covered. 
 
This learning unit contributes to the development and command of the following skills and learning outcomes of the ELAL programmes (ELAL learning outcomes): 1.1; 1.2; 1.4; 1.5; 2.1; 2.7; 4.1; 4.3; 5.1; 5.3; 5.6; 6.1 
 
Content
The seminar addresses the linguistic proficiency and cognitive mastery factors influencing foreign language writing. After an overview of the research question, students will develop a research plan and test a discourse production elicitation task in Dutch as a foreign language.  The students will develop the experimental protocol, the recruitment of participants and the experimental implementation. Data analysis will be done individually with each student taking responsibility for a specific part of the analysis. The impact of factors will be measured on the presence/absence of linguistic traits to be defined. 
Teaching methods
Research seminar consisting of discussions of the experimental theories and methods presented, one of which will be replicated by the students involving all stages of the experimental protocol: 
  • definition of the research question and hypotheses 
  • preparation of the experimental material and/or items 
  • recruitment of participants 
  • conducting the experiment 
  • analysis of the data 
  • presentation of the results 
Evaluation methods
Continuous assessment acquired throughout the seminar: 40% (this part cannot be repeated in the second session): synthesis of reading notes, preparation of material, recruitment of participants, oral presentation of preliminary results, ...
The collective part of the work will be monitored via "dynamo" to evaluate the individual contribution of each student. Students who do not participate in the group work will be excluded from the exam in the first sit.
Individual research report including individual data analysis and presentation of results (60%). The quality of the written language will be taken into account (penalty of up to 20% of the grade of the written work).
The final grade is the weighted addition of grades A (8/20/ and grade B (12/20).
In case of failure, only part B can be repassed. The weighting does not change.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) must be used responsibly and in accordance with the practices of academic and scientific integrity. Scientific integrity requires that sources be cited, and the use of AI must always be reported. The use of artificial intelligence for tasks where it is explicitly forbidden will be considered as cheating.
Other information
A course in statistics for linguistics is recommended (LCLIG2240 or LFIAL2260) but not madatory.
Bibliography
Portfolio sur Moodle
Faculty or entity


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Master [60] in Modern Languages and Literatures : German, Dutch and English

Master [60] in Modern Languages and Literatures : General

Master [120] in Linguistics

Master [120] in Modern Languages and Literatures : German, Dutch and English

Master [120] in Modern Languages and Literatures : General