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 first semester is interactive and conversation-oriented. The teacher resorts to various techniques and media to help the learners hold a conversation, participate in debates and take the floor. The students will also be trained to report on published articles, video programs, lead a flipped class in line with their studies; discuss historical events and current news; argue about societal and philosophical debates...
Half-way through the term, the students will conduct a half-hour, student-led team class around a topic in their respective discipline. 

The second half of the year will be devoted to the English-speaking world culture through the study of North America. Through reading the teacher's book, American AlterNations in Mirror Images (PUL, 2026) and watching a corpus of related videos, the attendees will get an insight into this leading country . Thought-provoking activities and challenges should give rise to lively discussions and hone the students' writing skills. In the second term, fostering literacy is the ultimate aim behind this CLIL seminar.

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%

NEW: The oral exam is taken in pairs, which is in keeping with the teaching-and-learning methodology applied during the term. The students who wish so may go through the process on their own.
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

Mandatory

• Philippe J. Denis, American AlterNations in Mirror Images (PUL, 2026)
  Reflecting (on) Black, Francophone, and Irish Narratives in North America 1920-2020
  https://pul.uclouvain.be/book/?GCOI=29303100021170
  
• Moodle Registration: Interactive Communication: Literacy and Language through Art and Society.
   https://moodle.uclouvain.be/course/view.php?id=628

Optional and free on Moodle

• The LANGL1315 coursenotes:. http://moodleucl.uclouvain.be

Bibliography

• Obligatoire
  
• Philippe J. Denis, American AlterNations in Mirror Images (PUL, 2026)
  Reflecting (on) Black, Francophone, and Irish Narratives in North America 1920-2020
  https://pul.uclouvain.be/book/?GCOI=29303100021170
  
• Inscription sur Moodle: Interactive Communication: Literacy and Language through Art and Society.
   https://moodle.uclouvain.be/course/view.php?id=628
•  
• Facultatif et gratuit
  
• Syllabus du cours LANGL1315. http://moodleucl.uclouvain.be

Teaching materials

• Philippe J. Denis, American AlterNations in Mirror Images (PUL, 2026) Reflecting (on) Black, Francophone, and Irish Narratives in North America 1920-2020

Faculty or entity

> ILV