Dutch for communication studies - Intermediate level - Beginning of part 2

This course unit is organized around themes related to both general topics and the field of study. For each theme, productive and receptive language skills will be practiced in order to consolidate and expand students' command of vocabulary and grammatical structures, notably through the creation of oral productions (interactive or otherwise), as well as written, visual, and audiovisual work.

Students will be assessed on the acquisition of knowledge and skills throughout the academic year in order to support their gradual progress.
More specifically, the assessment will consist of the following components:

First semester (35% of the final yearly grade)

3 points will be awarded through continuous assessment during class sessions, consisting of one or more vocabulary tests and various productive tasks.

• Vocabulary knowledge may be assessed in several ways, including gap-fill sentences with translations (either at the end of each sentence or grouped together) or through the production of sentences demonstrating that the student has mastered not only the vocabulary but also the grammar. Please refer to the exercise types mentioned in the introduction to the course syllabus for further details.

3 points will be awarded through active participation in either the Tandem Project (with KU Leuven students) or the Cultural Project (see the “Other Information” section below).

• If a student does not participate in one of the projects during Semester 1 (or withdraws from it), they will receive an "A" for this assessment component and will not be allowed to sit the December partial examination. If the student participates properly in the project during Semester 2, a score of 0 will be assigned for the Semester 1 project component, but the student will be allowed to sit the Semester 2 written and oral examinations.

14 points will be awarded through a 90-minute written midterm examination held in Week 14. This exam will cover vocabulary (see the exercise types mentioned in the syllabus introduction), reading comprehension, and listening comprehension.

• In the event of non-participation (without legitimate justification or a recorded attendance mark), an A will be assigned as the final Semester 1 grade.
• It is important to note that it will no longer be possible to retake Semester 1 material during Semester 2 if a grade below 10/20 was obtained at the end of the January examination session.

Second semester (65% of the final yearly grade)

2 points will be awarded through continuous assessment, including one or more tests and several productive tasks, including a group presentation.
4 points will be awarded for active participation in the Tandem Project or Cultural Project according to the procedures and criteria explained on Moodle (e.g. compliance with instructions, language proficiency, etc.).

• If a student does not participate in one of the projects, an A will be assigned as the final course grade at the end of the June examination session.

6 points will be awarded through a 90-minute written examination held during Week 13 of Semester 2. This examination, covering Semester 2 material, will include a vocabulary section (see exercise types mentioned in the syllabus introduction) and a written expression task (global comprehension and commentary) based on one or more videos.

• If a student does not participate in the written examination, an A will be assigned as the final course grade at the end of the June examination session.

8 points will be awarded through an oral examination during the June examination period. It will consist of a discussion with the instructor based on an article that students will read during the 15 minutes preceding the interview. The objective will be to react to elements of the text, discuss one or more themes addressed in class, and answer cultural questions about the Dutch-speaking world (including material covered in Semester 1 and content presented in Semester 2 Cultural Project videos and reports).

• If a student does not participate in the oral examination, an A will be assigned as the final course grade at the end of the June examination session. If the student attends but refuses to answer questions, an attendance grade (0) will be assigned at the end of the June session.

August-September examination session ("second session" or "Q3")

A new grade will be calculated based on the following components:
4 points will be awarded for participation in the Tandem Project or Cultural Project.
If this assessment component was previously passed (combining Semester 1 and Semester 2 project results for the chosen project), the grade will be retained and the student will not have to complete it again.
However, if the student failed one of the projects, they must agree with the course coordinator on which components of the grade need improvement, how this should be done, and the deadlines involved.
If the student did not participate in a project or abandoned it during the year, they must complete a new individual video-based Cultural Project on a Flemish or Dutch cultural topic, according to the procedures described above and detailed on Moodle, together with the accompanying dossier, even if they had originally enrolled in the Tandem Project.

• If the student does not participate in this cultural project during the second session, an A will be assigned as the final course grade at the end of the August-September session.

7 points will be awarded through mandatory participation in a written examination covering vocabulary and themes studied in both Semester 1 and Semester 2. The exam will include vocabulary questions and a written expression assignment based on videos.

• If a student does not participate in the written examination, an A will be assigned as the final course grade at the end of the August-September session.

9 points will be awarded through mandatory participation in an oral examination. The procedures will be the same as for the June oral examination.

• If a student does not participate in the oral examination, an A will be assigned as the final course grade at the end of the August-September session.

Attendance Grades

A student who does not wish to take an examination (midterm, written, or oral) may request an attendance grade. Only requests submitted through the Virtual Office will be taken into account.

• If a student requests an attendance grade for the Semester 1 written midterm examination, a final grade of 0 will be assigned in January.
• If a student requests an attendance grade for the Semester 2 written examination and/or the Semester 2 oral examination, a final grade of 0 will be assigned in June.
• If a student requests an attendance grade for the Semester 3 (Q3) written examination and/or oral examination, a final grade of 0 will be assigned.

Medical Certificates and Other Legitimate Absences

In the event of a justified absence (for example, illness) from a midterm, written, or oral examination, the certificate (or any other supporting document) must be sent to the President of the Examination Board and the faculty secretariat, with a copy to the instructor and course coordinator, in accordance with Article 103 of the General Regulations on Studies and Assessments:
"Any student registered for examinations who is unable to attend one or more examinations shall immediately notify the President of the Examination Board and the faculty administration of the reason for their absence. No later than the day following the end of the impediment, the student must submit the original supporting documents to the faculty administration, namely a medical certificate or any other document whose evidential value shall be assessed solely by the President of the Examination Board."
It is important to note that, in the event of an absence, even a justified one, from a midterm, written, or oral examination, the student will not be permitted to take that examination at another date during the same examination period.
The possibility of rescheduling an examination within the same session after a justified absence is only considered (not guaranteed) when it is impossible to sit that examination during a later examination session within the same academic year, in accordance with UCLouvain regulations. The decision rests solely with the President of the Examination Board after consultation with the course coordinator.

• If a student submits a medical certificate for the Semester 1 written midterm examination, an M will be assigned as the final grade; this M will also apply to Semester 2.
• If a student submits a medical certificate for the Semester 2 written and/or oral examination, an M will be assigned as the final grade.

If a student submits a medical certificate for a class session during which an assessed task took place, they must complete the same task, or an equivalent one, individually within a specified deadline. Failure to complete this replacement task according to the required procedures will result in a grade of 0 for that assessment component.
These provisions also apply to other legitimate absences (for example, attending a family funeral), provided they can be properly documented as soon as possible. The course coordinator will assess each situation individually and consult the President of the Examination Board if necessary.

Provisions for students with special status

Specific accommodations provided for students with PEPS status and communicated by the PEPS support unit will be implemented whenever possible. Although extra time may be granted for certain assessments, logistical and invigilation constraints may prevent some students from being provided with a separate examination room.
Students holding student-entrepreneur or student-athlete status must provide the course coordinator and instructor, at the beginning of the academic year, with a detailed list of dates (with supporting documentation) during which they will be unable to attend classes. This is also necessary to ensure their presence on assessment dates.
Compensatory assignments may be arranged for assessed classroom tasks, provided the course coordinator and instructor have been informed in advance.
Participation in the Semester 1 midterm examination, the Semester 2 and/or Semester 3 written examinations, and the Semester 2 and/or Semester 3 oral examinations remains mandatory.

Class attendance

Attendance is mandatory. Attendance will be recorded by the instructor.
If a student misses more than two classes in the same semester without providing a valid justification (see "Medical Certificates and Other Legitimate Absences" above), the instructor may propose to the Examination Board that the student be denied registration for the December written midterm examination, the May written examination, the May/June oral examination, and/or the August written and oral examinations, in accordance with Article 72 of the Règlement général des études et des évaluations (General Regulations on Studies and Assessments).

Artificial intelligence

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools must be used responsibly and in accordance with the principles of academic and scientific integrity.
Because academic integrity requires sources to be cited, the use of AI must always be disclosed, including when automatic translation tools have been used.
The use of AI for assignments, projects, or assessments in which it is explicitly prohibited will be considered cheating.

Irregularities during assessments

As a reminder, students are only permitted to have writing materials and their student card (or another physical photo ID) with them during assessments.
Possessing or having access to any electronic device during an assessment, even if switched off or in airplane/silent mode, is prohibited and will be considered an irregularity that will be reported to the Examination Board.
Examples include:

• Mobile phones
• Smartwatches
• Wireless earbuds
• Smart glasses
• Translation pens
• Any other device or technology that was not known to the course coordinator when this course description was written

Any other irregularity observed (e.g. attempted cheating, possession and/or use of prohibited materials, verbal communication between students, etc.) will be reported to the competent Examination Board.

NOTICE ON THE PRESENT ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The English translation of the original fiche descriptive (in French) was provided by Microsoft Copilot, then checked and edited by course coordinator S. Labate. If any incoherences between the French and English versions were detected, or if translation mistakes were spotted, the original French version would prevail. Similarly, passages from the Règlement général des études et examens were translated by Microsoft Copilot as well, meaning that its original French version prevails, too.)

General information

• Classes are taught in groups of up to 20 students (where possible).
• Each instructor is available during their office hours and can be contacted by email during working hours. Administrative questions (e.g. registering for a group, exam arrangements, etc.) should be addressed to the course coordinator.
• Face-to-face instruction: 30 hours (= 1 ECTS), consisting of 1 hour per week in both Semester 1 (Q1) and Semester 2 (Q2).
• Independent study: 60 hours (= 2 ECTS), averaging 2 hours per week.
• Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools must be used responsibly and in accordance with the principles of academic and scientific integrity. Since scientific integrity requires proper citation of sources, any use of AI must always be disclosed, including when automatic translation tools have been used. The use of AI for tasks where it is explicitly prohibited (particularly during examinations, whether partial, written, or oral) will be considered cheating.

Tandem Project

This project pairs a student from Louvain-la-Neuve with a second-year Bachelor's student in Communication from KU Leuven, so that they can take part in various activities throughout the year to improve their knowledge of the foreign language they are studying.

• in Q1, students will attend the opening evening in Leuven and prepare a portfolio. This portfolio will include a report on a visit to either Flanders or Wallonia, as well as at least one additional activity, illustrated with photographs.
• in Q2, students will complete various activities, including another visit to Flanders or Wallonia. Tandem students will also be required to attend the closing evening, which will take place in Louvain-la-Neuve during Q2. Some students will be selected to give a presentation there, while the others will present in class.

Further details about this project will be provided on Moodle.
The arrangements described in this section may be modified or adapted during the academic year depending on the number of participants and any financial, health-related, organizational, or other constraints that may arise. Students will be informed in due time of any changes or adjustments through the Moodle platform.

Cultural Project

Several students will work together to produce, for Q2, an audiovisual project on a Flemish or Dutch cultural topic, together with an oral presentation and a written report.

• in Q1, students will complete one or more preparatory tasks. One of these will involve choosing a location in Flanders (excluding the Brussels-Capital Region) or in the Netherlands, and then preparing a statement of intent, including:
  
  • the reasons for choosing the topic;
  • information gathering;
  • establishing contact with a local person, company, or organization;
  • a detailed project plan.
• in Q2, students will visit the chosen location in order to film the video. The video will take the form of a tourism vlog, allowing other students to discover the location through, for example, works of art, monuments, a local product, a short interview, and so on. The video will last 5 minutes and will feature all group members sharing their impressions spontaneously.
  In addition to the video, each group will present information and observations about the chosen topic during an interactive oral presentation before the spring (Easter) break.
  Finally, each group will prepare a written report of the visit, compiling key information that will form part of the material to be studied for the Q2 oral examination and the second examination session.
  

Further details about this project will be made available on Moodle.

NOTICE ON THE PRESENT ENGLISH TRANSLATION

The English translation of the original fiche descriptive (in French) was provided by Microsoft Copilot, then checked and edited by course coordinator S. Labate. If any incoherences between the French and English versions were detected, or if translation mistakes were spotted, the original French version would prevail. Similarly, passages from the Règlement général des études et examens were translated by Microsoft Copilot as well, meaning that its original French version prevails, too.)