French - Writing - Objective B2

Teacher(s)

Neuenschwander Valérie (coordinator);

Language

French

Prerequisites

To follow this course, students must have reached level B1 of the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, as attested by :

• the B1 placement test organized by ILV at the beginning of the term
• OR a recent DELF B1 certificate (maximum 1 year)
• OR successful completion of course LFRAN1301 or LFRAN1321
• OR a previous pass in LFRAN 1401
• OR take LFRAN1321 or LFRAN1401 at the same time.

Main themes

Students produce a wide range of texts: letters, newspaper article, fantastic short-story, critical review, message on a forum. The different types of texts are related to acts of speech (to tell, to describe, to explain, to advise, to inform, to convince).

Learning outcomes

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

At the end of this course, students can : write a review of a film, book or play; write clear, detailed texts on a variety of subjects related to his/her field of interest, synthesising and evaluating information and arguments from a number of sources; write an essay or report which develops an argument, giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view and explaining the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

Content

Course objectives :

• Develop written expression skills through regular writing of texts covering a variety of genres and topics (personal life, social life, work, and education).
• Determine the type of writing expected (essay, letter, article, testimony), the audience, and the objective (to challenge, inform, or convince). 
• Organize arguments into clear paragraphs.
• Justify your point of view with specific arguments and concrete examples.
• Use linking words to ensure the text flows well and is coherent. 
• Use vocabulary and tone appropriate to the type of writing. 

Teaching methods

Structure of a typical class session :
Part 1: Language reinforcement

• Group review of texts handed out the previous week

Part 2: Introduction to the writing task

•    Comprehension of one or more source documents (audio, video, written)
•     Language focus: grammar and/or vocabulary
•     Planning the writing task

Part 3: Writing

• First draft written in class, using spontaneous French. draft handed in to the teacher.
• Proofread using AI tools or with peer review.
• Final draft (with or without AI assistance).

For the following week
Students finish writing their text at home and receive formative feedback from the teacher or IA.
Students are asked to keep a ‘roadmap’  on which they note everything they have learned from the correction of their texts in the areas of vocabulary, grammar, spelling, sentence structure and text construction.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) must be used responsibly and in accordance with the principles of academic and scientific integrity. In the context of certain activities, the teacher may authorise the occasional use of AI, provided that this adds educational value to the course

Evaluation methods

 During the semester (50%)

•     Written assignments completed in class: 30%
•     Language test: 10%
•     Reflection on mistakes made and difficulties encountered: 10%

Continuous assessment tasks cannot be submitted after the deadline set by the teacher, except with a medical certificate. No continuous assessment tasks can be submitted during the August exam session. 
The final exam (50%) consists of two parts:

•     Language test (grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure): 20%
•     Production of a written text in class: 30%

Absence (justified or not) from the exam (or any part thereof) will result in a final grade of absence.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Other information

This course corresponds to level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference. It takes place in person in Louvain-la-Neuve.

Online resources

https://moodle.uclouvain.be 

Faculty or entity

> ILV