THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2024/2025

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures : European Languages and Cultures - French

Undergraduate Course: French 1A (ELCF08005)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Literatures, Languages and Cultures CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits40 ECTS Credits20
SummaryAn intensive, post-beginners course in spoken and written French. This course is open to students of any year, but NOT TO THOSE QUALIFIED FOR ADMISSION TO FRENCH 1B. It is particularly suited to candidates with a pass at Standard Grade (SCE) or GCSE or AS Level or evidence of equivalent proficiency in French; 1A students have usually studied French for approximately four years.

The number of students admitted to the course may be limited. A great deal of private study and high motivation are necessary to meet the requirements of the course. Sustained commitment is required throughout, the pace being such that any lost ground can prove extremely difficult to recover.

Course description The course aims to take students within a year to the standard required for entry to French 2, giving them expertise in spoken and written French, concentrating on accuracy and fluency. It also provides exposure to texts of various types (depending on the year of study, texts will be literary and political/historical) and to film; these are studied for both linguistic and cultural content.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed:
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Students MUST NOT also be taking French 1B (ELCF08006)
Other requirements Unfortunately, students are NOT GENERALLY ELIGIBLE for French 1A if they have acquired a Higher, an Advanced Higher, or an A Level in French. However students with a 'C' pass at Higher (SQA) or A-level may be considered for entry to 1A at the discretion of the Course Organiser
Please see below regarding 'old' Highers.

Eligible students will have either a pass at Grade B in National 5 or GCSE or AS Level, a 50% pass in Foundation French 3 or evidence of equivalent proficiency in French. STUDENTS WHO ARE QUALIFIED FOR ADMISSION TO FRENCH 1B ARE NOT ADMISSIBLE TO FRENCH 1A. (Students holding a pass (A or B) at Higher, an Advanced Higher or an A Level should normally be enrolled on French 1B.)

Students with a 'crash' Higher OR a Higher awarded more than 1 year ago will be registered on French 1B, but may take a Diagnostic Test to gauge their ability. Depending on the results, course registration would be changed to French 1A.

Other students whose qualifications in French are more than 3 years old may also take the Diagnostic Test to determine whether French 1A or 1B would be more appropriate.

All other students whose entry qualification for French is three years old: if your entry qualification for French entitles you to admission to 1B, you will be automatically admitted to 1B. However, you may also, if you wish, take our Diagnostic Test, and if this tells us that you are better suited to 1A than to 1B, you will be given the option of switching to 1A. (We recommend that you take the test if you have not engaged in language learning activities since you gained that entry qualification.)

The diagnostic test for French 1A and 1B will be open to students in Welcome Week and information will be given via the Course Learn site.

The test should be done in Learn, in the folders 'Course Materials', 'Fr1A/Fr1B Diagnostic Test' (scroll down to the bottom of the page on Learn to find this folder).

Please note that changing from 1B to 1A is not allowed in any other circumstances, and is not possible after week 2 of semester 1.
Additional Costs Purchase of course books (Language, Literature and Film). Please see reading lists below:

https://eu01.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/leganto/readinglist/lists/22064670910002466
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  50
Course Start Full Year
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 400 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 81, Summative Assessment Hours 3, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 308 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 20 %, Coursework 80 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Oral Presentation 20%
Written Language coursework 10%
Written Language exam (1.5 hours) 20%
Literature/Civilisation Essay (sem 1) 25%
Literature/Civilisation Essay/Commentary (sem 2) 25%
Feedback Students will receive written feedback on their oral presentations, written language assignments, as well as on their two Literature and Civilisation essays. Students will receive guidance from their tutors to improve their oral and writing skills.
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)French 1A:90
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate a familiarity with everyday French vocabulary, grammar and syntax, along with a broad understanding of French culture
  2. Appraise straightforward spoken and written information about familiar everyday, study or work-related topics, identifying both general messages and specific details
  3. Communicate with reasonable accuracy in familiar contexts on familiar topics both orally and in writing, expressing personal opinions, and comparing and contrasting those of others
  4. Develop effective communication, presentation and interaction skills across a range of media
  5. Demonstrate self-reliance, initiative, and the ability to work flexibly with others as part of a team
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
Additional Class Delivery Information One Language Seminar: all weeks, Thursday.
One Literature & Civilisation Lecture (with 1B): almost all Tuesdays (+ very occasional Fridays).
Three Tutorials: all weeks, Monday (Spoken Language), Tuesday (Written Language) and Friday (Lit. & Civ.). Times and venues as indicated on your personalised timetable.
KeywordsDELC French 1A
Contacts
Course organiserMr Francois Giraud
Tel: (0131 6)50 3745
Email: F.Giraud@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Lina Gordyshevskaya
Tel:
Email: pgordysh@ed.ac.uk
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