48
French Language and Translation
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING ABILITY
The French Language 2 course is aimed at deepening and strengthening lexical and communicative skills in both comprehension and written and oral production. The primary objective is to provide students with a solid knowledge of contemporary French and its different varieties. To this end, the educational path focuses on the processes of lexicon formation, analyzing them from both a synchronic and diachronic perspective. An examination of the main types of semantic relations between lexemes will also be proposed, with particular attention to their application in the discursive, lexiccultural and translation fields.
In line with the educational objectives of the Course of Studies, the program aims to enhance contextualized learning of the lexicon, proposing different strategies deriving from morpho-semantic and pragmatic reflections, as well as from analyses of the peculiarities of the various textual and discursive typologies.
The course will introduce students to the concept of linguistic variation, stimulating a metalinguistic reflection on the norm. The main factors of linguistic variation and their interrelation in the Francophone context will be explored.
To successfully complete the course, students must have a solid background in theoretical and applied linguistics, as well as an intermediate level knowledge of the system (alphabetic, phonological, morphological and syntactic) of the French language. It is also essential to have written and oral skills in French, knowledge of the linguistic registers and the fundamental aspects of the Francophone cultural world. Finally, knowledge of the basic principles of intercultural communication and of the different types of texts (essays, manuals, technical, economic-legal, audiovisual, literary) with specific reference to contemporary Francophone cultures will be required.
APPLICATION SKILLS
At the end of the course, students will be able to use their French language skills in all their forms: oral, written and in interaction. They will acquire the ability to apply linguistic analysis procedures at different levels: phonological, morphological, syntactic and lexical. The course aims to develop the ability to understand, translate and produce texts of medium difficulty, both in written and oral form. Students will learn to organize the knowledge acquired in a functional way for different communicative purposes (written, oral and on the web). They will also be able to apply the historical-geographical knowledge acquired to sociolinguistic analyses. Finally, the training path will allow students to analyze, critically discuss and communicate the key concepts of French culture and language, demonstrating a deep understanding and mastery of the topics covered.
JUDGEMENT AUTONOMY
The course aims to develop in students the ability to independently find and process data, effectively using the fundamental tools of the French-speaking linguistic and cultural areas. This includes mastery of major works, bibliographic repertoires, specialized periodicals and specific sitography. Furthermore, the training path is aimed at consolidating in students the ability to formulate autonomous judgments, based on a critical and informed analysis of the sources and contents learned.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
At the end of the course, students will have developed the ability to communicate effectively in French in non-highly specialized professional contexts. They will be able to interact orally and in writing in different multicultural situations. The program aims to enhance the ability to analyze heterogeneous textuality, including visual, tourist, technical and other texts. Students will acquire the skills necessary to communicate with speakers of the studied French-speaking languages and cultures, formulating notions, ideas and critical evaluations connected to their specific skills, within a broader cultural and intercultural context. Finally, the course will allow them to acquire the ability to draft argumentative written texts with adequate terminology and clarity of exposition.
LEARNING ABILITY
The course is designed to ensure that students develop the learning abilities needed to continuously and independently improve their linguistic and expressive skills. The ability to recall and integrate previous knowledge with new learning will also be encouraged, promoting a holistic and cumulative learning process
Course Prerequisites
To address the content of the course, students must have a good basic knowledge of the French language in the four language skills of comprehension and written/oral production.
Teaching Methods
The course includes frontal and interactive lessons by the teacher, aimed at guiding students in learning the topics covered in the course. The lessons, held by the teacher in French and with a communicative approach, will promote comprehension, reading skills, written and oral expression. In order to verify the acquisition of the topics covered during the lessons, classroom exercises are planned in the form of written and oral comprehension activities (analysis of texts and listening focused mostly on topics of French-speaking cultures) and self-assessment tests. The lessons are to be integrated with the annual exercises of readership and self-learning (20 hours at the University CLAOR, in praesentia or on the Moodle platform which include, in addition to free exercises, the viewing of two films in French), to be considered an integral part of the course itself. Furthermore, during the academic year students are offered the opportunity to attend conferences and seminars held both by French language and literature professors from the Department of Literary, Linguistic and Comparative Studies and by scholars from the French-speaking world hosted at the University.
Assessment Methods
The exam is divided into two tests: assessment of language skills (written and oral) and oral exam.
The final evaluation is expressed in thirtieths. The assessment of language skills consists of a written test, divided into a dictation, a translation from Italian to French and a written production (200 words) on a topic of contemporary French-speaking culture or on a current topic related to the program and an oral interview with the CEL on topics related to current events and/or the candidate's personal sphere (50% of the final evaluation). The assessment of language skills is preparatory to the oral exam.
The oral exam (50% of the final evaluation) focuses on verifying the acquisition of the thematic contents of the course. This is followed by an evaluation phase on the audio-visual material consulted at the CLAOR or at the candidate's home during the 20 hours of self-learning.
Texts
- Bernadette Chovelon, Marie Barthe, Anne-Marie Philogone (eds.), Le français par les textes A2-B1, Grenoble, Editions PUG (any edition).
- Maria Teresa Zanola (ed), Le français de nos jours. Caractères, formes, aspects, Rome, Carocci, 2023 (chapters: I-IV and IX).
- N. Larger, R. Mimran, Vocabulaire expliqué du français. Niveau intermédiaire: Exercices, Paris, Clé International, 2011 (exercises to be carried out for the exam);
- a selection of documents regarding French-speaking cultures available to students in the "Educational materials" section of the teacher page.
Recommended texts for grammatical and translation studies:
- Y. Delatour, Nouvelle Grammaire du Francais : Cours de Civilization Francaise de la Sorbonne, Paris, Hachette, 2006;
- F. Bidaud, Traduire en francais d'aujourd'hui. Consolider ses connaissances en grammaire en traduisant, Utet, 2019.
Contents
1. Lexical morphology: word formation processes;
2. Neology: different categories of neologisms and linguistic loans;
3. Phenomena of reduction and creativity in contemporary vocabulary;
4. Semantic lexicology: polysemy, homonymy, synonymy, antonymy, hyperonyms-hyponyms;
5. Lexiculture and linguistic variation (diachronic, diatopic, diastratic, diaphasic, diamesic variation);
6. Evolution of the language and concept of norm: description of contemporary French in different textual typologies;
7. Francophonie.
Course Language
French language