Learning outcomes

The course aims at achieving level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages in the following skills:

 

Reading comprehension

Understanding documents related to one's field of interest and discipline, especially science popularization articles: identifying the structure, main idea, and the main theme of the article (problem-solution, cause-and-effect relationships, etc.), distinguishing main ideas from details, understanding technical information, inferring the meaning of a word from its context.

 

Oral/ Audio-visual comprehension

Understanding audiovisual materials related to one's field of interest and discipline: understanding the main ideas of complex presentations, both in terms of content and form, on concrete or abstract subjects and in standard language, including technical discussions in one's specialization area.

 

Reception Strategies

Recognizing cues and making deductions (both orally and in writing): using various comprehension strategies, including highlighting key points and checking understanding through contextual clues.

 

Written Production

Confidently summarizing in a formal register a popular science article on common and less common topics within one's specialization area, connecting discrete elements into a linear sequence.

 

Oral Production (delivering information, describing experiences, expressing feelings, arguing)

Presenting the content of popular science articles related to one's specialization field in clear and detailed language, with sufficient precision in both language and content; explaining the main points of an idea or problem with adequate accuracy.

 

Clearly expressing one's opinion and/or feelings regarding the content of scientific articles related to one's field of interest. Describe in detail how the subject/content of the article affects him/her personally.

 

Oral Production with Interaction

Communicating with some fluency on familiar or less familiar topics related to one's interests and professional field; following a clearly articulated speech intended for them in everyday conversation, occasionally asking for repetitions of certain words or expressions.

 

Goals

The ultimate goal of this course is to enable the student to progress from level B1+ to level B2 in the selected skills, aligning with the Bachelor's degree exit profile: written, oral, and audio-visual comprehension; written and oral production (individually and in interaction).

Content

Course materials posted on WebCampus.

Table of contents

See course programme on WebCampus.

Exercices

Additional exercises on WebCampus.

Assessment method

The final grade of the course is calculated as follows:

  • Continuous Assessment in Q1 (15%):
    • Module 1: GVP 1 (= grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation test)
    • Module 2: GVP 2
  • Continuous Assessment in Q2 (15%):
    • Module 3: GVP 3
    • Module 4: GVP 4
  • June Exam (70%):
    • Listening and Reading (20%)
    • Writing (30%)
    • Speaking (20%)
  • August Exam (100%):
    • GVP (30%)
    • Listening and Reading (20%)
    • Writing (30%)
    • Speaking (20%)

There is no exam in January. The January grade will reflect the continuous assessment of the first semester (= 15%).

The June exam (70%) consists of three parts and tests:

  • Oral and written reception skills (20%): questions on materials (video + article) not covered in class.
  • Written production skills (30%): writing a summary of a popular science article (not covered in class).
  • Oral production skills (20%) which includes two parts:
    • Oral Production Alone (10%): presenting the content of three articles from a reading file, based on a visual aid (PowerPoint or PDF). The oral exam can only be presented if the reading file (including the three articles and their summaries) has been posted on WebCampus before the exam, by the date specified by the teacher. The quality of the reading file will impact the oral exam grade. Summaries may be improved based on the teacher’s comments, provided they were posted on WebCampus during the academic year, by the dates announced at the beginning of the year (on the course schedule).
    • Oral Production with Interaction (10%): discussion on one of the topics covered in class or related to course topics.

An absence or an attendance grade for any part of the exam will result in an absence or attendance grade for the entire evaluation.

For the August session, the student retakes the part(s) for which they did not achieve 10/20. Each part is weighted as follows:

  • Linguistic Competence (vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation; material from the whole year): 30%
  • Oral and Written Reception: 20%
  • Written Production (article summary): 30%
  • Oral Production (presentation of reading file + interaction): 20%

Continuous assessment will no longer be considered.

An absence from or attendance grade for any part to be retaken will result in an absence or attendance grade for the entire evaluation.

In case of another failure, all parts of the exam must be retaken the following year; partial grade transfers from one academic year to another are not allowed.

Important Note: Passing this course unit is non-certifying, meaning it does not certify that the student has achieved the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

 

Sources, references and any support material

  • Syllabus: course documents are available on the Webcampus platform.
  • Recommended grammar and vocabulary books : Bled Anglais Tout-en-un, B. Lallement, N. Pierret-Lallement, Hachette-Educ, 2014 (or reprint)
  • Additional materials on WebCampus.

Language of instruction

Français