Students

FRN 373 – Topics in French Culture

2017 – S2 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Benedicte Andre
Contact via benedicte.andre@mq.edu.au
Australian Hearing Hub
Thursday 2pm-4pm
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
6cp at 200 level including FRN227
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit explores representations of contemporary social issues in mainland France. By focusing on education as an embodiment of the French republican ideal, the unit interrogates notions of social determinism, “Frenchness” and universal values. Through the close reading of a wide-ranging body of works (print, electronic and audio-visual texts), the unit gives students an opportunity to consolidate their language and cultural competencies, to enhance their critical understanding of textual analysis, and to reflect on representations of the individual-collective nexus in contemporary French society.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • To develop the interpretative skills necessary to formally and informally discuss representations of contemporary social issues in mainland France, and to question overarching notions such as French cultural values
  • To engage in on-going reflection on concepts, aspects and texts discussed in class and to consolidate effective learning strategies. Students will understand that regular practice and sustained effort in learning a language in class and at home will result in being more independent in their learning and being more aware of their own progress
  • To come to understand, apply and critique Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of capital
  • To acquire an awareness of the legacy of the Enlightenment in contemporary France, especially in reference to its Republican values and its conception of knowledge and culture
  • To develop skills in critical reading. Clearly identifying and extracting information from a wide range of sources, students will work towards understanding a wide range of texts such as movies, literary works, iconography, theoretical texts, commentaries and reports
  • To identify and retrieve relevant scholarly resources for the chosen topic and utilise them to support personal analysis and/or argument
  • To develop skills in critical and analytical thinking, and the ability to write a formal, structured argument in French. Students will be able to write a clear, well-structured text, interpreting or expressing points of view at some length; write about increasingly complex subjects; write in a style appropriate to the reader in mind; express and justify opinions and give arguments supporting their point of view. Independent learning and research are strongly encouraged
  • To develop interpersonal skills by working effectively in small groups and pairs

General Assessment Information

Indicative examples of assessment tasks will be available on iLearn.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Test de compréhension 5% No Week 3
Résumé critique 20% No Week 8
Journal de réflexion 30% No Week 12
Dissertation 40% No 15/11/16
Participation 5% No Ongoing

Test de compréhension

Due: Week 3
Weighting: 5%

Le test portera uniquement sur le premier film que nous étudierons : Dialogue avec mon jardinier. Afin de vérifier que vous avez activement préparé ce texte, vous devrez répondre à une série de questions précises à son sujet.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • To engage in on-going reflection on concepts, aspects and texts discussed in class and to consolidate effective learning strategies. Students will understand that regular practice and sustained effort in learning a language in class and at home will result in being more independent in their learning and being more aware of their own progress
  • To develop skills in critical reading. Clearly identifying and extracting information from a wide range of sources, students will work towards understanding a wide range of texts such as movies, literary works, iconography, theoretical texts, commentaries and reports

Résumé critique

Due: Week 8
Weighting: 20%

Vous devez écrire le résumé critique de l'UN des deux textes suivants :

  • Becker, J. (2007). Dialogue avec mon jardinier.
  • Ernaux, A. (1983). La Place. Paris: Gallimard, Folio.

Des conseils méthodologiques ainsi que le barème de notation vous seront communiqués sur iLearn.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • To develop the interpretative skills necessary to formally and informally discuss representations of contemporary social issues in mainland France, and to question overarching notions such as French cultural values
  • To come to understand, apply and critique Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of capital
  • To develop skills in critical reading. Clearly identifying and extracting information from a wide range of sources, students will work towards understanding a wide range of texts such as movies, literary works, iconography, theoretical texts, commentaries and reports
  • To develop skills in critical and analytical thinking, and the ability to write a formal, structured argument in French. Students will be able to write a clear, well-structured text, interpreting or expressing points of view at some length; write about increasingly complex subjects; write in a style appropriate to the reader in mind; express and justify opinions and give arguments supporting their point of view. Independent learning and research are strongly encouraged

Journal de réflexion

Due: Week 12
Weighting: 30%

Toutes les semaines au sortir du cours, vous devrez écrire un paragraphe critique (environ 200 mots) sur un concept, un aspect ou un texte dont nous aurons discuté. Le but n’est pas de montrer que vous avez tout compris mais que vous participez activement à une réflexion critique, même en dehors des cours. L'aspect choisi devra impérativement être le centre de votre réflexion.

Conseils de présentation 

  • Ce que j’ai retenu en sortant du cours (phrases non-verbales et notes acceptées) - Partie non évaluée mais requise
  • Ce qui me paraît encore flou (phrases non-verbales et notes acceptées) - Partie non évaluée mais requise
  • Réflexion autour de l’aspect choisi (phrases complètes obligatoires, votre paragraphe doit être soigné et structuré) - Partie évaluée

Des conseils méthodologiques ainsi que le barème de notation vous seront communiqués sur iLearn.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • To develop the interpretative skills necessary to formally and informally discuss representations of contemporary social issues in mainland France, and to question overarching notions such as French cultural values
  • To engage in on-going reflection on concepts, aspects and texts discussed in class and to consolidate effective learning strategies. Students will understand that regular practice and sustained effort in learning a language in class and at home will result in being more independent in their learning and being more aware of their own progress
  • To come to understand, apply and critique Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of capital
  • To acquire an awareness of the legacy of the Enlightenment in contemporary France, especially in reference to its Republican values and its conception of knowledge and culture
  • To develop skills in critical reading. Clearly identifying and extracting information from a wide range of sources, students will work towards understanding a wide range of texts such as movies, literary works, iconography, theoretical texts, commentaries and reports
  • To develop skills in critical and analytical thinking, and the ability to write a formal, structured argument in French. Students will be able to write a clear, well-structured text, interpreting or expressing points of view at some length; write about increasingly complex subjects; write in a style appropriate to the reader in mind; express and justify opinions and give arguments supporting their point of view. Independent learning and research are strongly encouraged

Dissertation

Due: 15/11/16
Weighting: 40%

Vous devez écrire une dissertation de 2000 mots sur l'UN des thèmes suivants :

  • La mobilité sociale
  • Les inégalités en France
  • Les valeurs républicaines
  • L’école et l’éducation
  • L’individu et la société
  • Les valeurs culturelles françaises

Votre dissertation fera obligatoirement référence aux trois oeuvres complètes ainsi qu'à deux sources critiques étudiées ce semestre.

Des conseils méthodologiques ainsi que le barème de notation vous seront communiqués sur iLearn.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • To develop the interpretative skills necessary to formally and informally discuss representations of contemporary social issues in mainland France, and to question overarching notions such as French cultural values
  • To come to understand, apply and critique Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of capital
  • To acquire an awareness of the legacy of the Enlightenment in contemporary France, especially in reference to its Republican values and its conception of knowledge and culture
  • To develop skills in critical reading. Clearly identifying and extracting information from a wide range of sources, students will work towards understanding a wide range of texts such as movies, literary works, iconography, theoretical texts, commentaries and reports
  • To identify and retrieve relevant scholarly resources for the chosen topic and utilise them to support personal analysis and/or argument
  • To develop skills in critical and analytical thinking, and the ability to write a formal, structured argument in French. Students will be able to write a clear, well-structured text, interpreting or expressing points of view at some length; write about increasingly complex subjects; write in a style appropriate to the reader in mind; express and justify opinions and give arguments supporting their point of view. Independent learning and research are strongly encouraged

Participation

Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 5%

Etudiants internes

  • Vous serez notés sur votre participation en cours ainsi que sur la qualité de votre préparation.

Etudiants externes

  • Vous serez notés sur votre participation au sein des discussions hebdomadaires (voir iLearn). Vos billets devront démontrer votre préparation: si vous cherchez les explications d'un autre étudiant, assurez-vous de présenter les limites de ce que vous comprenez.

On successful completion you will be able to:
  • To develop the interpretative skills necessary to formally and informally discuss representations of contemporary social issues in mainland France, and to question overarching notions such as French cultural values
  • To engage in on-going reflection on concepts, aspects and texts discussed in class and to consolidate effective learning strategies. Students will understand that regular practice and sustained effort in learning a language in class and at home will result in being more independent in their learning and being more aware of their own progress
  • To come to understand, apply and critique Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of capital
  • To acquire an awareness of the legacy of the Enlightenment in contemporary France, especially in reference to its Republican values and its conception of knowledge and culture
  • To develop interpersonal skills by working effectively in small groups and pairs

Delivery and Resources

CLASSES

Each weekly class consists of one block of 2 hours. For more information and for the latest updates on times and the venue, see the official University timetable on https://timetables.mq.edu.au. Classes start at five minutes past the hour and students are encouraged to maximise their learning by coming to as many classes as possible.

External students will be expected to listen to the lecture recordings available after each class and will be able to interact with each other through online discussion forums for their benefit.

REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND/OR MATERIALS

Required Texts

Movies

  • Becker, J. (2007). Dialogue avec mon jardinier.
    • Students need to source their own copy.
  • Cantet, L. (2008). Entre les murs.
    • Students need to source their own copy.

Novel

  • Ernaux, A. (1983). La Place. Paris: Gallimard, Folio.
    • Students need to source their own copy (please keep in mind that differing editions will have differing page numbers to those mentioned in class)

Critical texts

  • A weekly list of secondary sources will be provided on iLearn.

TECHNOLOGIES USED AND REQUIRED

Online Unit

Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/

Is my unit in iLearn?: http://help.ilearn.mq.edu.au/unitsonline/ to check when your online unit will become available.

Technology

Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient.

For students attending classes on campus we strongly encourage that you bring along your own laptop computer, ready to work with activities in your online unit. The preferred operating system is Windows 10.

Students are required to access the online unit in iLearn by the end of Week 1 and follow any relevant instructions and links for downloads that may be required. If applicable, students are required to download the relevant language package prior to Week 2.

Please contact your course convenor before the end of Week 1 if you do not have a suitable laptop (or tablet) for in-class use.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html​

Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Please not the following department policy on late work

Assignments are compulsory and must be submitted on time. As a general rule, extensions will not be granted without a valid and documented reason (e.g. medical certificate). Applications must be lodged via ask.mq.edu.au and must imperatively include a Professional Authority Form (see Disruption to Studies Policy above). Late submissions will be penalised by 5% for each day (including weekends) the assignment task is late. No assignments will be accepted after assignments have been corrected and feedback has been provided. Assignment tasks handed in early will not be marked and returned before the due date.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • To identify and retrieve relevant scholarly resources for the chosen topic and utilise them to support personal analysis and/or argument
  • To develop skills in critical and analytical thinking, and the ability to write a formal, structured argument in French. Students will be able to write a clear, well-structured text, interpreting or expressing points of view at some length; write about increasingly complex subjects; write in a style appropriate to the reader in mind; express and justify opinions and give arguments supporting their point of view. Independent learning and research are strongly encouraged

Assessment tasks

  • Journal de réflexion
  • Dissertation

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • To develop the interpretative skills necessary to formally and informally discuss representations of contemporary social issues in mainland France, and to question overarching notions such as French cultural values
  • To engage in on-going reflection on concepts, aspects and texts discussed in class and to consolidate effective learning strategies. Students will understand that regular practice and sustained effort in learning a language in class and at home will result in being more independent in their learning and being more aware of their own progress

Assessment tasks

  • Résumé critique
  • Journal de réflexion
  • Dissertation

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • To engage in on-going reflection on concepts, aspects and texts discussed in class and to consolidate effective learning strategies. Students will understand that regular practice and sustained effort in learning a language in class and at home will result in being more independent in their learning and being more aware of their own progress
  • To develop skills in critical reading. Clearly identifying and extracting information from a wide range of sources, students will work towards understanding a wide range of texts such as movies, literary works, iconography, theoretical texts, commentaries and reports

Assessment tasks

  • Test de compréhension
  • Journal de réflexion

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • To develop the interpretative skills necessary to formally and informally discuss representations of contemporary social issues in mainland France, and to question overarching notions such as French cultural values
  • To engage in on-going reflection on concepts, aspects and texts discussed in class and to consolidate effective learning strategies. Students will understand that regular practice and sustained effort in learning a language in class and at home will result in being more independent in their learning and being more aware of their own progress
  • To come to understand, apply and critique Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of capital
  • To acquire an awareness of the legacy of the Enlightenment in contemporary France, especially in reference to its Republican values and its conception of knowledge and culture
  • To develop skills in critical reading. Clearly identifying and extracting information from a wide range of sources, students will work towards understanding a wide range of texts such as movies, literary works, iconography, theoretical texts, commentaries and reports
  • To identify and retrieve relevant scholarly resources for the chosen topic and utilise them to support personal analysis and/or argument
  • To develop skills in critical and analytical thinking, and the ability to write a formal, structured argument in French. Students will be able to write a clear, well-structured text, interpreting or expressing points of view at some length; write about increasingly complex subjects; write in a style appropriate to the reader in mind; express and justify opinions and give arguments supporting their point of view. Independent learning and research are strongly encouraged

Assessment tasks

  • Test de compréhension
  • Résumé critique
  • Journal de réflexion
  • Dissertation

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • To develop the interpretative skills necessary to formally and informally discuss representations of contemporary social issues in mainland France, and to question overarching notions such as French cultural values
  • To engage in on-going reflection on concepts, aspects and texts discussed in class and to consolidate effective learning strategies. Students will understand that regular practice and sustained effort in learning a language in class and at home will result in being more independent in their learning and being more aware of their own progress
  • To come to understand, apply and critique Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of capital
  • To acquire an awareness of the legacy of the Enlightenment in contemporary France, especially in reference to its Republican values and its conception of knowledge and culture
  • To develop skills in critical reading. Clearly identifying and extracting information from a wide range of sources, students will work towards understanding a wide range of texts such as movies, literary works, iconography, theoretical texts, commentaries and reports
  • To identify and retrieve relevant scholarly resources for the chosen topic and utilise them to support personal analysis and/or argument
  • To develop skills in critical and analytical thinking, and the ability to write a formal, structured argument in French. Students will be able to write a clear, well-structured text, interpreting or expressing points of view at some length; write about increasingly complex subjects; write in a style appropriate to the reader in mind; express and justify opinions and give arguments supporting their point of view. Independent learning and research are strongly encouraged
  • To develop interpersonal skills by working effectively in small groups and pairs

Assessment tasks

  • Test de compréhension
  • Résumé critique
  • Journal de réflexion
  • Dissertation
  • Participation

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • To come to understand, apply and critique Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of capital
  • To acquire an awareness of the legacy of the Enlightenment in contemporary France, especially in reference to its Republican values and its conception of knowledge and culture
  • To develop skills in critical reading. Clearly identifying and extracting information from a wide range of sources, students will work towards understanding a wide range of texts such as movies, literary works, iconography, theoretical texts, commentaries and reports
  • To identify and retrieve relevant scholarly resources for the chosen topic and utilise them to support personal analysis and/or argument
  • To develop skills in critical and analytical thinking, and the ability to write a formal, structured argument in French. Students will be able to write a clear, well-structured text, interpreting or expressing points of view at some length; write about increasingly complex subjects; write in a style appropriate to the reader in mind; express and justify opinions and give arguments supporting their point of view. Independent learning and research are strongly encouraged

Assessment tasks

  • Résumé critique
  • Journal de réflexion
  • Dissertation

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • To develop the interpretative skills necessary to formally and informally discuss representations of contemporary social issues in mainland France, and to question overarching notions such as French cultural values
  • To develop skills in critical and analytical thinking, and the ability to write a formal, structured argument in French. Students will be able to write a clear, well-structured text, interpreting or expressing points of view at some length; write about increasingly complex subjects; write in a style appropriate to the reader in mind; express and justify opinions and give arguments supporting their point of view. Independent learning and research are strongly encouraged
  • To develop interpersonal skills by working effectively in small groups and pairs

Assessment tasks

  • Test de compréhension
  • Résumé critique
  • Journal de réflexion
  • Dissertation
  • Participation

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • To develop skills in critical and analytical thinking, and the ability to write a formal, structured argument in French. Students will be able to write a clear, well-structured text, interpreting or expressing points of view at some length; write about increasingly complex subjects; write in a style appropriate to the reader in mind; express and justify opinions and give arguments supporting their point of view. Independent learning and research are strongly encouraged
  • To develop interpersonal skills by working effectively in small groups and pairs

Assessment tasks

  • Dissertation
  • Participation

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • To come to understand, apply and critique Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of capital
  • To develop interpersonal skills by working effectively in small groups and pairs

Assessment tasks

  • Dissertation
  • Participation

Changes from Previous Offering

Unit Guide - New paragraph under 'Technology used and required'