Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to written reports and recordings only. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs) will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application.

Material

Required text:

• Grammaire essentielle du français B2, Bourmayan et al., Editions Didier (required in French Studies 5 and 6).

Intext Book Company is an Australian website that stocks a large range of educational books in French - https://www.languageint.com.au/. 

Workshops for FLX cohort

3 x 1-hour Zoom workshops will be organised for the FLX cohort throughout the session:

• 10-11am, 1/03/24 [week 2]
• 10-11am, 22/03/24 [week 5]
• 10-11am, 12/04/24 [week 8]

Level B2 represents a new level as far above B1 (Threshold) as A2 (Waystage) is below it. It is intended to reflect the Vantage Level specification. The metaphor is that, having been progressing slowly but steadily across the intermediate plateau, the learner finds he has arrived somewhere, things look different, they acquire a new perspective, can look around them in a new way. The B2 level represents quite a break with the content so far with an extended focus on effective argument: account for and sustain his opinions in discussion by providing relevant explanations, arguments and comments; explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options; construct a chain of reasoned argument; develop an argument giving reasons in support of or against a particular point of view; explain a problem and make it clear that his/her counterpart in a negotiation must make a concession; speculate about causes, consequences, hypothetical situations; take an active part in informal discussion in familiar contexts, commenting, putting point of view clearly, evaluating alternative proposals and making  and responding to hypotheses.

Running right through the level B2 there are two new focuses:

1. The first is being able to more than "hold your own" in social discourse: e.g. stundent will demonstrate they can converse naturally, fluently and effectively; understand in detail what is said to them in the standard spoken language even in a noisy environment; initiate discourse, take their turn when appropriate and end conversation when they need to, though they may not always do this elegantly; use stock phrases (e.g. ‘That’s a difficult question to answer’) to gain time and keep the turn whilst formulating what to say; interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without imposing strain on either party; adjust to the changes of direction, style and emphasis normally found in conversation; sustain relationships with native speakers without unintentionally amusing or irritating them or requiring them to behave other than they would with a native speaker.

2. The second new focus is a new degree of language awareness: correct mistakes if they have led to misunderstandings; make a note of ‘favourite mistakes’ and consciously monitor speech for them; generally correct slips and errors if they become conscious of them; plan what is to be said and the means to say it, considering the effect on the recipient/s.

In all, it is a new threshold for a language learner to cross.