French - BA (Hons)

Course structure

Duration: 4 years full-time

Modules

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.  

On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.

• Year abroad

Teaching and assessment

Compulsory language modules typically involve three to four hours of classes per week, including one hour of small group work with a native speaker. We also make extensive use of computer-assisted language learning packages and audio and video materials. Culture and literature modules typically involve a weekly two-hour seminar plus essay supervision. We employ six French language lectors to help students improve their fluency.

At all stages, assessment is based 100% on coursework (essays, oral presentations) in the first half of the year, and a combination of coursework and examination in the second half of the year. Credits from your year abroad count towards your final degree.

Contact hours

For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours.  The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

• provide a sound grounding in the French language in all its aspects, through extensive reading in French and through the use of French as a spoken and written medium.
• Develop a critical awareness of the broad canon of French-speaking cultures and societies from the 17^th century to the 21^st century.
• Develop specialist knowledge of a range of areas within the broad canon of French Studies.
• Train students in the field of translation from and into French.
• Provide a gateway to related thematic studies comprising various bodies of knowledge and methodological approaches.
• Provide teaching which is informed by current research and scholarship and which requires students to engage with aspects of work at the frontiers of knowledge.
• Provide a means of access to intercultural awareness and understanding.
• Contribute to widening participation in higher education by offering a wide variety of entry routes.
• Meet the lifelong needs of a diversity of students
• Provide opportunities for the development of personal, communication, research and other key skills appropriate for graduate employment both in industry and in the public sector.
• Develop general critical, analytical and problem-solving skills which can be applied in a wide range of situations.
• Facilitate students’ ability to cope independently in French.
• Build on close ties within Europe and elsewhere (notably in French-speaking countries and regions), reflecting Kent’s position as the UK’s European University.
• produce graduates of value to the region, nationally and internationally, in possession of key knowledge and skills.
  
• prepare students for employment or further study.
• provide learning opportunities that are enjoyable experiences, involve realistic workloads, based within a research-led framework and offer appropriate support for students from a diverse range of backgrounds.
• provide high quality teaching in supportive environments with appropriately qualified and trained staff.
• Provide students with the opportunity to spend a full academic year in a French-speaking country. They may attend one of the partner universities in France, Switzerland, Belgium or Canada, work as a language assistant in a school through the British Council, or arrange suitable employment (which must be verified by the University of Kent).
  
• Provide students with the opportunity to improve their spoken and written language skills in educational, professional and social contexts.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

• French Language
• French and Francophone Literature and cultures from the 17th to the 21st centuries 
• French and Francophone History
• French and Francophone Critical Theory
• French and Francophone Cultural Theory
• French and Francophone civilisation and contemporary society, through first-hand experience

Intellectual skills

You gain intellectual skills in:

• Apply the skills needed for academic study and enquiry
• Evaluate information critically 
• Synthesise information from a number of sources in order to gain a coherent understanding of the subject
• Utilise communication skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) for the coherent expression and transfer of knowledge
• Analyse, evaluate and interpret a variety of texts and other cultural products in a critical manner
• Study and reach conclusions independently
• Organise and present ideas within the framework of a structured and reasoned argument 
• Utilise problem-solving skills related to everyday and academic or professional life in a French-speaking country

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills to:

• Communicate effectively in French for a range of purposes and audiences 
• Develop language skills in reception (listening and reading); production (speaking and writing); and mediation between at least two languages (translation and interpreting) 
• Demonstrate detailed knowledge and effective understanding of the various structures and registers of French
• Translate accurately and efficiently into and from the target language 
•  Analyse critically a variety of texts be they journalistic, historical, visual or literary 
• Gain intercultural awareness and competence, and an appreciation of cultural diversity 
• Ability to mediate and display qualities of empathy in an intercultural context
•  Acquire intercultural awareness through everyday experience of and interaction with French-speaking communities

Transferable skills

You gain transferable skills in:

• Communicate effectively with a wide range of individuals using a variety of means
• Evaluate one’s own academic performance
• Problem-solving skills in a variety of theoretical and practical situations
• Accurate and effective note-taking and summarising skills 
• Library and bibliographical research skills 
• Take responsibility for personal and professional learning and development
• Manage time and prioritise workloads, think and perform under pressure
• Capacity for teamwork 
• Leadership abilities 
• Work creatively and flexibly
• Deploy a range of Information Technology skills effectively, such as word processing text with footnotes, basic formatting, using e-mail, searching databases and text-files, navigating the Web 
• Develop independence and self-reliance while accommodating to and living in a French-speaking country

Careers

The ability to speak a European language other than English is a key asset in the global employment market, and many employers view a graduate with overseas experience as more employable. Through your studies, you also acquire many of the transferable skills considered essential by graduate employers. These include the ability to work independently and as part of a team, the confidence to offer creative solutions when faced with challenges, and the ability to express your ideas with clarity and passion.

Our students go into areas such as international banking, diplomacy, publishing, journalism, international product management, interpreting and translating, European media, law or accountancy, and language teaching. Some go on to postgraduate study in fields as varied as international journalism, visual studies and translation.