Learn French - the African language that will give you wings!
Add another global language to your range of communication skills.
French 178 is intended for students with no prior knowledge of the language. This is an intensive beginners course. French 188 is intended for students who passed French as a third language in Grade 12 and builds on the language skills acquired at school level. The course includes lectures in French language and literature as well as lectures that are intended to equip students with a cultural knowledge of France and the Francophonie and prepare them for extra-curricular exams such as the DELF. French 278, French 318 and French 348 are the intermediate and advanced undergraduate levels and continue studies of French literature and language. Additional lectures at third year level prepare students for the use of French in professional situations. Students from other Faculties may take French.
Our postgraduate programmes comprise the Honours programme in French and the MA programme in French. The Honours programme concentrates on French and Francophone literature and prepares students for independent academic research. The MA programme consists of a 100% thesis on a research topic of the student's choice.
French 178
Introduction to the French language and culture
Current Module Outline (English pdf)
First year level module
Duration : one year
Credits : 24
Composition : 3 lectures, 1 tutorial and 1 practical per week
Admission requirements: This module is offered for beginners; no prior
knowledge of French is required.
The module is designed to provide basic intercultural communication skills. It enables students to understand, speak, read and - to a lesser degree - write contemporary French in everyday situations which includes a basic knowledge of present day situation in French speaking countries.
- Introduction to language study
- Introduction to contemporary French cultural studies based on themes
- Study of basic literary texts
Generic Outcomes
Students that have completed the course sucessfully are able to understand, speak, read and (to a lesser extent) write French in everyday situations with a basic knowledge of contemporary French society.
Specific outcomes
After completing the French 178 course successfully, a student is able to
- talk about himself, his life and surroundings, the weather, his likes and dislikes and other basic conversational topics;
- understand basic texts (including an easy literary text);
- express himself/herself using the past and future tenses;
- write a friendly letter;
- understand and react to a basic conversation in French;
- pass the DELF A1 exam.
French 188
Intermediate study of French language, literature and culture
Current Module Outline (pdf)
First year level module
Duration : one year
Credits : 24
Composition : 3 lectures and 1 tutorial per week
Admission Requirements : French 188 is offered for students who passed
French in grade 12 or an equivalent qualification.
- Intermediate language study with emphasis on expanding vocabulary
- French and Francophone texts
Generic outcomes
Students that have completed the course sucessfully are able to use French with ease in a wide variety of everyday situations and to analyse and discuss literary texts in the form of poetry, short stories, plays and novels, against the background of a basic knowledge of contemporary French society.
Specific outcomes
After completing the French 188 course successfully, a student is able to
- talk with ease about events, emotions, everyday life in France, using a wider range of vocabulary and making use of synonyms and idiomatical expressions;
- understand and analyse a literary work and express his opinion about it;
- conduct an interactive conversation in French with ease;
- pass the DELF A2 and A3 exam.
French 278
Continued study of French language, literature and culture
Second year level module
Duration : one year
Credits : 32
Composition : 3 lectures, 1 tutorial and 1 practical per week
The second year course leads to advanced proficiency reading, writing
and speaking French and includes an introduction to the interpretation
of French literature.
- Advanced language study
- Basic concepts and principles of French as a foreign language
- Comparative cultural study using various themes
- Study of texts with reference to these themes
Generic outcomes
Students that have completed the course sucessfully are able to
- understand texts (in the widest sense of the word) through insight in communication processes, a knowledge of basic theoretical principles and a critical consciousness of resemblances and differences between the source and target cultures (including the Francophony);
- to give written and oral proof of the skills and knowledge mentioned
above.
Specific outcomes
After completing the French 278 course successfully, a student is able to
- talk with ease about events, everyday life and culture in South Africa, France and the Francophonie;
- conduct a simple debate about current topics;
- understand the relevance of literature to the learning of a foreign language;
- understand and analyse literary texts in the form of poetry, short stories, plays and short novels;
- pass the DELF A2 and possibly B1 exams (according to their individual aptitude).
French 318
Advanced study of the French Language, Literature and Culture
Third year level module
Level : third year
Duration : one semester (first semester)
Credits : 24
Composition : 5 lectures per week
French 348
Advanced study of the French Language, Literature and Culture
Current Module Outline (pdf)
Third year level module
Level : third year
Duration : one semester (second semester)
Credits : 24
Composition : 5 lectures per week
The two third year modules approach the study of literary texts in the context of themes leading to multidisciplinary interpretation of such texts. The course also includes an introduction to research methodology in order to prepare students for independent academic research. In addition to this, several elements within the course focus on the practical and professional application of language studies.
- Advanced language studies
- Study of French texts including film studies
- Comparative cultural studies with reference to professional applications.
Generic outcomes
Students that have completed the course successfully are able to
- understand texts (in the widest sense of the word) and to grasp their relevance to their own reality through insight in communication processes, knowledge of basic theoretical principles and a critical consciousness of similarities and differences between the source and target cultures (including the Francophony);
- to recognise the importance of French to their other subjects and future career and to apply practical professional skills in French efficiently;
- to give oral and written proof of the skills and knowledge mentioned above.
Specific outcomes
After completing French 318 and 348, a student is able to
- talk about abstract / philosophical topics such as identity, the other, existentialism;
- understand the relevance of literature in their own lives within the South African reality;
- understand and analyse literary texts in the form of poetry, film, short novels and novels;
- use the basic practical skills acquired in a professional situation, e.g. how to write a Curriculum Vitae, how to conduct a professional interview, translation etc;
- pass the DELF B2 and possible C1 exams (according to individual aptitude).