For students in History, in Art History and Archaeology, and in Romance Languages and Literatures:
The student will aim to achieve the following levels of proficiency in English (according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, CEFR):
Please refer to the CEFR's Companion Volume with New Descriptors for more information on the criteria and indicators for each component.
The student will be able to:
The in-person lessons, taught entirely in English, are designed to be highly interactive in order to develop students' productive skills (speaking and writing), based on topics and themes that target or interest Bachelor's students in History and in Art History and Archaeology. The more receptive aspects of the learning process will be addressed through tasks like class preparation, study, reading, and listening to be completed at home, as a workload is expected outside of in-person classes, according to the ECTS credits.
The activities and topics covered will include (among others):
For students in History and in History of Art and Archaeology: see the 'Content' section above.
For students in Romance Languages and Literatures, since the content changes each year based on students' interests and/or current events, it is not possible to provide a list of the themes and texts that will be covered. For reference, the following areas have been covered in previous years: learning/teaching French as a second language (FSL), linguistic diversity, literary genres, young adult literature, artificial intelligence, neologisms, pronunciation, didactics, film studies, cultural studies...
The new vocabulary covered in class will be posted online on WebCampus.
Free conversation exercises (improvisation based on current topics) or guided exercises (e.g. role-plays, framework games), with the goal of expanding vocabulary and acquiring strategies for expressing opinions and describing objects or ideas.
Occasional grammar reviews based on difficulties encountered (e.g. tenses, false friends, subject-verb agreement). Correction of common errors among French-speaking learners.
Assessment will take the form of productive tasks to be completed throughout the year; the grades obtained will be part of the ongoing assessment, along with attendance and participation.
The lessons are spread over the 1st and 2nd semesters, with each semester having a maximum of 12 sessions of 2 hours per week — please refer to the schedule on ADE Campus and any modifications announced via WebCampus.
The teaching approach is based on the active participation of the student through conversation exercises on current topics or themes related to history, art, and archaeology. These exercises are carried out either in groups of (mainly) 2 to 4 students or with the entire class.
The teaching method is designed to be cooperative, reflective, and creative, relying on interactions between students and between students and the instructor. Active participation is therefore crucial.
Occasional use of the Microsoft Teams platform may be made to take advantage of certain features, as well as OneDrive for the sharing and use of shared documents.
Personalised feedback will be given to students to help eliminate grammar and vocabulary mistakes.
Tools such as open-ended questions, card games, puzzles, role-playing, and structured games will be used for conversation exercises. Various texts and videos will provide content for the more passive part of the course.
Two grades, each out of 20 points, will be given to each student during the year (if they are regularly enrolled for each session): a partial grade in January (in line with Article 79 §1 of the French Community's "Décret Paysage" which requires evaluation for all learning activities in the 1st semester) and a final grade in June.
The partial grade in January will take into account the following elements (with the weighting of each part indicated between brackets):
– Continuous assessment (15%): this grade is based on attendance and active participation during 1st-term classes, a vocabulary test (Secondary School Vocabulary List – History [SVLHIST]), as well as the completion of any assigned tasks or written evaluations. Any unjustified absence or failure to complete a task will result in a zero. If a student is absent more than twice without valid justification, they will receive a zero for the entire continuous assessment.
– Written exam (35%): various questions (e.g., open-ended, fill-in-the-blank) will test the mastery of the vocabulary covered in the 1st term (both SVLHIST and thematic), and one or more writing tasks will assess other written skills.
– Oral exam (50%): a 10-minute interview will be conducted with the teacher to discuss certain topics from the 1st semester spontaneously. There will be no preparation time.
Notes:
– A global zero in any section will result in a global zero for the January partial grade. It will be possible to make up for this failure with compensatory tasks agreed upon with the course instructor in June or August.
– If a student does not sit for the written and/or oral exam, they will receive a global zero.
The final grade in June will be made up of several elements (with the weighting for each part indicated between brackets):
– January partial mark (15%)
– Continuous assessment (10%): this mark is based on attendance and active participation during 2nd-term classes, a vocabulary test (SVLHIST), and the completion of any written tasks. Any unjustified absence or failure to complete a task will result in a zero. If a student is absent more than twice without valid justification, they will receive a zero for the entire continuous assessment.
– Oral presentation (20%): students will be required to give a presentation related to both their field of study and the English-speaking world. Their ability to present information factually, clearly, and accurately, using a visual aid (which will also be graded), will be evaluated. If a student does not give their presentation (unless justified, in which case another date will be set), they will receive a global zero.
– Written exam (20%): various questions (e.g., open-ended, fill-in-the-blank) will test the acquisition of vocabulary covered in the 2nd term (both thematic and SVLHIST), and one or more writing tasks will assess other written skills.
– Oral exam (35%): a 15-minute interview will be conducted with the teacher to discuss various topics covered throughout the year. The student will be expected to spontaneously give detailed opinions on issues related to history, art history, and/or archaeology.
Notes:
– A global zero in any of the above sections will result in a global zero for the final June grade. If a global zero was given in January due to too many unjustified absences, students will be able to compensate by completing tasks agreed upon with the instructor before the exam. In this case, however, the participation grade will be capped at 50%.
– Failure in any section of the evaluation will result in a one-point deduction from the final average. For example, a student who earns an overall average of 12/20 but fails the oral presentation will receive an 11/20 instead of 12/20. The same penalty will apply for each additional failed section.
If a student fails after the June session, they will have the opportunity to improve their grade by participating in the second session evaluation. The new grade will consist of the following parts (with their weighting between brackets):
– Continuous assessment (15%): grades from both terms will be carried over. A student who received a zero due to too many absences will retain that zero for the continuous assessment, unless he/she carries out compensatory tasks (see above).
– Oral presentation (20%): this part must be retaken if the student received an insufficient score or did not hold a presentation during the 2nd term. The student must submit a new presentation topic for approval, following the same guidelines as in the 2nd semester, and prepare a visual aid to present on the same day as the written and oral exams.
– Written exam (25%): various questions (e.g., open-ended, fill-in-the-blank) will test the acquisition of vocabulary from both semesters, and one or more writing tasks will assess other written skills.
– Oral exam (40%): a 15-minute interview will be conducted with the teacher to discuss various topics covered during the year, with spontaneous opinions on issues related to history, art history, and/or archaeology.
If a student enrolled in the second session does not complete any required part of the evaluation, they will receive a final grade of '0 A' for absence.
Note applicable to all students: students with specific needs who are unable to attend lessons and/or give their presentation must notify the Cellule d'Appui Pédagogique (CAP) and their academic advisor at the start of the academic year to request accommodations. CAP will provide the necessary information to the course coordinator to arrange reasonable adjustments. Late notifications will not be considered.
Warning: please note that passing for this teaching unit does not imply certification.
There is no syllabus; sheets and materials necessary for certain exercises will be distributed in class (as well as on WebCampus) throughout the year. The SVLHIST vocabulary list will be available via WebCampus in PDF format; the course coordinator can also provide it in other formats (Word, Excel) upon written request.
Various information sites (e.g., theguardian.com; economist.com; statista.com) will be used, as well as audiovisual resources (e.g., youtube.com) and social media posts and memes (e.g. Instagram, 9GAG).
Texts, videos, and feedback are available on WebCampus.
| Training | Study programme | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in History of Art and Archaeology: General | Standard | 0 | 4 | |
| Bachelor in Ancient and Modern Languages and Literatures | Standard | 0 | 4 | |
| Bachelor in History | Standard | 0 | 4 | |
| Bachelor in History | Standard | 1 | 4 | |
| Bachelor in History of Art and Archaeology: General | Standard | 1 | 4 | |
| Bachelor in History | Standard | 2 | 4 | |
| Bachelor in History of Art and Archaeology: General | Standard | 2 | 4 | |
| Bachelor in Ancient and Modern Languages and Literatures | Standard | 3 | 4 | |
| Bachelor in History | Standard | 3 | 4 | |
| Bachelor in History of Art and Archaeology: General | Standard | 3 | 4 |