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2012/13 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

FREN3390 Variation in Spoken French

20 creditsClass Size: 24

Module manager: Dr Nigel Armstrong
Email: N.R.Armstrong@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2012/13

Pre-requisite qualifications

The ability to follow a module taught in French, normally evidenced by successful completion of FREN2010 or FREN2015.

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

This module will look at variation and change in contemporary spoken French, mostly in France although we will also consider Canadian French. Studying language variation means looking at how social factors like regional origin, age, sex, social class, as well as style of speech, affect the way people talk. The 'variationist' or number-crunching method proceeds by quantifying items of language (sounds and words), often to find out which social groups are leading linguistic change. It turns out often that women take on this role, and one of the issues in the module we shall consider is why this should be so. The French sociolinguistic situation has not been much studied compared to countries like Britain and the US, and one aim of the module is to see whether the social-regional accent pattern in France 'works', in terms of variation and change, in the same way as in other countries.

Objectives

This module is concerned with theoretical and methodological issues in sociolinguistics applied largely to spoken French, looked at from a quantitative viewpoint. The further related area of interest is language variation and change in French, examined in relation to specific linguistics variables, as well as to the influencing social factors.

These issues will be examined through the study of published findings on European and Canadian French, as well as through an individual research project conducted by each student.

On completion of this module students should be able to:
- show both extensive and intensive knowledge of a range of issues in the theory and method of sociolinguistics
- discuss specific areas of sociolinguistic variation in contemporary French
- show discrimination in the application of the relevant theory
- design and carry out an independent research project involving the analysis of French language data.

Learning outcomes
(1) A linguistic framework and the terminology necessary for the description and analysis of variation in contemporary spoken French.
(2) An understanding of the variable structures of French on the different levels of linguistic analysis: principally sounds and words, but also some sentences.
(3) An understanding of the mechanisms of variation and change at work in French, as manifested in the influence of social factors.
(4) An enhancement of competence and performance in the target language.

Skills outcomes
Enhanced skills in written and oral French in an academic register.

Syllabus

This module will look firstly at the theoretical background of sociolinguistics by examining the essential issues connected with observing and analysing variation in spontaneously occurring language; considered from the point of view of 'Labovian' linguistics. These issues are to do with the purpose and method of this strand of sociolinguistics, considered in comparison with other strands of the discipline and illustrated through the classic findings available in text books.

Secondly we will consider questions surrounding the sampling of speech communities and the identification and analysis of variables, both linguistic and extra-linguistic.

Part three will examine specific variables and areas of variation in French through the study of published research papers.

Students may like to consider recording their own (small) corpus while in France; a corpus would consist of tape-recording of a sample of speakers, differentiated along the familiar social dimensions: regional origin, age, social class, speech style, etc.

Contact Nigel Armstrong for advice on this.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	15	1.00	15.00
Tutorial	5	1.00	5.00
Private study hours			180.00
Total Contact hours			20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

In %, 50 reading associated with each topic covered, 30 preparation for active / receptive seminar participation, 5 preparation of monitoring assignments, 15 preparation of substantive assignments.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Students are invited to submit, by the end of week 5 of each semester, a 500-word summary of the essay they have chosen. The summary is in English in semester 1, in French in semester 2. This enables students to focus on the essential points of their essay, and enables the teacher to give feedback on the intended structure of the essay and on points of English and French composition.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	2,500 words	50.00
Essay	2,500 words	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 11/04/2013

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