French Post A Level - October 2024

Course Dates: Tuesday 8, 15, 22, 29 October; 6, 13, 20, 27 November; 4, 11 December 2024

Course Delivery: This course will consist of a weekly 2 hour in-person class, together with supporting resources. These resources will include a 5-10 minute preparation video, focusing on a relevant language teaching point to the upcoming class and 30 minutes of online exercises to follow up on teaching in the online class. You will be expected to watch the video and complete the online exercises ahead of each weekly class. Classes will be capped at 20 students.

Learning Objectives: Students taking the Post A Level course should either have completed an A-level examination in the subject, completed Post AS Level here at Queen’s, or have an equivalent knowledge of the Language. The aim of Post A Level is to develop high level language skills, more in-depth cultural awareness and strong grammatical ability, giving the student confidence in their ability to express themselves relatively fluently and to communicate with relative ease in a working environment.

Topics: Environment e.g. pollution, energy, protecting the planet; The multicultural society e.g. immigration, racism; Contemporary social issues e.g. wealth/poverty, law and order, impact of scientific/technological progress; Cultural topics e.g. this could be a look at a French region/country, a period of French history, a French book/poem/play/film, the work of a French director/architect/musician

Suggested Grammar Coverage: Students should be provided with a solid grammatical base, which will allow them to converse more easily at this level by developing their own sentences and phrases. Inevitably at this level they will need to use different verb tenses and grammatical structures and complexities.

Learning outcomes: Students will have developed a broad vocabulary in the topic areas outlined above and a comprehensive knowledge of all of the main grammatical themes. Students will understand and be able to use words and phrases associated with everyday living and working environments as well as some more familiar language and colloquialisms. Students will be able to hold discussions and justify their opinions using complex language. Students will recognize different registers and moods of language used in different contexts. Students will be able to express wishes, desires and hopes.

Is there a minimum age to register for a Language Centre course?

You must be a minimum of 18 years old to register for an in person course and a minimum of 16 years old to register for any on-line Language Centre course.

What are the course fees?

There are different fees depending on registration type. All course fees are payable on enrolment. --Student fee: £20.00 --Staff fee: £20.00 --General Public: £88.00

Are these courses accredited?

A Queen's Certificate will be awarded to all students who attend regularly. A minimum of 70% attendance is required for certification.

In addition any current Queen's student can apply for Degree Plus accreditation. Degree Plus enables students to gain recognition from Queen’s for completing extra-curricular work related learning alongside their degree.

How often do I attend?

Classes, which last 2 hours, are held weekly, as far as possible outside normal university teaching hours (e.g. late afternoon, early evening, some are scheduled for Wednesday afternoon) and run for 10 weeks starting in October and again in January and April. You will also be expected to complete homework ahead of class.

Is my registration fee transferrable?

Yes, if you feel after your first class that the level of language is too high/low, you can transfer to another class, provided that there is available space.

What's the refund policy?

All refunds before the start of the course must be requested in writing. Refunds are paid as follows:

(Please note EVENTBRITE will charge 6% administration fee on all refunds)

Before (and including) 25 September– full refund

26 September to 3 October (inclusive) – 50% refund

No refunds available from 4 October (inclusive)

All requests for refunds need to be made in writing to the Language Centre Manager and must be related to reasons beyond your control and supported by written evidence. These refunds will be at the Language Centre Manager’s discretion. All refunds, where agreed, will be subject to an administrative fee of £10.00 for QUB staff and students and £40 for members of the public.

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?

You can email any queries you have to [email protected]

Host or Publisher The Language Centre at Queen's