UCL CENTRE FOR LANGUAGES
& INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
SSCs 2015-2016
French for Medicine and Current Affairs
Prerequisite for entry
Successful completion of French Syllabus D at the UCL CLIE, a high ‘A’ level grade or if you have a very good grasp of the
language and are able to conduct a conversation without difficulty. Oral and written skills will be briefly tested at
registration interviews.
Course duration
Year 1 students: double-block (16 x 3-hour classes. Block 1: 8 x 3-hour classes; Block 2: workshops and tutorials related
to Project).
Year 2 students: single block (8 x 3-hour classes).
Self-Study
40 hours in total.
Course codes
LCFM6005.
Aims and Objectives
The course is designed for advanced level students. It teaches specialised vocabulary to enable participants to use their
language skills in a professional environment, such as meetings and conferences, as well as covering related topics such
as current affairs and the latest trends in French society. The course will enhance knowledge of French life, society and
business culture using complex and linguistically accurate structures (different types of discourse, register). Medical
related issues/vocabulary will also be covered.
Cultural awareness will be further developed and raised within a European/global context. Language learning skills,
including autonomous learning and how to approach authentic material, will be further enhanced. Various transferable
skills will also be covered.
Functions
FOCUS ON MEDICAL CONTEXT
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expressing a wide range of opinions and reactions in a fluent manner;
debating, commenting, explaining, describing at an advanced level;
suggesting, accepting, refusing, doubting, hoping, convincing, disagreeing;
ability to interact in a critical debate, presenting one's ideas clearly and efficiently in a more conceptual way;
ability to master all the above in a fairly complex spoken and written register.
Course Content
Main topics/themes to be covered
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health; diseases/main pathologies &the health system;
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medicines, treatments and prevention; consultation;
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at the hospital;
social security and health system in France (History and challenges for the future);
etymology of medical vocabulary;
studying medicine in France;
bioethics;
Current affairs: European health legislation: politics and policies; evolution of French society: multiculturalism;
men/women; sustainable development; health issues related to environment (stress etc.).
Skills
Reading
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newspapers: reading for gist, scanning for specific information;
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in-depth analysis of scientific, economic and social topics in major newspapers/magazines; of medical related
documents.
Writing
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analysis and review of articles;
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note-taking from presentations;
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writing up presentations;
Listening
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news: radio, TV and DVDs (regular listening skills exercises); documentaries related to the medical world.
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listening exercises on corporate affairs, scientific/health related, economics and social issues.
Speaking
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formal and informal discussions, debates, round table;
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presentations; practice situations related to medical studies and profession.
Transferable
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personal introductions;
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research for, and presentation of, a project;
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how to prepare and conduct a meeting.
Linguistic Structures
Discourse Strategies
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analysing/comparing texts from various sources (different text types);
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preparing oral contributions in different situations.
Main Aspects of These Strategies
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structuring (logical structures);
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logical connections (lexical, grammatical);
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stylistic levels, various registers and their usage.
Repetition of Various Grammatical Features (Mainly on Sentence Level)
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pronouns;
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all tenses and modes;
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the passive;
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complex sentences (conditional, cause and effect, concession, complex negatives etc).
Learning Resources
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Le Nouvel Edito B2 – Textbook, (cover red and yellow), (Didier) – ISBN: 9788484436959
Santé-médecine.com CLE INTERNATIONAL (2004); www.cle-inter.com
Bilingual Dictionary (Collins/Robert)
Monolingual Dictionary (Micro Petit Robert)
Authentic material from various sources.
In addition there is a wide range of language learning materials available for self-study in the Self-Access Centre.