French for Biotechnology III
Module Code
Credits
Semesters
Module co-ordinator
FR364
6 ECTS
1 and 2
Dr. Ornaith Rodgers
ornaith.rodgers@nuigalway.ie
Ext. 3800
Hours per week
Materials
AM321 (2nd floor, Arts Millennium Building)
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Supplied in class and available on blackboard
Module Aims and Objectives
This module is designed for 3rd Year Biotechnology students who have already
completed the French for Biotechnology I and II modules. The programme aims
to further develop within a Biotechnology context students’ and oral and written
communication skills acquired during the first two years of university study.
This third year programme seeks to bring their proficiency in French to Level B2
of the Common European Framework. In particular, this module aims to build
on students’ specialised knowledge of French for Biotechnology so that they may
communicate effectively in a range of social, academic and professional
situations. Students are provided with a platform to further their knowledge of
specialised French for Biotechnology through the study of texts and audio-visual
material relating to human diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and
muscular dystrophy, and therapies such as gene therapy, cell therapy and
biomedical engineering. Students’ knowledge of French grammar is reinforced,
and more complex grammatical structures are introduced. In addition, students
also study the professional and day-to-day oral and written language skills they
would need if working in a French-speaking environment in the Biotechnology
sector.
Interview skills, presentation techniques, CV preparation and
professional correspondance skills are all taught to develop practical language
skills.
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Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
1) demonstrate a good knowledge of specialised French for Biotechnology in
a variety of lexical areas but particularly relating to human diseases and
remedies
2) read, comprehend and interpret authentic documents in French relating
to a wide range of topics in Biotechnology
3) use known grammatical structures in French with ease and use more
advanced grammatical tenses and structures such as the past subjunctive,
compound tenses and reported speech
4) use oral French flexibly and spontaneously for social, academic and
professional purposes
5) make a detailed oral presentation in the target language
6) do an interview in French
7) prepare professional documents in French such as CVs, reports, emails,
letters of application etc.
8) produce clear, structured and grammatically accurate written work using
tenses, verb forms, syntactic structures and a level of vocabulary
reflecting work done during the year
Module Delivery
This module is delivered through three 1 hour classes per week devoted to text
analysis, grammar/writing skills and oral communication skills.
The text analysis class is devoted to the analysis and discussion of a variety of
texts. In both semesters of Year 3, these are texts based on human diseases and
therapies, as well as the complex bioethical issues these topics entail. The topics
covered include Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s, muscular dystrophy, multiple
sclerosis, gene therapy, regenerative medicine, nanobiotechnology, DNA drugs
and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. The vocabulary and structures studied
in these texts is consolidated through the use of supporting resources such as
video clips, discussion classes, terminology glossaries and multimedia lab work.
In the grammar/ writing skills class students are given the writing skills they
would need to work in a French-speaking environment. They thus focus on the
production of professional documents in French such as CVs, reports, letters of
application, memos and emails. This class remains a very interactive class which
also concentrates on the further development of students’ knowledge of French
grammar. Students are encouraged to use known grammatical structures to
create more complex syntactic structures and are introduced to more advanced
tenses and structures such as the past subjunctive, compound tenses, reported
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speech and more relative pronouns. Grammar exercises and games, web-based
grammar activities and regular written assignments are used to reinforce their
accuracy in language use.
In the oral communication skills class, students again focus on the oral
communication skills they would need if working in the Biotechnology industry
in a French-speaking environment. Interview skills, presentation techniques,
telephone skills and formal conversational skills all form part of this class. In
addition, guided conversation activities, large-scale discussions and debates are
used to further develop students’ spoken French, while authentic audio-visual
materials are used to improve their receptive skills.
The vocabulary, grammar and syntactic structures studied during the
programme are reinforced through the completion of a group powerpoint
presentation and report on a Biotechnology company/ research institute (in the
French-speaking world) of the students’ choice.
Students are expected to attend regularly and to actively engage with the
language through their active participation in class and through the regular
completion of homework and self-study activities.
Diplôme de français scientifique et technique
Students are also given the opportunity to take the exams for the Diplôme de
français scientifique et technique, awarded by the French Chamber of Commerce.
This exam is optional and takes place in February of each year.
Module Assessment
The module is assessed as follows:
Continuous Assessment
30%
Presentation
15%
Oral Examination
15%
Final Examination
40%
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