French in UCC...Arts!

KeyLimePie

Right i've been thinking to myself recently that I don't really like graphic design anymore and my mind has been wondering to teaching french
i love the language and it'd be cool to be a teacher
even then if i dont wanna be a teacher i can be like a translator or something

but if anyone has had experience of taking french for first year in college i'd be delighted to hear about `

nesf

I recommend considering starting a thread on the French forum here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=219

and the Teaching/Lecturing forum here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=621

You should get broader opinions on the idea there as well as the more specific discussion you'll hopefully get here.

CantGetNoSleep

It seems to be harder than other Arts subjects as first year requires 5 hours of lectures just for French i think, along with an extra 3 subjects.

You do 2 modules, one is 2 hours written language and 1 hour oral week, the other is 2 hours French Culture each week

Assessment is through five small 5% grammer vocabulary exams, an oral exam and an end of year written exam, and the other module is two 25% essays and a 50% end of year exam.

The French Dept in UCC is very good in my experiences, and the senior staff are very friendly and helpful. There is one or two clowns but you get that everywhere

Hope this helps - I dont do Arts so not sure if all of this is correct

nesf

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

It seems to be harder than other Arts subjects as first year requires 5 hours of lectures just for French i think

It's probably 5 hours of lectures and tutorials combined rather than 5 hours of lectures. Language subjects have more prescribed hours than non language subjects from what I've heard but that's to be expected. Just listening to lectures about French isn't going to be enough, you need to go speak it too etc.

KeyLimePie

nesf wrote: »

I recommend considering starting a thread on the French forum here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=219

and the Teaching/Lecturing forum here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=621

You should get broader opinions on the idea there as well as the more specific discussion you'll hopefully get here.

oh wow! thanks for that

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

It seems to be harder than other Arts subjects as first year requires 5 hours of lectures just for French i think, along with an extra 3 subjects.

You do 2 modules, one is 2 hours written language and 1 hour oral week, the other is 2 hours French Culture each week

Assessment is through five small 5% grammer vocabulary exams, an oral exam and an end of year written exam, and the other module is two 25% essays and a 50% end of year exam.

The French Dept in UCC is very good in my experiences, and the senior staff are very friendly and helpful. There is one or two clowns but you get that everywhere

Hope this helps - I dont do Arts so not sure if all of this is correct

that REALLY helps!! I was reading the website and it was very vague and it's too late to go to any open days
thanks

nesf

KeyLimePie wrote: »

that REALLY helps!! I was reading the website and it was very vague and it's too late to go to any open days
thanks

Academic Calender for the BA (normal arts course): http://www.ucc.ie/calendar/arts/art002.html

Academic Calender for the BA (Languages and Cultural studies course): http://www.ucc.ie/calendar/arts/art006.html (you spend your third year abroad at a French university if you study French, and do your studies there and return to do final year (third year of the BA course) for your fourth year).

The reference codes given in the academic calender can be looked up here in the Book of Modules to get full details on each course: http://www.ucc.ie/modules/descriptions/FR.html for French modules.

Note: Neither of the above give much details about tutorials so it doesn't describe "everything" that you'll be doing, just the lectures.


Your options to study French (in Arts) are through a 3 year BA and 4 year BA (Cultural Studies) course. If you want better French it's better to do the 4 year course and spend a year in the foreign country speaking the language for obvious reasons.

I hope that helps.

corkgal1981

Hi,
I only studied French for 1 year but studied German to degree level so am pretty familiar with the language depts. French was always tougher than German (& Italian & Spanish)because while there were about 60 studying German in first year there were about 350 studying French! It was a lot more competitive in French classes. There are excellent literature and culture modules, excellent staff. A lot is expected of you though and its harder to get places in some of the classes in 2nd year. Also, I can tell you theres a lot of people at the moment who have degrees in French & are trying to get teaching placements but theres not enough demand for them. Schools in Ireland are to blame. Many offer only French as a modern language and as a result theres not enough students taking up other languages at university level.

CantGetNoSleep

KeyLimePie wrote: »

oh wow! thanks for that



that REALLY helps!! I was reading the website and it was very vague and it's too late to go to any open days
thanks

No prob feel free to ask any more questions

KeyLimePie

i've one more question about french in UCC

are the classes thought in french?!?!
http://www.ucc.ie/modules/descriptions/page028.html#FR1101

corkgal1981

Not in first year

KeyLimePie

corkgal1981 wrote: »

Not in first year

u absolutely positive?:)

corkgal1981

I did it for a year in 2001 and it wasnt the norm then anyway. However if you plan on studying in France for a year (all language depts in UCC will try to force you to do this - I did a year in Germany & it was best year of my life!) you will obviously have to suffer through every class & lecture being en francais! First time I attended a Frence lecture in UCC the lecturer spoke French but it was just to scare us into paying attention and didnt last long!

originalcupcake

well, i've just finished (almost) my first year doing french in UCC.. like you, i wanted to do french because i love the language. My experience taking french in ucc has been all positive, the french dept are very enthusiastic, approachable and helpful.
You'd have one class a week of french oral, which is very interesting, though intimidating at the start, but by the end of the year you will have had many an interesting convo about art and politics, all through french.
Then theres french studies which encompasses french chansons, literature, bande-dessinee, and so on. If you love french you'll find these classes captivating. They lecture in english most of the time.
Theres two grammer classes a week then taught through french, in which the more complicated tenses are explored. The class sizes are small, so its a good oportunity to learn and improve.
Overall I've found it a culturally rich and diverse course, not too time or effort consuming (theres only one essay to be written<through english> during the year plus summer exams), if your level of french is good.

hope that helps...:)

KeyLimePie

originalcupcake wrote: »

well, i've just finished (almost) my first year doing french in UCC.. like you, i wanted to do french because i love the language. My experience taking french in ucc has been all positive, the french dept are very enthusiastic, approachable and helpful.
You'd have one class a week of french oral, which is very interesting, though intimidating at the start, but by the end of the year you will have had many an interesting convo about art and politics, all through french.
Then theres french studies which encompasses french chansons, literature, bande-dessinee, and so on. If you love french you'll find these classes captivating. They lecture in english most of the time.
Theres two grammer classes a week then taught through french, in which the more complicated tenses are explored. The class sizes are small, so its a good oportunity to learn and improve.
Overall I've found it a culturally rich and diverse course, not too time or effort consuming (theres only one essay to be written<through english> during the year plus summer exams), if your level of french is good.

hope that helps...:)

YES
it does amazingly
thank you!! so i would have one oral class a week? 2 french grammar lectures in french? and then how many french literature classes? and you wouldn't happen to know the minimum grade required for it would u? I got a C2 in my pre and i honestly can't find it on the website

and thanks for all ur help corkgal1981

originalcupcake

2 french culture classes!so its not too bad really...

i think the minimum grade is a C1, but dont hold me to that...I don't think it;s that important anyway..like if you're really willing to put in the effort I'd say go for it, but if it's guna be an uphill struggle, you have to decide if it's worth it you know??
i've been having a nose around for more info..found this:

http://www.ucc.ie/french/prospective.html

keep looking around the site yourself sure, and you might get better and clearer answers!:D

delighted.

Are any french books read during first year, as part of the course? If so, could you tell me what's the name of it/them? :]

corkgal1981

I remember reading Villa Triste(Patrick Modiano), La Chute(Albert Camus), Une Tempete(?), there was another book but Im afraid I cant remember. They vary them every year anyway but I think something by Camus is almost always studied.

delighted.

thanks!

jgjm

is french really difficult in first year arts?
i got a c2 in lc , very dissapointed with that ..
would i be able for de french in first year ??

shane9689

jgjm wrote: »

is french really difficult in first year arts?
i got a c2 in lc , very dissapointed with that ..
would i be able for de french in first year ??

you cant really compare the leaving cert results to anything youll do in college, daily life and expectations and passion change completely when you go to college.

if you really like french youll do just fine. plus first year arts is mostly about adjusting and getting through the year, grades wont matter too much until 2nd year. if you think you like french and could pass it, then you probably will. i found the language professors in college X100 times better than most language teachers in any school. probably because everyone is there to learn the language and the teacher is usually quite interested too (considering theyre lecturing in it). unlike secondary where everyone, including the teacher just wants to get through another year of notes.

youll be fine, do what you love and you cant go too wrong

jgjm

Thanks for replying really appreciate feedback!!