Syllabus
I. Studying in France 1. The educational system (universities and grandes écoles), student life on- and off-campus 2. The application process (CV, cover letter, rules for official correspondence) 3. Job interviews, telephone manners, public speaking, electronic mail 4. Practical aspects (housing, eating, travel, work, healthcare, and so on: tips and information from French and foreign students)
II. Geographical and historical aspects 1. Hexagone, population, régions and départements 2. Régions and départements (continued), and Paris 3. State and Nation (facts, dates, names, and shared values) 4. Modern France
III. Political aspects 1. Constitution, elections, political parties 2. The president and the government, other institutions 3. Parliament (National Assembly, Senate, the lawmaking process) 4. Local and regional government (communes, départements and régions)
Annotation
The course is designed for students who have achieved level B1-B2 (Intermediate and upper-intermediate) at least, and who wish to broaden their knowledge of French relevant to their field of studies: Economy, Sociology, Political Science, Journalism, and International (Area) Studies.
The programme of the course is divided into three units, each comprising four 120-minute classes.
Obtaining a credit (zapocet) is conditional on passing a test at the end of the first (autumn) semester. Questions on particular topics which are likely to be asked in the tests or during the examination will be available at zdarma.webprovas.com/~ofj as the course progresses.