Unit FRENCH FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
- Course
- Political sciences and international relations
- Study-unit Code
- GP003834
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Francesca Piselli
- Teachers
-
- Francesca Piselli
- Hours
- 63 ore - Francesca Piselli
- CFU
- 9
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2024
- Offered
- 2026/27
- Learning activities
- Lingua/prova finale
- Area
- Per la conoscenza di almeno una lingua straniera
- Sector
- L-LIN/04
- Type of study-unit
- Opzionale (Optional)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- FRENCH
- Contents
- The course develops the following thematic units relating to key aspects of French and Francophone language and civilisation, with particular attention to the languages of information, political communication and international relations:
- Pleins feux sur l’information. This thematic unit focuses on the vocabulary, genres and discursive strategies of journalistic information in the Francophone context.
- La force des mots. Aperçu du discours politique français. This thematic unit focuses on the analysis of French political discourse and of the main argumentative, rhetorical and lexical strategies. It also provides knowledge of French institutions.
- Cap sur le français langue de la diplomatie. This thematic unit focuses on the analysis of diplomatic discourse and international organisations.
The activities are based on the analysis of authentic written, oral and audiovisual documents, such as newspaper articles, political speeches, interviews, debates, institutional documents and materials relating to international communication. - Reference texts
- Recommended textbook for attending and non-attending students:
F. Piselli, Regards sur le monde francophone, Perugia, Morlacchi, 2022.
N.B. The textbook is available at the Library of Historical, Political and Social Studies: https://csb.unipg.it/organizzazione/strutture-bibliotecarie/struttura-economia-scienze-politiche-e-giurisprudenza/biblioteca-di-studi-storici-politici-e-sociali
The programme is the same for attending and non-attending students. Any further texts, authentic documents and additional study materials will be indicated by the teacher during the course and made available, where applicable, on UniStudium.
Recommended dictionaries:
Il Boch. Dizionario Francese Italiano - Italiano Francese, Bologna, Zanichelli, latest edition.
DIF. Dizionario Francese Italiano - Italiano Francese, Torino, Paravia, latest edition.
Le Petit Robert. Dictionnaire de la langue française, Paris, Dictionnaires Le Robert, latest edition.
Working students and students with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders are invited to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course, or in any case well in advance of the exam, in order to agree on any specific guidance regarding the study path and exam preparation. - Educational objectives
- The course aims to develop intermediate-level competence in French and to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to understand, analyse and produce written and oral texts related to journalistic, political and international-political language in French and Francophone contexts.
In line with the learning objectives of the Degree Programme in Political Science and International Relations, the course helps students develop the ability to understand and interpret foreign-language documents and discourse concerning political, institutional and international affairs, and to communicate appropriately in intercultural and professional contexts related to international relations.
By the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge of:
- basic vocabulary of political language;
- basic vocabulary of journalistic language;
- basic vocabulary of diplomatic language and international relations;
- main syntactic and grammatical structures, especially as used in political, diplomatic and journalistic discourse;
- main argumentative structures, discursive strategies and rhetorical figures used in political, diplomatic and journalistic language;
- elements of discourse analysis;
- main features of journalistic, political and diplomatic text types;
- main features of French institutions;
- main features of the French and Francophone press;
- main Francophone international organisations.
The main skills acquired, namely the ability to apply knowledge and understanding, will be:
- to read and understand argumentative texts in the fields of journalism, politics and diplomacy;
- to listen to and understand the main content of oral and audiovisual documents;
- to identify textual genres, argumentative structures, lexical strategies and rhetorical devices in the documents analysed;
- to report orally in French on the content of written, oral and audiovisual texts;
- to communicate in French, both orally and in writing, with appropriate vocabulary and grammatical accuracy;
- to present and argue a personal point of view in French;
- to develop metalinguistic awareness;
- to develop autonomous learning and self-study skills.
The course also contributes to the development of independent judgement, through the critical analysis of the documents studied, and of communication skills, through oral presentation, discussion and reformulation activities in French. - Prerequisites
- In order to attend the French language course offered by the Department and, in any case, to take the exam, students must hold a B1-level certificate issued by the University Language Centre (CLA) of the University of Perugia, or one of the following international certificates: DELF B1 or higher, DALF. The ESABAC diploma is also recognised.
The CLA certificate is valid for 24 months, while international certificates and the ESABAC diploma are valid for 36 months, with reference to the date on which the Department exam is taken. A copy of the international certificates or of the ESABAC diploma must be submitted to the teacher during the second year or, in any case, by the first day of class in the Department.
For the purposes of conversion into the Italian 30-point grading scale, the ESABAC diploma will be considered as proof of B2-level competence.
The language prerequisite requiring students to hold a B1-level certificate applies to both attending and non-attending students. - Teaching methods
- The course consists of lectures supported by written and audiovisual materials, such as slides, videos, authentic documents, newspaper articles, political speeches and institutional materials. Classroom exercises will be carried out individually, in pairs and in groups.
Teaching activities are designed to develop reading comprehension, listening comprehension, oral production, written production and linguistic/discourse analysis skills in an integrated way. Classes combine theoretical and methodological explanations, guided comprehension and textual analysis activities, reformulation exercises, discussions in French and short oral presentation activities. Digital tools and multimedia materials will also be used to encourage students’ active participation and to strengthen their language skills. - Other information
- For further information, updates and materials see Unistudium - French for international relation or contact the teacher (e-mail address: francesca.piselli@unipg.it; phone number: 5855436).
All students, whether attending or non-attending, are reminded that registration for the exam must be completed exclusively through the SOL platform: https://unipg.esse3.cineca.it/Home.do
Working students, non-attending students and students with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders are invited to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course in order to receive guidance on the syllabus, materials and exam preparation. Information on University support services for students with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders is available on the dedicated University webpage: http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa. - Learning verification modality
- Assessment methods differ depending on whether students attend the course or not.
Attending students
Attending students may take a final oral exam during class time in the last week of the course. This exam lasts approximately 20 minutes and focuses on the programme covered during the course itself.
Students must demonstrate that they are able to read, understand, translate and report orally in French on the content of the written, oral and audiovisual documents analysed during the course. They must also be able to identify the main text genres and their features, as well as the most commonly used linguistic, argumentative and rhetorical strategies.
The exam is designed to assess: comprehension of French-language documents; knowledge of political, journalistic and diplomatic vocabulary; the ability to apply the acquired skills to the critical analysis of written, oral and audiovisual texts; grammatical and lexical accuracy; appropriate use of language; the ability to organise a coherent presentation; and the ability to express and argue a personal point of view in French.
Non-attending students
Provided that students hold a CLA certificate, a valid international certificate such as DELF B1 or higher or DALF, or the ESABAC diploma, the exam consists of an oral interview on the course contents, lasting approximately 20-25 minutes. During the interview, students must demonstrate that they are able to understand, translate and report orally in French on the content of the written, oral and audiovisual documents indicated in the programme and reference materials. They must also be able to identify the main text genres and their features, as well as the most commonly used linguistic, argumentative and rhetorical strategies in the texts studied.
For non-attending students, the exam assesses the same learning outcomes as those required of attending students, with particular attention to autonomous study skills, completeness of preparation on the indicated materials, the ability to connect the different thematic units of the programme and accuracy in the use of French.
Assessment, for both attending and non-attending students, takes into account the following criteria: grammatical and lexical accuracy; comprehension of documents; ability to summarise and reformulate; linguistic and discourse analysis skills; completeness and relevance of answers; clarity and coherence of presentation; and the ability to argue a personal point of view in French.
For both attending and non-attending students, the final grade is based on the oral exam mark and the mark obtained in the CLA test or in the recognised language certification, according to the procedures indicated by the teacher and the Degree Programme.
Attendance is not compulsory, but it is strongly recommended. If students intend to take the exam in a year prior to the one scheduled in their study plan, they are advised to attend the course and to take the exam at the first available session after the end of classes, in accordance with the semester in which the course is scheduled.
Students with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders may request compensatory and/or dispensatory measures in accordance with University procedures, by contacting the teacher well in advance of the exam date. - Extended program
- The course focuses on a number of thematic units relating to significant aspects of French and Francophone language and civilisation, with particular reference to the languages of information, politics, diplomacy and international relations.
During the course, students will work on authentic written, oral and audiovisual documents. Comprehension and analysis activities will address not only grammatical and lexical aspects, but also argumentative, rhetorical, discursive and cultural dimensions. These activities, combined with exercises aimed at consolidating oral and written production skills, will require students’ active participation.
The thematic units covered in the course are the following:
- Pleins feux sur l’information. This thematic unit focuses on the vocabulary, genres and discursive strategies of journalistic information in the Francophone context. Texts and documents relating to the press and the media will be analysed, with attention to the structure of journalistic texts, the selection of information and the ways in which events are presented.
- La force des mots. Aperçu du discours politique français. This thematic unit focuses on the analysis of French political discourse and of the main argumentative, rhetorical and lexical strategies. It also provides knowledge of French institutions and encourages reflection on the relationship between language, persuasion and political communication.
- Cap sur le français langue de la diplomatie. This thematic unit focuses on the analysis of diplomatic discourse and international organisations. The vocabulary of diplomacy and international relations will be examined, together with texts and documents relating to institutional and diplomatic-political communication.
The programme is the same for attending and non-attending students. Non-attending students are invited to consult UniStudium and to contact the teacher for updated information on the materials to be studied. - Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile
- Quality education; gender equality; reduced inequalities.