Teaching French as a Foreign Language

GAL10 Teaching French as a foreign language: development of language communication skills and assessment of written and oral language

Code: GAL10
ECTS: 15
Type: Compulsory
Semester where it is available:First (1st)
Delivery language: French

Module Outline

General description of the Module: This module is an introductory one.

The objectives of the course are:

Introduction to the basic principles of developing linguistic communication skills based on the specifications of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): learning, teaching, assessment (initial and 2020 revised version, Companion Volume).
Familiarisation with the basic principles and most recent achievements of language sciences, such as the theory of enunciation, the theory of communication, the role of social interaction, pragmatics, text linguistics, rhetoric and narratology related to teaching oral and written expression.
The development of oral and written communication skills which include, during their performance, the reception and production of oral/written language, interaction and written mediation in relation to teaching French as a foreign language.
Familiarisation with the rhetorical ways of using French through diverse types of discourse and text, which are produced by various groups of native speakers for different purposes.
The identification of past and contemporary practices and educational movements that mark the teaching of oral and written language in the French-speaking area (teaching methods, detailed curricula, teaching manuals).
The constant search for innovative strategies for learning and assessing the didactics of written and oral language, with emphasis on the creative, interpersonal and cooperative use of language, and the use of language with the aim of carrying out a transaction, assessment and solving problems through various communication situations.
The creation of teaching material and assessment scales based on diversified learner profiles.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the module, students are expected to:

outline a new perception of the role of literacies in teaching a second/foreign language (history and theory of writing and reading, transition from oral to written language, interaction, intertextuality, cultural literacy).
perceive the distinctiveness of the structure and dynamic of oral discourse, considering multiple codes, as well as verbal and non-verbal semiotic systems such as gestures, voice, syntax and intonation.
recognise the different parameters that govern the structure and process of writing texts through the basic reference sciences.
acquire critical thinking on the position of oral and written discourse through the methods of teaching/learning French as a foreign language.
focus their interest on the manner of construction of texts by identifying the characteristics and conventions that govern them, in relation to text genre, text type, the stylistic choices of the writing subject and the socio-cultural conditions in which they are produced.
realise the central role played by reading as an educational and cultural practice, both through oral narration and during the process of composing written texts.
perceive the multiplicity of hermeneutic approaches and text genre models (modèles des genres textuels).
cultivate a love of reading in their pupils, after focusing on the reading receptiveness and response skills of their learners.
utilise authentic documentations of oral and written discourse (e.g. recorded discussions, interviews, television announcements, case studies, biographical narratives, printed press, news, advertising and essay discourse, literature, functional and multimodal texts), progressing based on the age and interests of their pupils in the French language class.
direct the interest of foreign language learners towards the role and importance of writing workshops (ateliers d’écriture), and especially creative, professional and academic writing workshops, and to be able to staff workshops at different levels of education and in different professional frameworks.
develop activities – and allow pupils to practise through these activities – involving rewriting/transformation of literary and non-literary texts through various narrative techniques (change of enunciation and level of discourse, change of viewpoint, genetic change of text), which undoubtedly improve the quality of discourse of foreign language learners.
be in a position to design and put together established activities and pedagogical projects that encourage oral and written expression.
focus on the role of assessment, and especially the setting of linguistic, sociolinguistic and pragmatic criteria and assessment methods (such as scales and types of assessment, specifications of preparatory exercises and final exam essays, the role of self and peer assessment) related to the teaching and planning of oral and written discourse activities.

Subject areas:

Theoretical principles governing the Teaching of a foreign language.
Strategies for learning, comprehension and the production of written and oral language.
Critical analysis and preparation of exercises and activities for the development of linguistic and communication skills in written and oral language.
General theoretical framework for assessment: methods and types, properties, criteria and assessment grids for written and oral language.

Evaluation: Completion of written assignments during the academic semester which constitute a 40 percent of each student’s grade, if a pass is obtained in the final written assignment. Final written assignment grades constitute a 60 percent of the students’ final course grade.

Prerequisite courses: None

Module Delivery Method: Distance Learning

GAL11 Teaching French as a foreign language during childhood

Code: GAL11
ECTS: 15
Type: Compulsory
Semester where it is available:First (1st)
Delivery Language: French

Module Outline

General description of the Module:

The objectives of the course are:

The study and interpretation of pedagogical theories that contribute to children’s socio-emotional development.
The importance of the role played by games as a transitional and dynamic part of the human experience.
The exploration of the special conditions in which children’s creativity is released, as well as the design of activities and pedagogical scenarios that stimulate the creativity of children and/or teenagers, and lead them to produce oral and written discourse in an attractive and playful manner in the foreign language.
Assessment with gradation of the linguistic, cognitive and socio-emotional skills of children with the aim of reinforcing their self-knowledge and emotional development.
The planning and evaluation of teaching material with the aim of developing team work and conversational learning in practice, by following the principles of communicative approach, as well as experiential and collaborative learning in young learners of French as a foreign language.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the module, students are expected to:

develop communication skills which include the reception and production of oral and written language, as well as oral interaction in primary school pupils.
incorporate authentic or fabricated documentations (documents authentiques ou fabriqués) into lessons, such as audiovisual stimuli, multimodal texts, images, use of digital tools by language proficiency level A1 or A2, in accordance with the six-level scale of the European Council.
encourage and release the creativity of children and teenagers through creative writing activities, artistic expression and dramatization or theatrical improvisation.
cultivate a love of reading.
consider different learning profiles based on the principles of differentiated instruction.
get in touch with the spoken and implied language of children.
place emphasis on the declaratory, performative (pragmatic approach) and referential function of language in order to achieve various communicative and functional goals of education, such as description, narration, explanation, guidance and persuasion of primary-school-level foreign language pupils.
consider H. Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences and the different intelligence modalities (linguistic, musical-rhythmic, spatial, kinaesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, logical-mathematical, existential intelligence), thus supporting the learning process, as well as the development of children’s special aptitudes and talents during the foreign language learning process.
examine the importance of emotional intelligence and its role in the management of the classroom in primary education (identification and handling of emotions, finding incentives, empathy, interpersonal communication through interactive teaching, socialisation of children).
apply Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), which constitutes an experiential teaching method, creating multi-themed activities that are suitable for primary school children.
contribute to the cultivation of intercultural and multicultural skills in order to deal with conflict between pupils coming from different linguistic, cultural and social environments, and also contribute to the revival of languages through the creation of multilingual activities in the framework of contemporary pluralistic approaches.
distinguish between various forms of assessment and develop assessment activities and self-assessment sheets adapted to teaching French in primary education

Subject areas:

Pedagogical theories regarding the psycho-social-cognitive development of children.
Special didactics for French language teaching/learning involving young children.
Lesson planning, selection and critical analysis of syllabi for teaching/learning involving young children, while placing emphasis on the differentiated learning approach, as well as on the EMILE approach (Content and Language Integrated Learning).
Alternative assessment methods (European language portfolio).

Prerequisite courses: None

Module Delivery Method: Distance Learning

GAL20 Teaching French as a foreign language: planning, development and evaluation of curricula and teaching materials

Code: GAL20
ECTS : 15
Type: Compulsory
Semester where it is available:Second (2nd)
Delivery Language: French

Module Outline

General description of the Module:

The objectives of the course are:

Familiarisation with the basic principles and parameters governing tools of linguistic and educational policy, such as Syllabi and Curricula, in relation to the teaching of foreign languages and, in particular, French as a second/foreign language.
The contribution of past and contemporary pedagogical theories to the different methods of teaching French as a foreign language.
The design of teaching material by following contemporary pedagogical theories and educational movements from the communicative approach and learner-centred teaching, to experiential learning, the interdisciplinary approach and the pedagogy of multiliteracies.
The analysis of the public’s needs, as well as the exploration of incentives and behaviours of foreign language learners based on cognitive, intralinguistic, extralinguistic, ideological, social and psychological factors.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this module, students are expected to:

analyse and acquire critical thinking skills as regards goal setting (objectives of education, determining goals, putting together the public’s needs and teaching methods, designing teaching material, developing skills) for Curricula related to teaching French as a foreign language.
perceive the structure and content of manuals on teaching French as a foreign language.
be able to design and put together – on their own – teaching units (Unités didactiques) based on specific general and operational goals.
be able to design a lesson or pedagogical project by applying the most recent educational practices.
promote differentiated instruction by considering the different profiles of learners of French as a foreign language in primarily multicultural environments.
study the role of native languages in depth.
direct the interest of pupils towards the importance of the interlanguage (interlangue) in the process of learning a target language; towards the contribution of contrastive approaches between Greek and French, and also towards dealing with errors at the morphosyntactic and intersentence level.
place emphasis on the teaching of traditional linguistic grammar (structural approach) and communicative (functional) grammar related to foreign language learning.
perceive the role and skills of the foreign language instructor, on the one hand, and of the education officer on the other.
apply contemporary trends to teaching French for Specific Objectives (Français sur Objectifs Spécifiques/FOS), with the aim of cultivating an atmosphere of communication, cooperation and decision-making in various professional frameworks.
promote the institution of Francophonie with the aim of disseminating the French language and culture via international educational and cultural organisations, as well as governmental and non-governmental agencies.

Subject areas:

Planning, implementation and evaluation of curricula. Historical overview and definition of concepts. Stages and problems.
Application of theory to teaching practice. Curriculum analysis, needs analysis, planning and evaluation of syllabi.

Prerequisite courses: None

Module Delivery Method: Distance Learning

GAL21 Intercultural education and teaching French as a foreign language

Code: : GAL21
ECTS : 15
Type: Compulsory
Semester where it is available:Second (2nd)
Delivery Language: French

Module Outline

Course Content:
General description of the Module:

The objectives of the course are:

The understanding of theoretical approaches through modern cultural theory and criticism, the assimilation of concepts of intercultural and multicultural education and policy in the modern postmodern era.
The in-depth study of the intercultural approach such as cultural identity, otherness, hybridity, ethnicity, cultural stereotypes and prejudices, culture shock, stylistic clichés, cultural difference and diversity, cultural mediation.
The position of the intercultural approach and the development of intercultural skills through the planning of the language development policy of the Council of Europe and the design of Curricula and Study Programs for the teaching of French as a foreign language.

The application of methods and the planning of courses with an intercultural orientation and content at different levels of knowledge (A1-C2) of French as a foreign language, based on the six-level scale of the Council of Europe.
The realization of the key role of storytelling – oral and written – as a communicative act through the design of creative and interactive tasks, and pedagogical scenarios aiming to dispel cultural stereotypes of foreign learners in the French language classroom.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this module, students are expected to:

understand basic concepts of intercultural and multicultural education and policy based on the sociological, anthropological and historical approach: distinction between culture-civilization, noble-popular culture, cultivated culture-mass culture, cultural identity, otherness, double identity, hybridity, and ethnicity.
think about concepts related to multiculturalism, cultural difference and diversity.
emphasize the concept of cultural practices of foreign cultures (e.g. eating habits, clothing preferences, artistic creation, sports) according to the reflective theory of P. Bourdieu, which reflects attitudes and beliefs of their real-life, and thus constitutes a symbolic and cultural capital (capital culturel) for all peoples.
distinguish the main components of intercultural, multilingual and multicultural skills, both through the descriptors of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR), and the basic models and concepts of well-known scientists.
distinguish evolutionary socio-cultural and intercultural elements in teaching methods and textbooks on teaching French as a foreign language.
be able to select authentic documents (comics, songs, storytelling, literary texts and various types of speech and texts, such as information, online, newspapers, history/children’s documentaries, audio stimuli, oral histories and biographical narratives) aiming to help foreign learners reflect on and raise awareness about intercultural issues, as they are cultivated in a diverse-hybrid cultural context in relation to their country of origin.
focus on the role and training needs of teachers of French as a foreign language, and also of educational staff with an intercultural orientation
focus on the role and multiple skills of the intercultural mediator.
emphasize learning strategies, investigation and evaluation of intercultural tasks that include reception, production, interaction and mediation.
contribute to the assessment of intercultural skills of learners using the European Language Portfolio.
highlight the contribution of the literary text to the development of various cultural and intercultural skills of learners of French as a foreign language.
emphasize the role of postcolonial criticism based on contemporary French literature and its use in the French foreign language classroom (issues of double-hybrid identity, marginality, issues of prejudice and stereotypes of the former colonized peoples, issues of social gender-feminist approach, marginal modern French language literatures).
understand meaning systems of foreign cultures focusing on the hierarchical structures of opposites (e.g. West-East, Woman-Male, Myself-Other, Familiar-Foreign, Culture-Nature, Speech-Writing…) which are the subject of modern intercultural approaches and reflect the way in which people perceive and organize their reality.

Subject areas:

Theoretical approaches: culture, interculturalism, multiculturalism and mediation in foreign language lessons.
Practical approaches: planning and implementation of (inter)cultural activities in foreign language lessons.

Prerequisite courses: None

Module Delivery Method: Distance Learning

GAL30 Research methodology and techniques for writing academic papers

Code: GAL30
ECTS : 15
Type: Compulsory
Semester where it is available:Third (3rd)
Delivery Language: French

Module Outline

General description of the Module:

The objectives of the course are:

Introduction to the principles of Research Methodology in Humanities.
Planning and implementation of scientific research in the area of Teaching Foreign Languages and Cultures through a variety of thematic fields and cognitive areas.
Introduction to the rules of writing a scientific paper, and familiarity of the student with the process of writing a scientific, academic text.
Proper information on issues related to academic ethics, compilation of bibliography, management of bibliographic references and prevention of plagiarism.
Familiarity with different quantitative or qualitative research tools and data collection methods which are widespread in the field of Education Sciences, as well as in Language and Culture Teaching.
Assessment of students’ abilities, such as the ability to analyse and develop arguments, to develop documented and original ideas, to cultivate critical and comparative thinking, to contribute to the promotion of knowledge.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this Module, students are expected to:

search and process international bibliography, electronic sources or electronic databases to conduct research and write their Master’s Thesis.
document opinions, develop arguments and correlate results through citations in the text and integration of bibliographic sources.
undergo testing in academic writing based on international standards for writing scientific discourse.
practice activities of rewriting texts and parts of their work (réécriture/révision de textes) with the aim of improving the quality of their use of discourse.
clearly identify the research object, the concerns, the purpose and the assumptions of the Master’s Thesis.
adopt the appropriate educational research methods (e.g. field surveys, case studies, ethnographic studies, action research).
determine the scope of their research, the population, the selection criteria and the appropriateness of the research tool, if provided (e.g. questionnaire, interview or participant observation).
relate results according to concepts that have been supported and clarified in the theoretical part of the work.
be gradually initiated into new research methods regarding Humanities, such as research-creation (recherche-création).
take care of the linguistic integrity of their text (vocabulary, syntactic correctness, personal style, cohesion and coherence of the text, clarity of scientific discourse).
provide an oral presentation of research studies related to their field of study and aiming at the development of professional skills.

Subject areas:

Rules for writing a thesis: Formulation of a problem statement and research question. Qualitative and quantitative methods for gathering data.
Literature: critical review, referencing and citing of literary sources.

Prerequisite courses: None

Module Delivery Method: Distance Learning

GAL31 Using ICT in teaching French as a foreign language

Code: GAL31
ECTS : 15
Type: Compulsory
Semester where it is available:First (1st)
Delivery Language: French

Module Outline

General description of the Module:

The objectives of the course are:

The use of digital skills through the use of digital tools and software, online platforms with the aim of acquiring language and communication skills, cultivating creativity and critical thinking of learners of French as a foreign language.
The recognition of modern theories of learning and their utilization through the integration of ICT in the education and teaching of French as a foreign language.
The promotion of the role of digital literacies in the educational process for the acquisition of oral and written communication skills in the foreign language.
The design of multimedia and multimodal content, pedagogical scenarios in the foreign language classroom of French.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of the module, students are expected to:

meet the requirements of modern foreign language teaching thanks to the use of digital tools such as podcasts, videocasts, wikis, moocs, quiz tools, online services, digital resources.
utilize modern technological tools and choose web technologies (Web 2.0, 3.0) through digital collaborative learning systems.
fruitfully combine the challenges of digital learning through mobile devices and through digital games with an emphasis on gamification.
apply pedagogical learning scenarios with the use of digital technologies in differentiated learner profiles in synchronous and asynchronous education, considering the principles of the inverted classroom (classe inversée).
operate virtual classrooms and e-learning platforms responding to the modern requirements of distance learning of foreign languages at different levels of learners’ language proficiency
emphasize the role of digital storytelling and the steps of creating digital scenarios in order to enhance self-confidence, cultivate critical thinking, unleash students’ imagination and creativity thanks to the project method and collaborative teaching.
analyze pedagogical scenarios with emphasis on teacher-mentor and student interaction based on linguistic, socio-linguistic and factual criteria in the pedagogical process.

Subject areas:

Incorporating ICT in foreign language teaching/learning.
The role of ICT in the teaching/development of written and oral language.
Composite application of knowledge: utilisation of technological media and materials to create multimedia material and to plan educational scenarios, evaluate electronic teaching materials and develop reflective skills in educators.

Prerequisite courses: None

Module Delivery Method: Distance Learning

GALDE Master’s Thesis

Code: GALDE
Credits ECTS: 30
Type: Compulsory
Semester: Fourth (4^th)
Language: French

Module Outline

General description:

Undertaking Master’s Thesis research allows students to cultivate skills related to the adoption of appropriate research methods of data collection and the use of selected research tools in the application of the research methodology to the Teaching of Languages and Cultures. The master’s thesis should be between 15.000 and 18.000 words long.

The Master’s Thesis corresponds to two Thematic Units (Modules), considering that a total of thirty (30) Credits (ECTS) are required. The topic of the Master’s Thesis is selected among the proposed fields, which are announced to the students so that they may draw up the research draft. The final topic of the Master’s Thesis is finalized after consultation with the Supervising Member of the teaching staff.

In order to carry out the Master’s Thesis research, students must have successfully completed all six compulsory Thematic Units of the first, second and third semesters of study. The Master’s Thesis research is carried out by the student in collaboration with two Supervising members of teaching staff and is posted on the HOU digital platform.

In addition, the Master’s Thesis is evaluated through the process of oral examination (viva voce).

Completion of the Postgraduate Study Programme results from the preparation, submission and successful evaluation of the Master’s Thesis.

Learning Outcomes:

planning and process scientific original research in the field of Humanities as well in the area of Teaching Foreign Languages and Cultures
recognize, apply and combine a variety of different research tools and data collection methods according to the subject areas of the Postgraduate Programme ”Teaching French as a Foreign Language”
adopt and follow the deontology principles and instructions of scientific research.

General Regulation for the Preparation of Master’s Theses in postgraduate programmes with a six-month duration.

For more information regarding the Specifications – Useful Material for writing Master’s Theses and uploading a Thesis at the H.O.U. Repository, you can go to the Digital Training Area http://courses.eap.gr and especially to the Program of Studies section.

Prerequisite courses: The presentation of the Master’s Thesis takes place after the successful completion of the program’s Modules.