LAW10480 French Law Book Club

Academic Year 2023/2024

The aim of this module is to improve your grammatical base and comprehension of legal French and further develop your written and oral skills in this field. You will also have the opportunity to develop your research, French legal writing and French legal methodology skills.

This will be achieved by simultaneously (1) working on French legal terminology and the French legal methodology techniques, (2) reading several French "tales" that will be used to reflect and debate on legal issues in French, orally and in writing, and (3) revising and consolidating basic grammar structures.

To achieve the learning outcomes (see below, section 2), the module will be taught using a “law and literature” book (F. Ost, Si le droit m'était conté, Dalloz, 2019) that includes eight short tales (récits) in French AND a grammar textbook (M Gregoure and O Thievenaz, Grammaire Progressive du Français Intermédiaire A2-B1, 4e ed, CLE 2017) . The tales will be used as a prompt for discussing interesting and controversial legal issues, both orally and in writing, always in French. For instance, we will discuss, among other topics: If/why we need the law, whether we need the separation of powers, how the law should deal with problems linked to the use of new technologies, etc. The grammar handbook will be used to revise basic grammar structures that should have been studied for the Irish Leaving Certificate and consolidate general linguistic competence. Online materials and supports will also be used.

If you achieve at least a B grade in this module you are deemed to have reached the CEFR level B1.

The content of the module includes (but is not limited to):

1. Studying intermediate grammatical structures
2. Studying specific French legal terminology and methodology
3. Analysing and debating French tales with underlying legal issues
4. Introducing the basic features of the French legal system

The course puts strong emphasis on oral and written expression in French, French legal terminology, French legal methodology (“dissertation juridique”) and mastering intermediate grammatical structures. You will be required to actively participate in module activities and to prepare for each seminar in advance.

This module uses Brightspace.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Recognise, use and manipulate a range of basic and intermediate grammatical structures, including past tenses;
2. Use French texts and videos as sources for vocabulary, ideas and legal discussions;
3. Present concise legal arguments in French, in writing and orally, using accurate terminology and appropriate methodology;
4. Take responsibility for improving you French language skills and French legal terminology, and discuss which learning tools are most useful for you to do so.

Indicative Module Content:

The content of the module includes (but is not limited to):
1. Studying intermediate grammatical structures
2. Studying specific French legal terminology and methodology
3. Analysing and debating French tales with underlying legal issues
4. Introducing the basic features of the French legal system

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

20
Tutorial

6
Specified Learning Activities

14
Autonomous Student Learning

90
Total

130
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module will use a wide range of teaching and learning techniques based on active tasks, independent research and reflective activities, including:

-Interactive seminars
-Tutorials
-Online and at home exercises (using Brightspace, e.g. quizzes)
-Researching French legal databases
-In-class debates
-Written submissions (formative and summative)
-Experimenting with different materials and supports to strengthen French language skills

You will be given extensive support by the module coordinator.

The course will follow a "scaffold" approach to learning. Accordingly, you will start with small tasks and you will slowly build up your skills through various exercises that will progressively get more complex. Individual and general feedback will be provided after each relevant exercise to support your learning and help you improve. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Recommendations:

Students registering for this module are strongly encouraged to have, at least, a B1 level in French language.

In-depth legal knowledge of the Irish or French legal systems is not required.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
LAW37650 - French Law Book Club


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Class Test: Grammar and comprehension quizzes Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

20
Assignment: Submission of skeleton "dissertation" in French (600 words maximum). Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

25
Portfolio: Individual student video portfolio (personal reflection on the use of various tools to improve French language skills and French legal methodology - submitted as a video recording). Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

15
Class Test: Written (face to face) in class exam (75 minutes) Week 12 n/a Graded No

40

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

-Regular informal feedback upon participation on in-class activities. -Automated feedback and/or group feedback after remote activities. -Individual and group feedback after presentations. -Post-assessment feedback on learning journal and dissertation.

+The two key books that will be used in this module are:

1) François Ost, 'Si le droit m'était conté' (Dalloz 2019)
2) Maïa Grégoire and Odile Thiévenaz, Grammaire Progressive du Français Intermediaire A2-B1 (4e ed, CLE 2017)

+Other relevant books that might be useful are:

--French legal terminology:

-Didier Guével, 'Petit lexique des erreurs usuelles de l'étudiant en droit' (7e ed, Lextenso 2018 ) -
Denis Salas, 'Les 100 mots de la justice' (Presses Universitaires de France 2010)

--French legal methodology:
Eliane Damette and Françoise Dargirolle, Méthode de français juridique (2e éd, Broché 2017)

--French law and literature:

-François Ost, 'Raconter la Loi: Aux sources de l'imaginaire juridique' (Odile Jacob 2004)
-François Ost, 'Shakespeare: La Comédie de la Loi' (Michalon 2012 )
-Matthieu Aron, 'Les grandes plaidoiries des ténors du barreu' (Pocket 2013 )
-Marine Ranouil et Nicolas Dissaux, 'Il était une fois...analyse juridique des contes de fées' (Dalloz 2018) -Astrid Boyer, 'Les arrêts illustrés by les Barons du Droit' (Enrick B Editions 2017)
-Valerie Ndior et Nicolas Rousseau, 'Le droit dans la saga Harry Potter' (Enrick B Editions 2019)
Name Role
Assoc Professor Marie-Luce Paris Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 
Autumn
      
Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 Tues 11:00 - 12:50