LAW10480 French Law Book Club

Academic Year 2022/2023

This module relies on a "law and literature" approach to make the link between French LAW and the FRENCH language (as well as French culture and key literary texts with legal relevance).

The aim of the module is to help you improve your comprehension of legal French and further develop your written and oral skills in this field. You will have the opportunity to develop your research, legal writing and presentation skills in French. You will also be expected to become more autonomous in learning legal French and reflect on the key tools/strategies that may help you in that process.

This will be achieved by (1) working on French legal terminology and the French legal methodology, and (2) by reading several French "tales" that will be used to reflect on legal issues, and (3) participation in remote and in-class learning activities in French (e.g. discussion boards, quizzes, glossary).

You will be required to actively participate in module activities, both remotely and during contact hours.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

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

1. Identify complex legal issues in a literary text written in French;
2. Present concise legal arguments in French, in writing and orally, using appropriate terminology;
3. Work as part of a team in conducting legal research in French;
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 specific French legal terminology
2. Studying key features of the French legal methodology
3. Analysing of French tales with underlying legal issues
4. Debating on the legal issues raised by the abovementioned tales

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, including:
-Interactive lectures
-Tutorials
-Online exercises (using Brightspace, e.g. quizzes, discussion boards)
-Independent research
-Oral presentations/submissions
-Written submissions

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
Assignment: Submission of "dissertation" in French (1200 words maximum). Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

50
Portfolio: Individual student portfolio (reflecting on the use of various tools to improve French language skills and French legal terminology). Week 11 n/a Pass/Fail Grade Scale No

25
Group Project: Group presentation of legal aspects of a short story (in French). Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

25

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn 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
• Self-assessment 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 key book that will be used in this module is:

François Ost, 'Si le droit m'était conté' (Dalloz 2019)

+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 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