Oral English at the University of Nice

This section describes the oral language training for first year students majoring in English (spécialistes) at the University of Nice.

The English programme (Etudes anglophones) taught in the English Department involves classes in English-language literature, the civilisation (or socio-political history) of the English-speaking world, English linguistics and French/English translation, and oral English.

Many students plan to become English teachers, traditionally at the secondary level (see advanced courses), but also increasingly in the primary schools (see early English, anglais précoce). Different types of student enrollment are described here.

Course of study

Oral English classes for first year English specialists (Etudes anglophones) figure in two different teaching units (unités d'enseignement): UE2, grammar, phonetics and comprehension, and UE3, anglophone culture and oral expression.

Students have other classes in literature, civilisation, linguistics and translation. They take some 20 hours of English classes plus an optional course in a different subject.

Students taking a double major in English and another foreign language are enrolled in the European Studies programme (Etudes européennes) and also take these oral English classes.

Oral English programme

First year students have three hours of oral English per week, two with the lecteurs.

Phonetics: one hour lecture on English phonetics and phonology with Riitta Blum
Comprehension: one hour listening comprehension with the lecteurs
TPO: one hour of speaking with the lecteurs

Each class meets one hour per week during each of two semesters (September to January, and February to May), with final exams in January and June, and resits, again for each of the two semesters (sessions de rattrapage), in September.

Class activities

Listening comprehension (COMP) Current syllabus
Listening comprehension classes take place in the language laboratories, alternating between traditional audio labs and multimedia workstations. Students follow a listening programme defined at the beginning of the semester, which consists of one listening topic per week, with listening exercises to be completed in class and reviewed afterwards in the audio library or via this website. Students also work on pronunciation exercises from Headway:, which students are required to buy:

Cunningham, S. & Bowler, B. (1999). New Headway pronunciation course: Intermediate. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

audio lab: students work on listening exercises in the worksheet with prelistening, listening, and postlistening exercises.

multimedia lab: students watch an episode of an English-language sitcom and work on comprehension exercises. Students also have a short period of independent study where they can work on Headway pronunciation or listen to internet radio.

Speaking (TPO)        Current syllabus

These classes focus on students’ ability to speak English at a broad level, including pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, and communicative skills such as fluency.

Speaking classes take place in an ordinary classroom. Speaking activities are organised in pairs and groups to encourage participation, and a short period is set aside each week for student-led activities, including student presentations, based on items from students’ listening/speaking portfolios.

Portfolio                                                                                Requirements for current semester

Students also complete a listening/speaking portfolio of activities completed outside class time which forms the basis of the end-of-semester oral exam. These activities include watching an English-language film, interviewing a native speaker of English, and so on. They report on these activities in class presentations, and the completed portfolio of work forms the basis of the end-of-semester oral exam. .

Timetable and teachers

All groups meet on Wednesday morning except Group 4, which is on Thursday. Each lecteur has the same group for COMP and TPO, one immediately after the other.

Evaluation (view general exam information)

Theory: written phonetics exam.

Listening: written listening exam based on audio recordings.

Speaking:
1. class grade based on class presentations, participation and portfolio
2. oral exam based on portfolio

The points allocated to each type of assessment depends on the course of study:

English Studies (études anglophones)

LL1AN212 (50 points)
Listening exam                        30
Phonetics exam                       20

LL1AN302 (50 points)
Oral expression (continuous assessment for Comp and TPO)    10
Oral exam                                                                             40

European Studies (études européennes)

UF1AN212    (200 points)

Oral expression (continuous assessment for Comp and TPO)    20
Listening exam                                                                      80
Phonetics exam                                                                    60
Oral exam                                                                            40