Saint-Louis University - Bruxelles
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MHAN1221 - Mastering the English Language



Credits : 5

Lecturers :
Mode of delivery :
Face-to-face , first and second term, 60 hours of theory.

Language of instruction :
English

Learning activities :
Learning outcomes :
On completing this unit, students should be able to:
- understand and explain the English language's most frequently used idiomatic expressions;
- make contextually appropriate use of these expressions taking their register into account;
- translate these expressions with an appropriate equivalent expression in French (idiomatic as well as non-idiomatic).
This unit is also an opportunity for students to develop their oral proficiency. The unit's target level is the European Reference framework B1+ level for languages (minimum level required to pass the Unit). Students learn to give a presentation and deepen their understanding of - and ability to use - the cultural features of the English language (usage, polite forms, register, etc.).


Prerequisites :
For the Bachelor in Modern Languages and Letters: German, Dutch and English :

For the Bachelor in translation and interpreting :


Co-requisites :
None

Course contents :
On completing this unit, students should be able to:
- understand and explain the English language's most frequently used idiomatic expressions;
- make contextually appropriate use of these expressions taking their register into account;
- translate these expressions with an appropriate equivalent expression in French (idiomatic as well as non-idiomatic).
This unit is also an opportunity for students to develop their oral proficiency. The unit's target level is the European Reference framework B1+ level for languages (minimum level required to pass the Unit). Students learn to give a presentation and deepen their understanding of - and ability to use - the cultural features of the English language (usage, polite forms, register, etc.).


Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
The written part of the course includes a range of exercises on English idiomatic expressions and their use, including sentence completion tasks that require students to use the most appropriate expressions - there are also exercises on antonyms, etc.
Practical oral work : role play, guided conversations, presentations, group activites, etc.


Assessment methods and criteria :
Students take a written examination comprising a range of question types and focusing on the idiomatic expressions studied during the course.
Students also take an oral examination for the ‘practical oral skills' part of the course.
This course is subdivided into two parts (oral practice and lexicology) and has two separate exams. The global mark is an average calculated as described. In case of a fail grade, you're invited to visit the MOODLE page of the course and check the details. A 10/20 or higher mark will automatically be transferred to the second or third exam session. It is thus not possible to re-sit the exam related to this part of the course.

Recommended or required reading :
Handout with exercises and other documents available from the intranet (Moodleuslb).
-Collins Cobuild Idioms Dictionary (2004), Glasgow, HarperCollins Publishers
-Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms (2010) by John AYTO (Ed.), Oxford, Oxford University Press
-The Council for Cultural Co-operation (2001), Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment, Strasbourg, Didier.