French

iliketodraw

Can anyone give me an idea what it is like studying French and spending time abroad during year 2? Thanks.

Paczini

iliketodraw wrote: »

Can anyone give me an idea what it is like studying French and spending time abroad during year 2? Thanks.

It's your lucky day! haha I thought I would never find a question about french here! Im heading into my final year right now so I can answer as many questions as you need French in NUIM is great. That really sums it up. The department is really helpful, most of the lectures are very interesting (although you might have a module that you wont like e.g. for me and most of my class it was poetry). Tutorials are really helpful with your grammar, expression and speaking in French.

Regarding the time abroad. You basically have 2 (okay 3 options). You can either go for a year abroad, or you can spend 3 months in a French speaking country, it can involve anything basically, au pair, Disney, Camping Job etc and it has to be completed by the time you come back in third year (or you can just get in trouble with the department and dont go at all.... like I did )


If you have any other questions, PM me and we can have a chat

How so Joe

A word of caution, though, if you don't go abroad (as I didn't), when you get to final year, you will suffer badly for it. The standard of French jumped wildly between second year and final year, and I really struggled to catch up.

Other than that, what paczini said is pretty spot on. It's a good while since I did French, and a lot of my lecturers are gone. Go to the tutorials, they're so, so helpful, and doing the homework every week will really help cement things into your head.
There are lots of instructions information in the handbook - it is the single most important thing you will have in your time studying French. Consult it often, and definitely don't lose it, that would be a terrible idea.

Other than that, just have fun. Bear in mind that French has more contact hours than a lot of subjects, but that comes of it being a language - the tutorials really rack up the hours. It's worth it though.
Bonne chance à Maynooth!

Paczini

How so Joe wrote: »

A word of caution, though, if you don't go abroad (as I didn't), when you get to final year, you will suffer badly for it. The standard of French jumped wildly between second year and final year, and I really struggled to catch up.

I have to agree with you, it is the main reason why I got in trouble with the department for not going and now it's up to me to improve my french and catch up. But what I'm trying to say (is what actually told me last year) is that a person should not decide not to do french just because they have personal reasons that no not allow them to go. If they are willing to work really hard in their final year it's not impossible to do it

iliketodraw

Sorry guys, just got back to boards.
I went to the Arts talk on French the other day and it just didn't seem to be what I had expected it to be, and after reading up on the individual modules it kind of made my expectations lower.
It was a subject I really liked at second level, and I've registered to do French, but I'm already having second thoughts about taking it. The only problem is I have to choose another, which was going to be English, but that seemed to carry a heavy workload with it.
So as of now I am undecided so will have to do some research over the weekend and see where that takes me.

thecomet

apologies for taking over this thread, but I have a quick question about the language labs. we have 3 hours of languages labs a week but on moodle it will only allow me to register for 1 hour.. how do i register for the other 2?

iliketodraw

Comet I have no idea what we have to register for, where we have to do it and when they are on. It was all flicked through so quickly.
Idk, how many hours of French overall do we have a week?

thecomet

i know it was all so quick .. you need to register with the language centre, by going to moodle and clicking the language centre in quick links.. you use the enrollment key you got at registration on the yellow sheet?.. then on moodle at the moment you can register for all 3 hours of the tutorials for FR101 - Langue Ecrite Et Parlee 1.. you can choose whatever time suits you.. All together I think we have 5 hours a week and it says on moodle some the the tutorials don't begin until the 7th of october..

iliketodraw

So we have 1 tutorial a week but can register for all 3?

plumpote

iliketodraw wrote: »

it just didn't seem to be what I had expected it to be, and after reading up on the individual modules it kind of made my expectations lower.
It was a subject I really liked at second level, and I've registered to do French, but I'm already having second thoughts about taking it.

I really liked French at 2nd level too, but when I got to college, the literature and culture modules just weren't my cup of tea (although I love the language). It's very different to LC French, so don't go in thinking it's going to be the same! I personally didn't find the department a particularly helpful or friendly one, but that's just my experience.

(Dropping French after first year didn't stop me from going on Erasmus this year )

iliketodraw wrote: »

The only problem is I have to choose another, which was going to be English, but that seemed to carry a heavy workload with it.

Every subject is going to be heavy in its own way. Remember, you have the first few weeks to sit in on random classes. Use this time to see if any subjects take your fancy-keep your mind open to subjects that you may not have considered before. Also, whatever 3 subjects you choose, you have to be happy to do two of those subjects to degree level!

Bonne Chance!

thecomet

no 3 extra classes you need to sign up for on moodle and go to each week (beginning the 30th i think).. they are the language lab, grammaire and expression ecrit. and then also the 2 that are already on your timetable - FR103 and FR102.

iliketodraw

So 5 including tutorials, language labs etc?

thecomet

yep, that's what i gathered anyways..

iliketodraw

So confusing. And where do sign up with the language lab and do tutorials start this week?

thecomet

i'll tell you exactly what i think we are meant to do.. log onto moodle.. scroll down to useful links and click on the language centre.. then you should be asked for an enrollment key which was on your yellow sheet from registration so type that in and click enroll me.. then you should get a page which says welcome to the language centre at the top.. so from there scroll down to 1st year language language lab classes and click the 1st year french link.. you will be asked to select whichever time slot you want then for the language lab..

and no the language labs start the week beginning the 30th of september.. so depending on whatever time slot you select you will have you first language lab sometime that week..

iliketodraw

Ok selected Thursday morning as others made it chockablock

iliketodraw

Is it necessary to buy all books? :pac:

thecomet

i hope not :eek: .. soo expensive for them.. does anyone who has done french before have any idea about the books?:)

plumpote

thecomet wrote: »

i hope not :eek: .. soo expensive for them.. does anyone who has done french before have any idea about the books?:)

You will defo need
En Bonne Forme, 8th Edition for your tutorials,
Poètes français des XIXe et XXe siècles for the poetry module and
Un secret for Literature

Current Erasmus people will have Un Secret and the poetry book. I do, but am away so can't access them to sell on!

Les exercices de Grammaire Niveau A2 is used in Grammar tutorials, and you can always sell it on afterwards.

I didn't bother with
French Grammar and Usage, 2nd Edition or
Practising French Grammar, A Workbook

Don't know what the Paris one is, but if it's required, they most likely expect you to buy it.

A good Dictionary is always worth buying, especially if you're going to carry on with the language. If not, WordReference http://www.wordreference.com/ is an excellent online dictionary, and CollinsRobert is online now http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english-french

You should be able to get most of the books second hand. Keep an eye on the notice boards for people selling stuff! Most of the books can be sold on afterwards too.

iliketodraw

Hi guys I've changed subjects now, but I'll leave the thread open if anyone needs to ask questions or that.