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Designed for students with an A level in French (or equivalent), this module welcomes those who appreciate reading, harbour a curiosity for the diverse French-speaking world, and wish to explore their creative side with the French language.
There is no expectation that students should have a literary background or any experience in creative writing to take this module. The module is aimed at students who enjoy reading, have an interest in the wider French-speaking world and cultures and would like to be creative with the French language.
The course is designed for students with an A level or equivalent in French, corresponding to B1 on the CEFR. No prior literary background or experience in creative writing is necessary.
Just like other CFLS courses, the module will develop all language skills (speaking, writing, listening, reading, grammar) and will do so through the lens of creative writing. All seminars will be interactive, and will involve group discussions and activities round language, texts, video clips and films.
As in other CFLS elective language courses, we use continuous assessment. You will have three take-home projects spread across the first two terms, followed by a discussion about your final project in term 3.
Students will have two hours of contact time a week in the same way as they would in other comparable CFLS courses. These will be spent practising all language skills (speaking, writing, listening, reading, grammar).
At the end of the module, students will reach the required level to progress onto French Stage 5 should they wish to. Indeed, just like our other modules, this module aims to consolidate and widen further students’ knowledge of the French language, including grammar and lexis; to enhance communicative proficiency in French, in both writing and speaking; to foster intercultural dialogue and to explore the wider French-speaking world and its associated cultures.
The twist, of course, is that the module does so through the medium of creative writing. Through creative writing, students will develop key writing techniques on a range of genres - such as but not limited to fiction, poetry, playwriting, life writing, travel writing, fairy tales, comic strips - and in the process use French creatively.
Creative writing has been proven to engage various neural processes, including those involved in language processing, memory and semantic interpretation (Shah et al. 2013). By replicating language learning processes in children, it empowers students to make the language their own (Zhao, 2015). Creative writing has also been proven to develop communication skills, (inter)cultural understanding, mediation, autonomy, problem solving and of course creativity, all of which are key skills employers are more than ever looking out for.
Creative writing tasks also appeal to various learning styles so if you are on the lookout for a new way to develop your French, this is the module for you!
Please direct your inquiries to cfls.admin@durham.ac.uk
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