Syllabus
I. Social aspects 1. Social classes, poverty and exclusion 2. Labor and employment, social movements and conflicts 3. Gender issues, the family 4. The life cycle and generations
II. Economic aspects 1. The French economy; major changes in the second half of the 20th century and the current situation 2. French firms (classifications, sectors); production 3. Marketing, buying and selling, rules and regulations (economic crime, anticompetitive practices, etc.) 4. Money, banks, and capital markets
III. Journalism 1. The media in France: The print press, radio and television 2. Journalism techniques (writing and editing; the treatment of news and information; rules for writing from two major figures in French journalism, Françoise Giroud and Jean-Marie Cavada) 3. Careers in journalism (print press, news agencies, radio, television, and online media) 4. Content: international news, politics, culture and entertainment, economics and business, labor relations, sports, science and technology, and faits divers (crime and human interest stories)
Annotation
The course is designed for students who have achieved level B1-B2 (Intermediate and upper-intermediate) at least, and who wish to broaden their knowledge of French relevant to their field of studies: Economy, Sociology, Political Science, Journalism, and International (Area) Studies.
The programme of the course is divided into three units, each comprising four 120-minute classes.
An examination consisting of written and oral parts has to be passed to accomplish the second (spring) semester of the course.
Questions on particular topics which are likely to be asked in the test or during the examination will be available at zdarma.webprovas.com/~ofj as the course progresses.