In the Heart of the Loire Valley

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

Special entry conditions apply. Admission requirements: A limited number of students will be selected for this subject. The application process and other details are available from the subject coordinator.

Itinerary and travel arrangements available from the School of Languages and Linguistics. The subject dates and HECS/course fee census date for this subject change each year. Check your enrolment record for the correct census date for this subject.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This intensive three week study abroad subject will be taught in Touraine, in the heart of the Loire Valley, a region whose denizens have long been recognized as having the purest French accent. This course will focus on one of the most creative times of French history, albeit one of the most turbulent, the Renaissance. With a series of lectures, tutorials and detailed site visits, this subject will examine some of the most striking examples of French Renaissance architecture, including the famed “Chateaux de la Loire” built during the late 16th century, and learn about arts and history. This course will use an interdisciplinary approach (linguistic, history, art history, botany, gastronomy etc.) and will be taught in conjunction with specialists in art and literature from the French Ministry of Education.

On successful completion of this subject, students should:

• have gained an appreciation of academic French through the confident use of sophisticated oral and written French at level B2/C1 of the Common European Framework for Languages in real life situations;
• built a rounded picture of Renaissance France and Europe;
• have gained an overview of two specialized fields in at least one of the three core areas of Renaissance French literature, art, and cultural studies;
• be able to reflect on their positionality as a bicultural and bilingual person and as a global citizen;
• have established literary, historical, philosophical, linguistic and cultural connections between the Renaissance Age and contemporary society;
• be able to make wide use of learning and research technologies in French and English.

• A reflective journal of 1200 words due at the end of the intensive (30%)
• An oral presentation in French equivalent to 800 words during the intensive (20%)
• A research essay in French of 2000 words written in French due 2 weeks after the intensive (50%)

This subject has the following hurdle requirements:

• students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials/on site visits in order to pass this subject.
• All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day; after five working days, no late assessment will be marked. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

A subject reader will be available.

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Students who successfully complete this subject should:

• show critical thinking and analysis through required and recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion, and by assessing the strength of an argument;
• demonstrate research skills through competent use of the library and other information sources;
• demonstrate understanding of social, ethical and cultural contexts;
• demonstrate international awareness and openness to the world;
• show awareness of new aspects of French and European culture;
• demonstrate skills in public speaking and confidence in self-expression through seminar participation and class presentations.