French Language and Translation I
A.Y. 2026/2027
Learning objectives
The goal of the course is to provide students with the fundamental principles for understanding and translating complex texts, as well as with the tools for linguistic analysis needed to work in international communication and mediation. In particular, the course includes an in-depth study of specialised texts related to the fields of law, economics and social sciences, with a strong focus on the linguistic and translation-related implications of the spread of generative artificial intelligence. The course combines both theory and practice. It also includes preparation for the Diplôme de français des affaires C1, which is intended to develop students' oral and written comprehension and communication skills. By the end of the classes, students will achieve a C1 level of French according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), with particular expertise in corporate communication.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will have acquired a range of lexical, grammatical and syntactical tools, as well as translation skills, enabling them to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, particularly in the domains of intercultural legal and corporate communication and international cooperation. These tools will also provide a solid foundation for students to build upon to independently expand their competencies in related areas.
Lesson period: year
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
year
Course syllabus
The course is organized into four modules and a series of practical sessions.
Module I (20 hours, first semester, Prof. Chiara Preite) - Languages for Special Purposes and Terminology
The first module provides an introduction to terminology as a discipline closely connected to languages for special purposes (in their vertical dimension), examining its most recent developments and its role in supporting specialist writers and translators.
Module II (20 hours, first semester, Prof. Giuliano Rossi) - Collaborative Translation of a Socio-Political Essay
The second module focuses on the collaborative translation, for publication purposes, of an essay from Gallimard's Tracts series. Students will be introduced to the theoretical foundations of Translation Studies, the practice of collaborative translation, and the specific characteristics of the essay as a genre, together with the translation challenges it entails. The theoretical component will be complemented by practical translation work, with students organized into groups and involved in every stage of the translation process, from planning and drafting to revision.
Module III (20 hours, second semester, Prof. Chiara Preite) - Terminography: Developing a Glossary of Migration Terminology
The third module focuses on the practical application of terminology, specifically through the development of an Italian-French terminological glossary on the topic of migration, with particular reference to institutional communication addressed to citizens. To produce the glossary entries, attending students will work in small groups and periodically present their proposals for collective discussion, leading to the final version of each terminological entry.
Module IV (20 hours, second semester, Prof. Giuliano Rossi) - Collaborative Translation of a Socio-Political Essay
The fourth module continues the work begun during the first semester in Module II, with the aim of completing a publishable editorial product by the end of the academic year.
The practical sessions, devoted to compte-rendu d'écoute (listening summaries) and synthèse (summary writing), are designed to develop students' oral and written comprehension and production skills. Particular attention is given to the vocabulary and conventions of français des affaires (Business French), with the objective of providing students with the foundational competencies required to prepare for the Diplôme de Français Professionnel (DFP) Affaires, Advanced Level (C1), awarded by the Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI Paris Île-de-France).
Module I (20 hours, first semester, Prof. Chiara Preite) - Languages for Special Purposes and Terminology
The first module provides an introduction to terminology as a discipline closely connected to languages for special purposes (in their vertical dimension), examining its most recent developments and its role in supporting specialist writers and translators.
Module II (20 hours, first semester, Prof. Giuliano Rossi) - Collaborative Translation of a Socio-Political Essay
The second module focuses on the collaborative translation, for publication purposes, of an essay from Gallimard's Tracts series. Students will be introduced to the theoretical foundations of Translation Studies, the practice of collaborative translation, and the specific characteristics of the essay as a genre, together with the translation challenges it entails. The theoretical component will be complemented by practical translation work, with students organized into groups and involved in every stage of the translation process, from planning and drafting to revision.
Module III (20 hours, second semester, Prof. Chiara Preite) - Terminography: Developing a Glossary of Migration Terminology
The third module focuses on the practical application of terminology, specifically through the development of an Italian-French terminological glossary on the topic of migration, with particular reference to institutional communication addressed to citizens. To produce the glossary entries, attending students will work in small groups and periodically present their proposals for collective discussion, leading to the final version of each terminological entry.
Module IV (20 hours, second semester, Prof. Giuliano Rossi) - Collaborative Translation of a Socio-Political Essay
The fourth module continues the work begun during the first semester in Module II, with the aim of completing a publishable editorial product by the end of the academic year.
The practical sessions, devoted to compte-rendu d'écoute (listening summaries) and synthèse (summary writing), are designed to develop students' oral and written comprehension and production skills. Particular attention is given to the vocabulary and conventions of français des affaires (Business French), with the objective of providing students with the foundational competencies required to prepare for the Diplôme de Français Professionnel (DFP) Affaires, Advanced Level (C1), awarded by the Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI Paris Île-de-France).
Prerequisites for admission
Students must have a knowledge of French equivalent to level B2 of the CEFR.
Teaching methods
During the monographic course, there will be lecture hours aimed at acquiring the aforementioned skills, during which students will take an active role in class activities.
The practical sessions are intended to support the learning and reinforcement of the morphosyntactic structures of the French language, initiate students into written production, and develop their linguistic and communicative skills.
The courses run throughout the academic year. Two internal assessments are scheduled for the language practice modules.
LANGUAGE PRACTICE MODULES
Language practice is organized into four modules, distributed as follows:
First semester
1) Finalized Oral Production - Business French (Level C1)
20 hours of exercises are dedicated to oral production, focusing on the lexical and formal aspects of Business French (Level C1).
The course is designed to prepare students for the Diplôme de français des affaires issued by the Chambre de Commerce de Paris - Île-de-France.
2) Compte-rendu d'écoute
20 hours of exercises are dedicated to mastering the compte-rendu d'écoute technique (listening report).
Second semester
3) Technique de la synthèse
20 hours of exercises are dedicated to the synthesis technique (technique de la synthèse).
4) Oral Production
20 hours aimed at refining oral presentation skills, also with the goal of helping students effectively prepare for the oral component of the final exam.
The practical sessions are intended to support the learning and reinforcement of the morphosyntactic structures of the French language, initiate students into written production, and develop their linguistic and communicative skills.
The courses run throughout the academic year. Two internal assessments are scheduled for the language practice modules.
LANGUAGE PRACTICE MODULES
Language practice is organized into four modules, distributed as follows:
First semester
1) Finalized Oral Production - Business French (Level C1)
20 hours of exercises are dedicated to oral production, focusing on the lexical and formal aspects of Business French (Level C1).
The course is designed to prepare students for the Diplôme de français des affaires issued by the Chambre de Commerce de Paris - Île-de-France.
2) Compte-rendu d'écoute
20 hours of exercises are dedicated to mastering the compte-rendu d'écoute technique (listening report).
Second semester
3) Technique de la synthèse
20 hours of exercises are dedicated to the synthesis technique (technique de la synthèse).
4) Oral Production
20 hours aimed at refining oral presentation skills, also with the goal of helping students effectively prepare for the oral component of the final exam.
Teaching Resources
Modules 1 e 3
1. L'Homme M.-C., La terminologie : principes et techniques, Presses Universté Montréal, 2028 ; disponibile in open access https://books.openedition.org/pum/10693
2. The theoretical material on terminology uploaded to MyAriel (Preite Teaching Materials folder)
For non-attending students:
Dubuc R., Manuel pratique de terminologie, Presses Université Montréal, 2024.
Modules 2 e 4
3. J. Starobinski, Peut-on définir l'essai ?, Paris, Centre Georges Pompidou, 1985 (in MyAriel);
4. La traduzione della saggistica divulgativa dal francese all'italiano : teorie e metodi, a cura di A. Bramati e F. Regattin, «LCM. Lingue, culture e mediazioni», 6, 2, 2019 (https://www.ledonline.it/index.php/LCM-Journal/issue/view/123/showToc), per i saggi che verranno indicati a lezione;
5. R. Lemieux et P. Godbout, «Présentation» e H. Thiérard, «L'apport de la traductologie au renouveau de l'universel dans les sciences humaines: Meschonnic, Berman, Cassin, Diagne», in L'universel à l'épreuve de la traduction: actualités de la traduction des sciences humaines et sociales, éd. par R. Lemieux et P. Godbout, «TTR. Traduction, terminologie, rédaction», 37, 1, 2024, pp. 9-18 e 43-68 (https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/ttr/2024-v37-n1-ttr09701/);
6. G. Sapiro, Quels facteurs favorisent la traduction des livres de sciences humaines, in «Palimpsestes», 33, 2019, pp. 19-42;
7. The theoretical material on terminology uploaded to MyAriel (Rossi Teaching Materials folder)
A thorough study of the texts listed in the bibliography is an integral part of the course, unless otherwise stated. The slides, which will be uploaded to MyAriel after the lectures, are essential supplementary material; however, they do not replace the reading of the texts.
BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR PRACTICAL EXERCISES
1) Production orale finalisée français des affaires (niveau C1)
- J.-L. Penfornis, Affaires.com - Niveau avancé B2-C1 (3e éd) (B2-C1), CLE international, 2017 (with a particular focus on level C1)
- The official Français des affaires website (the 'candidate' section), organised by proficiency level, featuring online practice tests and a candidate's guide (for students):
https://www.lefrancaisdesaffaires.fr/candidat/diplomes-francais-professionnel/dfp-affaires/presentation/
2) Le compte-rendu d'écoute
- Réussir le résumé et le compte-rendu, Editions Tegos, 2020 (pdf en libre accès en ligne : https://www.editionstegos.com/REUSSIR%20LE%20RESUME%20ET%20LE%20COMPTE%20RENDU%20-%20EDITIONS%20TEGOS%20-%20EXEMPLE.pdf ) ;
- Chovelon Bernadette, Barthe Marie, Expression et style. Perfectionner son expression en français, PUG, 2015, ISBN 978-2-7061-2491-4.
3) La technique de la synthèse
- H. Maspoli, J. Grévisse, D. Ripaud, M. Risueno, B. Chauveau, A. Bourmayan, A. Lefèvre, A. A. Fio. Édito C1, édition 2022-2024, Livre + cahier + didierfle.app, Paris, Didier, 2022.
1. L'Homme M.-C., La terminologie : principes et techniques, Presses Universté Montréal, 2028 ; disponibile in open access https://books.openedition.org/pum/10693
2. The theoretical material on terminology uploaded to MyAriel (Preite Teaching Materials folder)
For non-attending students:
Dubuc R., Manuel pratique de terminologie, Presses Université Montréal, 2024.
Modules 2 e 4
3. J. Starobinski, Peut-on définir l'essai ?, Paris, Centre Georges Pompidou, 1985 (in MyAriel);
4. La traduzione della saggistica divulgativa dal francese all'italiano : teorie e metodi, a cura di A. Bramati e F. Regattin, «LCM. Lingue, culture e mediazioni», 6, 2, 2019 (https://www.ledonline.it/index.php/LCM-Journal/issue/view/123/showToc), per i saggi che verranno indicati a lezione;
5. R. Lemieux et P. Godbout, «Présentation» e H. Thiérard, «L'apport de la traductologie au renouveau de l'universel dans les sciences humaines: Meschonnic, Berman, Cassin, Diagne», in L'universel à l'épreuve de la traduction: actualités de la traduction des sciences humaines et sociales, éd. par R. Lemieux et P. Godbout, «TTR. Traduction, terminologie, rédaction», 37, 1, 2024, pp. 9-18 e 43-68 (https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/ttr/2024-v37-n1-ttr09701/);
6. G. Sapiro, Quels facteurs favorisent la traduction des livres de sciences humaines, in «Palimpsestes», 33, 2019, pp. 19-42;
7. The theoretical material on terminology uploaded to MyAriel (Rossi Teaching Materials folder)
A thorough study of the texts listed in the bibliography is an integral part of the course, unless otherwise stated. The slides, which will be uploaded to MyAriel after the lectures, are essential supplementary material; however, they do not replace the reading of the texts.
BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR PRACTICAL EXERCISES
1) Production orale finalisée français des affaires (niveau C1)
- J.-L. Penfornis, Affaires.com - Niveau avancé B2-C1 (3e éd) (B2-C1), CLE international, 2017 (with a particular focus on level C1)
- The official Français des affaires website (the 'candidate' section), organised by proficiency level, featuring online practice tests and a candidate's guide (for students):
https://www.lefrancaisdesaffaires.fr/candidat/diplomes-francais-professionnel/dfp-affaires/presentation/
2) Le compte-rendu d'écoute
- Réussir le résumé et le compte-rendu, Editions Tegos, 2020 (pdf en libre accès en ligne : https://www.editionstegos.com/REUSSIR%20LE%20RESUME%20ET%20LE%20COMPTE%20RENDU%20-%20EDITIONS%20TEGOS%20-%20EXEMPLE.pdf ) ;
- Chovelon Bernadette, Barthe Marie, Expression et style. Perfectionner son expression en français, PUG, 2015, ISBN 978-2-7061-2491-4.
3) La technique de la synthèse
- H. Maspoli, J. Grévisse, D. Ripaud, M. Risueno, B. Chauveau, A. Bourmayan, A. Lefèvre, A. A. Fio. Édito C1, édition 2022-2024, Livre + cahier + didierfle.app, Paris, Didier, 2022.
Assessment methods and Criteria
A) WRITTEN EXAMS
The written exams are valid for three sessions (May, September, January).
FOR ATTENDING STUDENTS
The written part for attending students consists of two midterm exams, which will be held at the end of the first and second semester.
First semester
Compte-rendu d'écoute test (duration: 60 minutes): after listening to the assigned audio file, students will have 60 minutes to produce a text of approximately 300 words (±10%), highlighting the key points of the recording.
Second semester
2. Technique de la synthèse test (duration: 90 minutes): students will have 90 minutes to summarize a given text in 200-240 words, following the structure and formal requirements specific to a "synthèse".
Only students who take both midterm exams and achieve a passing grade in each of them may take the oral exam.
Students who, despite having passed, choose to reject the final grade of the two midterms will have to retake all the written tests during one of the official sessions (May, September, January).
FOR NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non-attending students, as well as those who did not obtain a passing grade in the midterms, must take the written exam during one of the official sessions (May, September, January).
The written part for non-attending students consists of two tests:
A Compte-rendu d'écoute test.
A Synthèse test.
To pass the written exam, a passing grade must be obtained in both parts.
B) ORAL EXAM - FOR ALL STUDENTS
For both attending and non-attending students, the oral exam consists of an interview in French based on the texts listed in the bibliography of Modules 1-3 (Prof. Preite) and Modules 2-4 (Prof. Rossi).
The oral exam aims to assess linguistic and communicative skills, as well as the ability to apply the theoretical and methodological tools of the course to the reference texts.
Only students who have successfully passed the written exams may take the oral exam.
The written exams are valid for three sessions (May, September, January).
FOR ATTENDING STUDENTS
The written part for attending students consists of two midterm exams, which will be held at the end of the first and second semester.
First semester
Compte-rendu d'écoute test (duration: 60 minutes): after listening to the assigned audio file, students will have 60 minutes to produce a text of approximately 300 words (±10%), highlighting the key points of the recording.
Second semester
2. Technique de la synthèse test (duration: 90 minutes): students will have 90 minutes to summarize a given text in 200-240 words, following the structure and formal requirements specific to a "synthèse".
Only students who take both midterm exams and achieve a passing grade in each of them may take the oral exam.
Students who, despite having passed, choose to reject the final grade of the two midterms will have to retake all the written tests during one of the official sessions (May, September, January).
FOR NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non-attending students, as well as those who did not obtain a passing grade in the midterms, must take the written exam during one of the official sessions (May, September, January).
The written part for non-attending students consists of two tests:
A Compte-rendu d'écoute test.
A Synthèse test.
To pass the written exam, a passing grade must be obtained in both parts.
B) ORAL EXAM - FOR ALL STUDENTS
For both attending and non-attending students, the oral exam consists of an interview in French based on the texts listed in the bibliography of Modules 1-3 (Prof. Preite) and Modules 2-4 (Prof. Rossi).
The oral exam aims to assess linguistic and communicative skills, as well as the ability to apply the theoretical and methodological tools of the course to the reference texts.
Only students who have successfully passed the written exams may take the oral exam.
FRAN-01/B - French Language, Translation and Linguistics - University credits: 12
Lessons: 80 hours
Professors:
Preite Chiara, Rossi Giuliano
Professor(s)