FR3PM-French Popular Music and Society

Module Provider: Languages and Cultures
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:6
Terms in which taught: Autumn / Spring term module
Pre-requisites: FR2L4 Advanced French Language II or FR2L2 Intermediate French Language or FR2L3 Advanced French Language I
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2022/3

Module Convenor: Dr John McKeane
Email: j.mckeane@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

This module provides an overview of French popular music of the 20th and 21st centuries, paying attention to the development of the genre and to its wider socio-cultural role. We will spend time looking at the texts, performances and personae of major artists in contemporary music genres including rap, rock, and electronica. These may include artists such as Diam’s, Stromae, Christine and the Queens, Camille, and more. We will also draw parallels with earlier classics of French popular music, which may include artists such as Édith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens, and others. 

Aims:

• To take popular music seriously as a form of thought and expression


• To improve students’ knowledge of the French language as well as contemporary French society and culture


• To foster critical thinking and its application in varying contexts

Assessable learning outcomes:

• Knowledge of the major figures and trends in 20th and 21st century French popular music


• The ability to perform close readings of song lyrics


• The ability to analyse relevant socio-cultural trends


• The ability to construct and defend critical arguments in extended prose writing


• Critical engagement with primary and secondary materials

Additional outcomes:

Outline content:

Topics for study may include:

• The lyrics and music of recent and contemporary artists in genres including rap, rock, and electronica


• The lyrics and music of classic artists including Serge Gainsbourg, Jacques Brel, Georges Brassens, Edith Piaf, and the yéyé movement


• Historical and methodological contextualization


• Relevant films

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

A weekly seminar will be dedicated to listening to and analyzing a small number (3-4) of pre-selected song lyrics. These will be taken from an anthology, to be considered the corpus for the module. Students will also be required to listen more widely to the work of the singer in question, to complete the weekly secondary reading provided, and to be prepared to demonstrate independent learning.



A weekly lecture will analyse topics relevant to the singer or topic being studied. In recent years this has been organized by contemporary genre, with the course divided into three consecutive sections on rap, rock, and electronica.

Students may also undertake an academic placement, through which they will learn how to apply the knowledge and skills gained in studying for this module in a professional context outside the University.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures	8	7
Seminars	7	6	2
Guided independent study:
Wider reading (independent)	10	10
Wider reading (directed)	30	30
Preparation for seminars	18	18
Revision and preparation			28
Essay preparation			26
Total hours by term	73	71	56
Total hours for module	200

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written exam	50
Written assignment including essay	50

Summative assessment- Examinations:

2 hours 

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

Coursework: one essay (2,500 words – 25%).

One piece of assessment worth no more than 50% of the module mark can be replaced by a report produced after an academic placement. The placement must be agreed in advance by the module convenor; the length of the report is to be equivalent to standard departmental practice for coursework.

Formative assessment methods:

Students will also have ample opportunity to practise commentary and essay-writing skills in assignments set for discussion in class.

Penalties for late submission:

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:

40% 

Reassessment arrangements:

Reassessment in August, in the event of failure in this module and of failure in the degree as a whole. Coursework for reassessment must be resubmitted by 1PM on the third Friday of August or, if the University is closed on the third Friday of August, at 1PM on the next working day thereafter. 

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

Last updated: 22 September 2022