Courses objectives
Acquisition of a firm grasp of written and spoken English in order to work internationally. For students who already have a good level of English (i.e. with the skills set out below), learning or improving their Spanish or Portuguese is possible. In the context of a specific project, the teaching of another language is feasible.
Course contents
The English course alternates between vocabulary, grammar and exercises in written and oral expression and comprehension. The topics covered are systematically linked to the general training and, where possible, are related to the ongoing course. The contents of the Spanish and Portuguese courses depend on the student’s level.
Teaching and learning methods
Two-hour lessons each week. A wide variety of educational materials are used for the English course: scientific literature, press, video, audio, debates between students and, where possible with scientists, with the possibility of conferences... For certain other courses that use English (Tropical forests and climate change is taught in French with course materials in English, Tropical forest ecology requires the production of a synthesis in French from an English scientific article) and possibly conferences, the English course provides the vocabulary necessary for their understanding and allows the weakest students to study the course materials beforehand. The contents of the Spanish and Portuguese courses depend on the student’s level.
Course evaluation
Oral examination.
Target skills
The ability to read the information and to communicate in both written and spoken English in a professional context, and in particular to:
- read and analyse the scientific literature on the different subjects studied during the degree
- produce a scientific report in English either in the form of an essay or a bibliographical synthesis
- follow a lecture in English
- deliver an oral presentation in English on a scientific subject with a slide-show
- work with English-speaking partners
- seek employment internationally (write a CV and an application letter, prepare for a job interview).
For other foreign languages, the skills acquired will depend on the student’s initial level.
