Sonoma State University

FR 201

Professeur Christine Renaudin

Description du cours

Course requirements and objectives:

FR 102, or permission of the professor.

The goal of Third-Semester French is to increase your proficiency in French while providing you with a francophone context within which to use and practice what you have learned. Because total immersion in a language is the best way to learn that language, in class we will speak only French. DON'T PANIC if you don't understand everything I say, or even half of what I say at first! I will do my best, with a combination of gestures and pictures and cognates, to communicate my main idea. It is normal to get frustrated or confused, and the best way to work through your frustration is simply to come to class ready to listen and to respond assiduously. Be open to new experiences! Take risks! Open your mouth as often as possible and speak, even if you aren't sure of the answer ~ it's the best way to develop a kind of ease in class that fosters language learning. Play by the rules ~ only French, and note that I will make a point of marking down the participation part of your grade if you break the rule! So, remember that there is NO CHATTING in English with your neighbor during class. And if you have questions you cannot ask in French, do wait until the break or the end of the class to ask them.

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Required textbooks:

Interaction and QUIA Access Key available at the bookstore (in one bundle).
ACCESS to the Internet is essential for this course.

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Homework & Lab Work:

French 201, Third-Semester French, is intended as an in-depth review of French grammar and francophone culture. Attention will be paid to all the basic communication skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Note that since it is assumed you have already mastered all or most of the basic points of French grammar, much of your revision of grammar will be done on your own, as you review the pages devoted to grammar in your textbook. On the calendar, "Préparer Structures I," means that you must review all the grammar presented in those pages so you can use it actively in class the following day! "Préparer le vocabulaire," means that you must learn the entire vocabulary list &endash; and be prepared for pop quizzes on any of these topics! Even if you feel you are an expert on a given topic, reread the material in the section anyway: the mastery is in the details!
This is a rather fast-paced course and requires steady work habits, so be prepared!

The goal of Third-Semester French is to increase your proficiency in French while providing you with a francophone context within which to use and practice what you have learned. Because total immersion in a language is the best way to learn that language, in class we will speak only French. DON'T PANIC if you don't understand everything I say, or even half of what I say at first! I will do my best, with a combination of gestures and pictures and cognates, to communicate my main idea. It is normal to get frustrated or confused, and the best way to work through your frustration is simply to come to class ready to listen and to respond assiduously. Be open to new experiences! Take risks! Open your mouth as often as possible and speak, even if you aren't sure of the answer -- it's the best way to develop a kind of ease in class that fosters language learning. Play by the rules -- only French, and note that I will make a point of marking down the participation part of your grade if you break the rule! So, remember that there is NO CHATTING in English with your neighbor during class. And if you have questions you cannot ask in French, do wait until the break or the end of the class to ask them. 

Over the course of the semester, we will cover chapters one to nine in the textbook Interaction, spending approximately 3-4 class days on each chapter. There will be one test at the end of every two chapters. The material from chapter nine will be covered on the final exam, which is cumulative.

Please note that lab work is mandatory, and you must register separately for lab on a CR/NC basis. In this class you will be doing your labwork through the QUIA on-line lab manual which accompanies your text. You must have access to the web (and preferably to Internet Explorer) to do the homework for this class! Note that on-campus labs are available to all students, and the Language Laboratory (Stevenson 1040) gives priority to students in language classes who are doing work for those classes while there. In theory, then, students should not have any trouble accessing the lab manual on line. You get one unit of credit for lab work (CR/NC) if you complete at least 75% of the required 1500 minutes by the end of the semester. No more than 200 minutes per week will count toward the student's grand total lab time; if it takes you longer to complete that week's assignments, please do take the time to complete them, but know that attempts to make up large amounts of lab time at the end of the semester will not count! Lab work, which includes listening, speaking, reading and writing practice, is an essential component of any language course, and will prove incredibly beneficial to your language study, provided you complete the work carefully and thoroughly. Your time on these exercises will be clocked by the QUIA software which offers us the cool lab exercises on-line.

Advantages to using the QUIA on-line lab manual for Horizons:
• Many exercises are immediately self-correcting, so you will receive instant feedback, see the progress you are making right away, and can correct mistakes as you make them!
• The QUIA program has been set up to track the time you spend doing your lab exercises no matter where you do them! In other words, you do not need to do your lab homework in the language lab; the system will simply keep track for me of how much time you're spending there on a weekly basis and I will use this record to assign grades for lab time at the end of the semester! (Note: only the activities which announce explicitly, "You are now beginning a timed activity" will be recorded. These are the "hard-core" grammar activities. I will award additional minutes (3-5) for each additional "fun" activity completed.)
• You can do both oral and written lab work in the same place without a tape player!
Note that only a subset of important on-line "rédaction" exercises will be counted for your final homework grade in this class. They are marked "Rédaction" on the syllabus and you should make sure you do each assignment on a daily basis, either by typing in your short composition and then printing out the page and handing it in, or (my preference) by hand-writing the homework neatly on lined paper, double-spaced. Each short composition will be given a grade out of 10 pts. (Just to be clear: the on-line rédaction exercises count for the homework grade in class; minutes you accrue in the lab will count toward your CR/NC grade in the lab section and ALSO for 5% of your course grade.)
So, welcome to Quia! Quia provides a fun and dynamic environment where you can complete your out-of-class work. Instead of doing your workbook with paper and pen, Quia allows you to complete your work electronically. You get instant feedback to the questions you answer in a variety of activity and game formats only Quia provides.

How to use the on-line manual of Interaction for French 201 at SSU:.

Once you have registered for the on-line manual of Interaction, you use the manual as follows:
• 2.Go to http://books.quia.com/
• 3. Click on Students.
• 4. Click on Log in..
We will cover approximately one section per class (two on some busy days!), so you will need to find and complete both the oral and the written exercises for that section to do before the next class. These are listed on the course calendar.
For example, in Chapter 1, after our second day of class, you should go on-line and do:
• Activités orales A-E
• Activités écrites A-D.
Remember, I will be getting a record of all of your results (or "grades") on these exercises, so be thorough and don't forget to do the work when the work is assigned. Also remember that, in addition to the exercises in the QUIA, homework assignments also include studying vocabulary and grammar in your textbook (see the course calendar) and reading the cultural and literary material in each chapter. With lab work as well as with study time, the best way to learn a language is in small increments. We only meet two times per week, and we can only cover so much material in that time. Do the rest in small increments each day, including (and especially!) the days the class does not meet. Try to set aside time daily to study French ~ from 30 to 60 minutes at a time, including at least one hour per hour of class in addition to your regular weekly lab time.
To verify your progress before taking any exam in this class, do the self-correcting grammar exercises for students which have been conveniently located on your textbook's webpage at: http://interaction.heinle.com

NOTE: The "activités culturelles" exercises mentioned in the course calendar refer to the cultural activities located on this website!

Participation:

Participation--and, of course, attendance--is essential to language learning, and you will be receiving a daily participation grade (check plus, check, check minus) based on your presence, alertness and responsiveness in class. Participation will count for 15% of your final grade, and the grade will drop a step (eg. from A- to B+) with every absence over two. Moreover, you are responsible for any material missed because of an absence, whatever the reason. If you must be absent, make arrangements with another student to get the notes from class; if you have problems catching up, make an appointment to see the campus French tutor.

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Test Policy & Final Exam:

Policy on tests: there will be NO make-up tests, absolutely none. If you miss a test, you will receive a 0 for that test. However, note that when calculating your final grade, I will omit the worst test score. This does not mean that you should purposefully miss one test: take all of them, and do your best on all of them! There will also be two oral exams: one in the middle of the semester, and one at the end. I will be handing out a sign-up sheet when the time comes.

The Final Exam will take place Monday, December 11, from 2 p. m. to 3:50 p. m.

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Calculation of Grades:

Tests and midterm oral: 50%
Participation: 15%
Final exam and oral: 20%
Homework/pop quizzes/labwork: 15%

Notice that the great majority of your grade is based on test scores, but that you can easily drop a full grade or more by not keeping up with your participation and homework. I can't stress enough how much regular work on French is essential to success in this course -- keep from falling behind and you're halfway to passing!

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Rules of Courtesy:

Please turn off all cell phones when entering the classroom. Cell phone disruption will not be tolerated.

Students who talk repeatedly amongst themselves, even in French, when course material is being explained will receive a warning. If the behavior should persist, the student will receive a check minus for class participation for the day and may be asked to leave the class.

Note that there will be ample time for conversation in French during class activity periods.

Finally, keep in mind that I am available for help, in my office at your convenience. Please don't hesitate to come and see me if you are having problems in the class or if you want study suggestions! However, do not drop by my office outside of my office hours, without an appointment, and expect me to be able to give you my attention. I teach three courses, do research and sit on numerous committees. Please be respectful of my time by making an appointment ahead of time if you cannot meet my office hours.

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Disability Notice:

PLEASE NOTE: If you have a disability that requires accommodation in this class, you must notify the instructor before the end of the second week of class regarding the nature of the accommodation(s) you require. You must register with the campus office of Disabled Student Services, located in Salazar, phone 664-2677. DSS will provide you with written confirmation of your verified disability and authorize recommended accommodations. This authorization must be presented to the instructor before any accommodations can made

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Mission statement of the SSU French Program:

The French Program of Sonoma State University seeks to develop in its students the basic linguistic skills, analytical skills, and cultural and literary knowledge which will enable them to appreciate the uniqueness of other cultures and to function in francophone communities around the world. In all of its offerings, the French Program seeks to support the ideals of a general liberal arts education.

In order to facilitate students' integration of this course into their understanding of the greater goals of the French Program and the General Education Program at Sonoma State University, it should be noted that French 201, Third-Semester French, meets the following French Program learning objectives:

• ability to understand spoken French, read a variety of texts written in French, and communicate effectively in French orally and in writing;
• appreciation and knowledge of the French culture;
• appreciation and knowledge of the French literature;
• appreciation and knowledge of the francophone world, cultures and literatures (including an understanding of the norms, values and beliefs of areas where the target language is used, as well as recognition of key social and cultural traditions;
• ability to respond in culturally appropriate ways in a variety of common situations in the target cultures;
• knowledge of phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics of the French language.

This course also meets the following GE Program learning objectives:

• ability to think and read critically;
• ability to communicate efficiently orally and in writing;
• appreciation and knowledge of grammar and linguistic concepts;
• ability to use state-of-the-art technology to access cultural documents and multimedia resources.

This course also exposes students to knowledge about values and ethical issues, including:

• appreciation of diversity and difference;
• awareness of language as a living product of culture and vice versa;
• ability to apply the knowledge and skills learned to situations outside the academic setting.

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