Course Description
Ghillebaert, Françoise. Face à Face (with Supersite and WebSAM access)
Edition:11
Publisher:VISTA HIGH
ISBN: 9781605762579
(Note: your text should be packaged with your access code to the on-line workbooks; use this code to register for the on-line materials.)
Rochat, Denise. Contrastes: Grammaire du français courant.
Edition:2ND 10
Publisher:PEARSON
ISBN: 9780205646999
Kendris. 501 French verbs (with CD)
Edition:6TH 07
Publisher:BARRON
ISBN: 9780764179839
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.
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 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 which requires steady work habits, so be prepared! Over the course of the semester, we will cover the entire textbook, Face-à -Face, spending approximately 4 class days on each chapter. There will be three tests, as indicated on the calendar, including the final exam, which is cumulative.
The textbook comes with access to on-line practice exercises, which will be assigned daily and taken into consideration in your final grade.
Note that you are also required to purchase a copy of 501 French verbs and Contrastes: Grammaire du français courant. Both are required of all students of French at SSU. When in doubt about a verb conjugation, or a grammatical structure, consult the appropriate reference book.
Please also 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 some of your lab work through the Face-à-Face Supersite and WebSAM (Web Student's Activities Manual). You must have access to the web to do the homework for this class! On-campus computer 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. You earn one unit of credit for lab work (CR/NC) if you complete at least 75% of the required on-line work, AND attend at least 8 lab sessions (details to follow) over the course of the semester. A sign-up sheet for these sessions will be circulated in due time.
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. Most exercises offered on the on-line manual are self-correcting. Those that are not will be graded separately and counted in the homework part of your grade.
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. The rest must be done at home, preferably a little bit each day, including (especially on) days the class doesn't meet. For both the lab and study time, try to set aside 30 minutes to 60 minutes daily to work on French. The course calendar is essentially a suggested study schedule for each week; adapt it to fit your needs, but whatever you do, be regular and consistent in your study habits. In order to encourage healthy studying habit, exercises will only be available to you for a certain time. For example, exercises concerning Chapter 1 and 2 will become unavailable to you after the first test.This is to ensure that you do the required homework in due time, since it serves to prepare as well as reinforce class activities.
For a more complete description of how to use the on-line manual, go to the homework page.
Participation -- and, of course, attendance -- is essential to language learning, and you will be receiving a daily participation grade (from 0 to 10 points) based on your presence, alertness, and responsiveness in class. Presence and participation will count for 10% of your final grade, and you can get a general idea of your participation grade based on the quality of your participation:
- If you are physically and mentally present and constantly participating, you will earn a 10.
- If you are physically and mentally present and participate often, you will earn a 9.
- If you are present and participate from time to time, you will earn an 8.
- If you are present and participate only rarely, you will earn a 7.
- If you are present and silent, you will earn a 6.
- If you leave halfway through class or come in halfway through class, your grade will automatically start with 5 and decrease from there based on the criteria above.
In other words, the grade will go up or down depending on how active you are in class, or how closely you respect the only French rule. So, if you are present and very active in French only during every class, you should easily earn a A for participation!
Note that 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 one of the university's French tutors or to see me.
Policy on tests: there will be NO make-up tests. 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 not drop either oral exam score, nor will I drope the final exam, when calculating your grade. I hereby reserve the right to assign a final grade of F to any student who does not pass the cumulative final written and oral exams.
The FINAL EXAM is scheduled for Tuesday, May 25th from 11am to 12:50pm.
NOTE: Students should be aware of a wide variety of important University policies, such as the add/drop policy; cheating and plagiarism policy; grade appeal procedures; and the diversity vision statement. Go to the URL to find them: http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/policies/studentinfo.shtml .
Your grade in this course will be calculated as follows:
- Tests and midterm oral: 40%
- Final exam and oral: 20%
- Daily quizzes (on vocabulary and verb conjugations): 10%
- Participation: 10%
- Homework (including all written exercises & rédactions): 15%
- Lab work: 5%
Notice that the great majority of your grade is based on test and quiz scores, but that you can easily drop a full grade or more by not keeping up with your participation and homework. (See "A Bit of Advice" on the homework page to get a sense of how important this is, mathematically speaking, to your grade!) The lab work portion of the grade (a combination of work on the Supersite/WebSAM, plus supplemental hours in the lab) will be calculated based on the percentage of exercises completed. This counts both the work done directly online and the exercises you are to handwrite and turn in for my grading.
A suggestion: work on-line as often as you feel necessary! I can't stress how much regular work on French is essential to success in this course -- keep from falling behind and you're halfway to success!
- Please turn off all cellphones when entering the classroom. Cellphone disruption will not be tolerated; texting during will result in the confiscation of the phone for the remainder of the class.
- Students who talk repeatedly amongst themselves when course material is being explained will receive a warning. If the behavior should persist, the student may be asked to leave the class. Please note that there will be ample time for conversation in French during class activity periods.
- Please save your questions in ENGLISH for the break time!
- Finally, keep in mind that I am available for help, both in my office and at home, via e-mail, at your convenience. Please don't hesitate to come and see me or e-mail me if you are having problems in class or if you want study suggestions
If you have a disability that requires accommodation in this class, please notify the instructor as soon as possible regarding the nature of the accommodation(s) you require. You must register with the campus office of Disabled Student Services, located in Salazar Hall, room 1047, 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 an accommodations can be made.
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 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;
- ability to use state-of-the-art technology to access realia in the target language;
- 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.
To view the Mission, Goals and Objectives of SSU's General Education Program, please visit: http://www.sonoma.edu/Senate/Resolutions/GE_MGO.html