Syllabus (with links to Web exercises)

COURSE GUIDE

INTRODUCTION TO FRENCH (FR 110)

Dr. Anne P. McConnell
Library 318, Ext. 2202
e-mail: amcconnell@smcvt.edu

TEXTS AND MATERIALS

Valdman & Pons. Chez nous : Branché sur le monde francophone. Prentice Hall, 1997. (With accompanying student cassette)
Valdman & Pons. Workbook / Lab Manual for Chez nous. Prentice Hall, 1997.

GOALS

This course aims at beginning to develop your proficiency in French. It is the first of a sequence of two courses that will provide you with the tools to reach proficiency at the intermediate level. This means that you will learn to communicate and interact, in French, in real-life situations. Of course, communication will be enhanced and reinforced by reading and writing, and you will become familiar with the francophone cultures of the world.

IN THE CLASSROOM

If you observe the following suggestions, you will find that learning French will be easier and much more fun.

Learn to be a good listener. The most important thing to remember is to relax. Don't panic because you think you don't know what a question, a word, etc. "means."

Don't worry about how to translate new terms into English. Translation is one of the most difficult skills to learn. You will not be tested on your ability to translate, so trying to practice it is inefficient.

Play the game. Since French is the classroom language, we must often rely on all sorts of activities to learn to communicate. Use "body language," drawings, situations, etc. to get your meaning across. If you refrain from phrasing a sentence in English first, you'll be surprised at how much you can say with very little vocabulary.

Don't hesitate to make jokes when you can. Try being inventive (you don't always have to answer a question truthfully!). Help your classmates when they need it.

THE TEXTS

No assignments are given in the text until the material is presented in class. Most of what we do in class is repeated and reinforced in the text, so keep in-class note-taking to a minimum, and listen and participate instead. Use the text as a reference when you are doing exercises. Be sure to use the student cassette which accompanies your text wherever you find the symbol for it in your book.

Exercises in the Workbook will be assigned as we go over each point. Lab exercises in the Workbook will generally be assigned as we complete a chapter. Exercises must be turned in on time to receive full credit.

Exercises are not generally given a letter grade. They will be marked with either a "+" (nearly perfect), a check mark (acceptable) or a "-" (you'd better study this point again!).

Don't hesitate to bring a difficult exercise to me for help. Remember, the longer you wait to ask for help, the more catching up you have to do!

GRADING

You will be graded on your proficiency in five broad categories. Although they are listed separately, they support each other, and in many cases are inseparable. For instance, you have a separate grade for Grammar Proficiency which is 16% of your final grade. The Oral and Writing Proficiency categories, however, include an element of accuracy in grammar as well.

Your final proficiency testing in these categories will represent 30% of your grade in each category. The work you do during the rest of the semester will represent 70% of each category.

Categories

1. Oral Proficiency: speaking (25% of grade). Grading is based on such elements as cultural appropriateness, accuracy in grammar and vocabulary, ability to adapt what you know to handle different situations, and pronunciation. Methods of assessing your proficiency include periodic in-class checkups, skits and dialogues, interviews and possibly recordings.
2. Writing Proficiency (25% of grade). Grading is based on many of the same elements as those listed for Oral Proficiency (appropriateness of vocabulary, accuracy, adaptibility, clarity, originality). Methods of assessing your proficiency include written homework, short papers, some sections of chapter exams, and a writing sample at the end of the semester.
3. Listening Proficiency: getting the gist of what is said in French (17% of grade). We can learn to listen for meaning, without being panicked by elements we don't yet understand. Some ways of assessing Listening Proficiency could include oral questions to which you write answers, exercises based on your student cassette, lab exercises and video exercises.
4. Reading Proficiency: getting the gist of what you read in French (17% of grade). We can read for meaning, too, without feeling thwarted by every word we may not know. Some ways of assessing you might include homework exercises, reading activities in the textbook, reading comprehension segments on chapter exams.
5. Grammar Proficiency: how well have you acquired the tools that provide the foundation for communication in French (16% of grade)? Assessment will be based on grammar sections of exams, some homework exercises, and the general accuracy with which you express yourself orally and in writing.

Syllabus (with links to Web exercises)