Chabot College
Fall 2015
Course Outline for French 1A2
BEGINNING FRENCH 2
Catalog Description:
FRNC 1A2 - Beginning French 2
3.00 units
Further study of the French-speaking cultures of the world featuring the study and practice of the four
language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) of French. Following an immersion instruction
format, the class is entirely taught in the target world language of the selected course. May not receive
credit if FRNC 1A has been completed.
Prerequisite: FRNC 1A1 (completed with a grade of "C" or higher)
Units
Contact Hours
Week
Term
3.00
Lecture
Laboratory
Clinical
Total
3.00
3.00
1.00
0.00
4.00
52.50
17.50
0.00
70.00
Prerequisite Skills:
Before entry into this course, the student should be able to:
1. understand the cultural nuances of American and French-speaking cultural practices in relation to
speech, social attitudes, and values;
2. demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the culture of French-speaking people,
including formative historical events and relevant geographical information;
3. communicate orally and in writing in a variety of meaningful real life activities using the
grammatical structures presented and vocabulary assigned;
4. demonstrate the ability to comprehend a short conversation composed chiefly of the vocabulary
and grammar studied;
5. apply the sentence patterns and grammar structures presented in the course to create new
sentences in culturally appropriate ways both orally and in writing;
6. conduct a simple, culturally sensitive conversation in French on topics studied, using words and
expressions in structurally correct sentences;
7. write a coherent and culturally appropriate paragraph of sixty words or more on a topic studied
and/or discussed in class;
8. express likes and dislikes/wishes and preferences;
9. make simple descriptions in French related to size, shape, and color orally and in writing;
10. demonstrate beginning competency in pronunciation of French;
11. demonstrate practical applications of their French communicative skills in applied professional
and/or in service learning fields.
Measurable Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. compare and contrast the nuances of everyday life in the French-speaking world with those of the
English speaking in the United States;
2. communicate orally and in writing in a variety of meaningful real life activities moving toward the
intermediate level of proficiency on the national ACTFL scale (American Council on the Teaching
of Foreign Languages);
3. narrate and describe present and past real-life from several perspectives;
4. demonstrate proficiency in understanding and using, orally and in writing, the grammatical
structures presented and vocabulary assigned;
5. correctly spell "active" vocabulary items, write basic autobiographical information, and take
dictation based on assigned vocabulary;
6. demonstrate the ability to comprehend a conversation composed chiefly of the vocabulary and
grammar studied;
7. apply the sentence patterns and grammar structures presented in the course to create new
sentences in culturally appropriate ways both orally and in writing;
8. write a coherent and culturally appropriate paragraph of eighty words or more on a topic studied
and/or discussed in class;
9. make descriptions in French related to daily activities, feelings, food, and clothing orally and in
writing;
10. demonstrate functional competency in pronunciation of French.
Course Content:
Course Content (Lecture):
1. Introduction to the history and geography of French-speaking countries, cities, regions, and other
places of the world
2. Social and cultural information necessary to understand important differences between French and
American cultural practices and to be sensitive to cultural differences in social interactions
3. Introduction to basic elements of French pronunciation
4. Functional vocabulary and grammar to allow students to:
A. describe features and contents of homes and other residences
B. identify body parts and communicate about health conditions and medical treatments
C. communicate about food, beverages, dining, and table utensils
D. identify articles of clothing and accessories and communicate about shopping experiences
E. communicate about actions in progress, characteristics and conditions of people and things
F. use vocabulary related to weights and measures orally and in writing
G. make descriptions related to weights and measures, size, shape, and color orally and in
writing
5. Syntax and grammar that allows students to correctly use orally and in writing:
A. object, interrogative, demonstrative, and disjunctive pronouns in both formal and informal
social contexts
B. regular –er, -re, and –ir verbs and the irregular verbs pouvoir, vouloir, prendre, apprendre,
comprendre, mettre, promettre, permettre, boire, sortir, dormir, mentir, partir, sentir, servir,
devoir, voir, croire, recevoir, and spelling-change –er verbs all in the indicative present and
passé composé tenses with both avoir and être as auxiliaries in the latter
C. the affirmative and negative imperative verb constructions
D. partitive articles and expressions of quantity
E. interrogative adjectives
F. direct object pronouns
6. Introduction to the basic elements of French phonetics for functional pronunciation
Course Content (Laboratory):
1. Activate lecture content using interactive audio and audiovisual programs on iLrn Motifs (online
course content).
Motifs iLrn passkey which includes access to:
A. Motifs electronic Student Activities Manual (workbook + lab manual = homework)
B. Textbook assignments (part of homework)
C. Motifs eBook (online textbook)
D. Video Library (part of homework)
E. Enrichment- flashcards, web quizzes, games, glossary, Internet activities, Google Earth
coordinates, interactive learning games, Heinle iRadio, grammar & vocab tutorials, verb
conjugator
F. Diagnostic exams with personalized learning plans
2. DVDs, CD ROMS, target language websites, etc., featuring culturally authentic and contextual
guided speaking, reading, and writing activities such as cued repetition of native speech, dictations,
cued oral responses, listening comprehension, and interactive realia (culturally authentic texts).
3. Organized laboratory activities including conversation groups.
4. Fundamentals of French pronunciation:
A. the vowels /œ/ and /ø/
B. the vowels /y/ and /u/
C. nasal vowels
D. the unstable (mute) e
E. the vowels /i/, /u/, and /y/ followed by other vowels (semi-vowels)
F. the consonants /p/, /t/, and /k/
Methods of Presentation
1.
2.
3.
4.
Lecture/Discussion
Laboratory
Group Activities
Class and group discussions
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
1. Typical Assignments
A. Demonstrate oral understanding of street directions by tracing examples of such directions
on a map;
B. Write a paragraph reporting in the past in a variety of contexts that focuses on the narration
of a series of events such as a short report about a recent shopping trip;
C. Demonstrate "ordering" skills in a restaurant skit;
D. Laboratory assignment: After studying nasal vowels, make a recording of the poem
“Jonathan le Pélican” by Robert Desnos.
2. Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
A. Exams/Tests
B. Quizzes
C. Class Participation
D. Homework
E. Final Examination
F. Lab Activities
G. Oral Presentation
H. Papers
Textbook (Typical):
1. K. Jansman, and M. A. Kassen (2014). Motifs-An Introduction to French (6th/e). Heinle Cengage
Learning.
Special Student Materials