FRENCH 2310, INTERMEDIATE FRENCH I - CURRICULUM
I. INTRODUCTION
FRENCH 2311 is a three credit-hour course which meets three hours per week. It is
part of the four-semester 1411-1412, 2311-2312 sequence. The courses in this sequence
generally transfer to universities as foreign language credit. They develop listening
comprehension, speaking, reading and writing skills, as well as cultural awareness.
Vocabulary, language patterns and grammar are introduced and applied in the context
of practical communication. The class includes dialogues, readings, tapes, oral and
written exercises, role-playing, partner and group work. The class is conducted in
French. Unlike Beginning French, the Intermediate level does not include lab hours in
the course.
II. TEXTBOOK
Student Materials Required:
1. Bravo Muyskens, Harlow, Vialet & Brière.6th.edition.
Recommended:
4. Lab tape copies. Students may obtain these free of charge through the
library by providing new or used cassette tapes.
Bravo is used over three semesters, as follows:
1411 - Chapters 1-6
1412 - Chapters 7-12
2311 - Chapters 1-5
The instructor may chose readings at will. A minimum of six readings should be done
during the course. They may be interspersed with the work from or done as a block. A
chart at the front of the text classifies the readings by level of difficulty and verb tenses
used.
III. END-OF-SEMESTER PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES
These descriptions reflect what most students will be able to do by the end of the
course. They are based on the ACTFL guideline.
1. LISTENING COMPREHENSION (INTERMEDIATE -MID)
Comprehend longer recombinations of learned materials that refer primarily to
personal background, activities, the students' world. Understanding is less dependent
on visual reinforcement.
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2. SPEAKING (INTERMEDIATE-LOW)
Speak in a limited number of specific social situations. Ask and answer questions, make
simple statements, and maintain face-to-face conversations, but with many inaccuracies.
Strong interference from the native language may occur. Misunderstandings often
arise, but the speaker can generally be understood by native-speakers used to the
speaking of non-natives.
3. READING (INTERMEDIATE-MID)
Read and understand texts dealing with a variety of topics where the vocabulary has
been previously learned. May read authentic short passages of prose with rereading
and assistance. Misunderstandings occur frequently.
4. WRITING (INTERMEDIATE-MID)
Can write short paragraphs about personal interests, activities, and topics of social
interest based on personal observations. Can write in the present tense with some use
of other time frames. Writing tends to be fragmented. Writing is understandable to
native speakers used to the writing of non-natives.
5. CULTURAL AWARENESS
a. Expand general knowledge of some francophone countries.
b. Increase awareness of French social customs and expectations in regard to
the home, the workplace and public places such as restaurants.
c. Increase sensitivity to problems of intercultural communication.
d. Begin to develop awareness of French writers.
IV. GRAMMATICAL CONTENT
There should be reinforcement of the structures introduced in French 1411-1412 (see
curriculum guide for those courses). The key new grammatical features presented in
2311 are listed below.
1. VERBS
Future tense
Conditional present & past
Subjunctive or infinitive after expressions of doubt, uncertainty
le passé simple (for recognition only)
2. PRONOUNS
y/ en
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Relative pronouns
4. PLACE NAMES, prepositions with place names
V. LEXICAL AND SUBJECT CONTENT
Identifying places
Planning, taking a trip
Train travel, car travel
Ordering in a restaurant
Extending, accepting a dinner invitation
Making a phone call
VI. FUNCTIONS
Expressing how long something takes
Expressing agreement/ disagreement
Expressing doubt, certainty
Accepting/refusing
VII. COMMON CORE AND INSTRUCTOR INITIATIVE
Because of the nature of these foreign language skill courses and the common
textbooks, the course content is fixed. The several HCCS Departments of Foreign
Languages ascribe to proficiency-based teaching with emphasis on building
communication skills in the foreign language. Ultimately, foreign language competence
is determined by what the students can do with the language, not what they know
about it. From the beginning, we strive to give the students opportunities to practice
communicating, both orally and in writing. At the same time, this sequence helps
students develop increasing control of the language. To do this, students must
understand grammatical patterns and strive for accuracy in their use of the language.
Individual instructor freedom may be exercised to some degree in choosing the
methodology and techniques for presenting the material and developing the skills
called for. Instructors may also choose which exercises to assign and have the option of
using alternate handouts to supplement or replace limited portions of the textbook.
Instructors may also choose which reading selections to use from Part I of the reader.
VIII. COURSE GRADE
The recommended percentages for this course are:
30 %
20 %
20 %
10 %
10 %
10 %
2-3 major tests
final exam
compositions & other homework
oral work, oral presentations
quizzes
class work, including effort, taking into account
attendance & tardiness
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Note that 50 % of the grade is based on testing and 50 % on daily work. You may adjust
the percentages or change the categories slightly to fit your methodology, but you
should not deviate too far from the above.