FRENCH 100A – SPRING 2015
Department of European Studies
Schedule # 21439
COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Holly Ransom
Class Days: Mon-Thurs
Class Times: 11-11:50 MW/ 11-12:15 TTH
Class Location: EBA 258
Instructor email: holly.ransom@sdsu.edu
Office Hours Location: Storm Hall 230
Office Hours Times (and by appointment): listed on
Blackboard under “Faculty”
Course Overview: Goals and Objectives
French 100A is an introductory course with multiple goals:




You will begin to develop language proficiency skills in four areas:
o reading simple authentic materials such as ads, menus, cartoons
o writing in the form of brief notes, messages, letters and short compositions
o speaking about personal information and answering simple questions
o listening and understanding simple questions and announcements
You will be introduced to French culture and begin to be able to make comparisons between it and your own culture(s).
You will also be introduced to the diversity of French and Francophone nations, languages and cultures. You'll begin to be
able to identify major geographic regions where French is spoken and to recognize the varieties of the French language.
You will be able to discuss to some degree cultural differences between France and other Francophone nations as well as
aspects of contemporary France.
You will learn to explore Internet resources for French and Francophone language and cultures.
Enrollment Information
There are no prerequisites for this course. However, 2 years of HS French is the equivalent of 1 semester of college French (you
should take 100B, not A), and 3 years of HS French is the equivalent of 2 semesters (you should begin 200-level). 4 years (or
more) of HS French = 3 semesters of college-level and completes the language requirement. If you already have credit for a
college-level French course or if you are currently enrolled in another French course, you should not take French 100A. If you
already speak French, you may not take French 100A.
Important information:


Students who do not attend the first and second class sessions or do not meet the prerequisites MAY BE DROPPED.
To reenroll, you must receive an add code form the instructor and reenroll in the course before the add deadline.
Students with Disabilities - If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this
class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt
of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that
accommodations are not retroactive, and that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have
received an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Course Materials
1. Siskin, et al. Débuts, 3rd edition (incl. Workbook, Part I) : required
2. Collins-Robert, French-English/English-French Dictionary: optional
Course Structure and Conduct
Class will be conducted primarily in French. Our experience has shown that the more fully the learner is immersed in the new
language, the more quickly and effectively listening and speaking skills are acquired. While this approach may appear daunting
at the beginning, there are a few things you should keep in mind. You’re not expected to understand everything your instructor
says, certainly not at first! Language learning is a process. As long as you do not give up trying to understand as much as you
possibly can during class and while doing homework, you’ll find that you’re rapidly absorbing more and more as time
progresses. If you are willing to commit yourself to making this effort, you should soon find yourself understanding almost
everything your instructor says! You’ll be guided through a variety of communicative activities in class. Gradually, this process
will lead you from structured practice to free expression. You’ll be given frequent opportunity to practice your newly acquired
vocabulary and grammatical structures in small group and pair work, which simulate real-life situations in a relaxed
atmosphere.
Course Assessment and Grading
Chapter quizzes
(9)
Section Exams (3)
Final exam (comprehensive)
Oral participation in class, any EXTRA CREDIT activities
Centro Quia Online Workbook

Make-up exams/quizzes: ONLY given with university-authorized excuse, or medical receipt.
20%
30%
30%
10%
10%
All grades are based upon the standard SDSU 4.0 Grade Point System:
A = 4.0 (93-100)
B = 3.0 (83-86)
C = 2.0 (73-76)
D = 1.0 (63-66)
CR = (73-100)
A- = 3.7 (90-92)
B- = 2.7 (80-82)
C- = 1.7 (70-72)
D- = 0.7 (60-62)
NC = (0-72)
B+ = 3.3 (87-89)
C+ = 2.3 (77-79)
D+ = 1.3 (67-69)
F = 0.3 (0-59)
WU = unauthorized withdrawal
Quizzes’ 25-point scale may be converted as follows:
24-25 = A (4.0)
21 = B (3.0)
18
= C (2.0)
15 = D (1.0)
23
= A- (3.7)
20 = B- (2.7)
17
= C- (1.7)
14 = D- (0.7)
22
= B+ (3.3)
19 = C+ (2.3)
16
= D+ (1.3)
13 or lower = F (0.3)
Accommodations
The learning environment should be accessible to all. SDSU provides reasonable accommodations in the following situations:



Disability: If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your
responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your
accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that
accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided until you
have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is
appreciated.
Religion: By the end of the second week of classes, students should notify the instructors of affected courses of
planned absences for religious observances.
Official university activities (e.g., Athletics): Within the first two weeks of classes, a student who expects to be part of
an official university event or activity shall notify the instructors of affected courses. At that time, the student shall
request accommodation for any missed examinations or other assignments. If scheduling changes occur, the student
shall immediately notify the instructors.
Academic Honesty
The University adheres to a strict policy regarding cheating and plagiarism. These activities will not be tolerated in this class.
Become familiar with the policy (http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/conduct1.html). Any cheating or plagiarism will result in failing
this class and a disciplinary review by Student Affairs.
Examples of Plagiarism include but are not limited to:

Using sources verbatim or paraphrasing without giving proper attribution (this can include phrases, sentences,
paragraphs and/or pages of work)

Copying and pasting work from an online or offline source directly and calling it your own

Using information you find from an online or offline source without giving the author credit

Replacing words or phrases from another source and inserting your own words or phrases

Submitting a piece of work you did for one class to another class
If you have questions on what is plagiarism, please consult the policy (http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/conduct1.html) and this
helpful guide from the Library: (http://infodome.sdsu.edu/infolit/exploratorium/Standard_5/plagiarism.pdf)
Cheating and Plagiarism
Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses. You are plagiarizing or cheating if you:









for written work, copy down or cut anything from a book, article or website and add or paste it into your paper
without using quotation marks and providing the full reference for the quotation, including page number
for written work, summarize / paraphrase in your own words ideas you got from a book, article, or the web without
providing the full reference for the source, including page number
for an oral presentation, copy down or cut anything from a book, article, or website and present it orally as if it were
your own words. You must summarize and paraphrase in your own words, and bring a list of references in case the
professor asks to see it
use visuals or graphs you got from a book, article, or website without providing the full reference for the picture or
table
recycle a paper you wrote for another class
turn in the same (or a very similar paper) for two classes
purchase or otherwise obtain a paper and turn it in as your own work
copy off of a classmate
use technology or smuggle in documents to obtain or check information in an exam situation
In a research paper, it is always better to include too many references than not enough. When in doubt, always err on the side
of caution. If you have too many references it might make your professor smile; if you don’t have enough you might be
suspected of plagiarism.
In foreign language study, cheating also includes the following:




Doing your written homework and then having a third party correct it, or having someone else write your homework
for you and turning that in for credit
Doing assignments with another student and turning in the same or almost the same work. (Unless you are
specifically directed to work in pairs on in groups, college-level work is always expected to be solely your own.)
Using an automated translation engine to translate your homework
Using an available translation of a text on which to base your own translation and turning that in for credit.
What IS acceptable includes the following:



Asking your professor for help.
Brainstorming answers and/or ideas with another student; then, each student writes up the homework separately
and turns in his or her own work.
Doing your written homework and/or translation and then having a third party circle your mistakes; you then do the
corrections on your own and turn in your own work.
If you have any question or uncertainty about what is or is not cheating, it is your responsibility to ask your instructor.
TAKE THE TUTORIAL: Test your knowledge of what constitutes plagiarism through a tutorial offered by the SDSU Library. To
access the tutorial go to: http://library.sdsu.edu/guides/tutorial.php?id=28
Consequences of cheating and plagiarism
SDSU instructors are mandated to report all instances of cheating and plagiarism to the Center for Student Rights and
Responsibility. Consequences are at the instructor’s and the Center for Student Rights and Responsibility’s discretion. They may
include any of the following:






failing the assignment
failing the class
warning
probation
suspension
expulsion
For more detailed information, read the chapter on plagiarism in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th edition,
2003), visit the following website http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml and talk to your professors before
turning in your paper or doing your oral presentation.
The University of Indiana also has very helpful writing hints for students, including some on how to cite sources. Please visit
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets.shtml for more information.
Course Schedule
Date
Activity
Wed 21 January
Introduction/Ch. Préliminaire
Thurs 22
Chapitre préliminaire
Monday 26
Chapitre préliminaire
Tuesday 27
Chapitre préliminaire
Wed 28
Ch. 1
Thurs 29
Ch. 1
Mon 2 February
Ch. 1
Tues 3
Ch. 1
Wed 4
Ch. 2
Thurs 5
Ch. 2
Mon 9
Ch. 2
Tues 10
Ch. 2
Wed 11
Ch. 2
Thurs 12
Révision
Mon 16
Ch. 3
Tues 17
Ch. 3
Wed 18
Ch. 3
Thurs 19
Ch. 3
Mon 23
Ch. 4
Tues 24
Ch. 4
Wed 25
Ch. 4
Thurs 26
Ch. 4
Mon 2 March
Ch. 4
Tues 3
Ch. 5
Wed 4
Ch. 5
Thurs 5
Ch. 5
Mon 9
Ch. 5
Tues 10
Révision
Wed 11
Ch. 6
Thurs 12
Ch. 6
Assignment
Quiz P
Quiz 1
Examen 1 (1 hr.)
Quiz 3
Quiz 4
Examen 2 (1 hr.)
Date
Activity
Mon 16
Ch. 6
Tues 17
Ch. 6
Wed 18
Ch. 7
Thurs 19
Ch. 7
Mon 23
Ch. 7
Tues 24
Ch. 7
Wed 25
Ch. 7
Thurs 26
Ch. 7
Mar 30-Apr 3
Assignment
Quiz 6
Quiz 7
SPRING BREAK
Mon 6
Ch. 8
Tues 7
Ch. 8
Wed 8
Ch. 8
Thurs 9
Ch. 8
Mon 13
Révision
Tues 14
Ch. 9
Wed 15
Ch. 9
Thurs 16
Ch. 9
Mon 20
Ch. 9
Tues 21
Ch. 10
Wed 22
Ch. 10
Thurs 23
Ch. 10
Mon 27
Ch. 10
Tues 28
Ch. 11
Wed 29
Ch. 11
Thurs 30
Ch. 11
Mon 4 May
Ch. 11
Tues 5
Ch. 11
Wed 6
Révision
Thurs 7
Révision
SAT 9 MAY
8AM-10AM FINAL EXAM – location TBA
Examen 3
Quiz 9
Quiz 10
Quiz 11