International Baccalaureate French
Mme Fisher
room 1116
Email: fisherj@issaquah.wednet.edu
office 1410A
phone 425 837 7912
Website: mmefisher.wordpress.com
IB French
This IB course is designed for students who love French and who wish to continue studying it at a
very advanced level. This is one course and the individual parts cannot be taken separately. All
students are required to complete all assignments even if s/he may not wish to be an IB diploma
candidate. This year students will continue to learn new and review previously studied grammar.
They will also continue to develop their listening, speaking, writing, and reading comprehension
skills. The main focus will be on writing and speaking using more complex and sophisticated
language than they may have in previous years.
Please visit the following websites for more information:
www.ibo.org/
Course Grade Overview:
 Quizzes & Tests: 30%
 Assessments (IB test practices, IB presentations, IB compositions, debates, projects):
50%
 Daily Work / Homework: 20%
Required materials:
- 3 ring binder with dividers and loose leaf paper : used for grammar notes (classeur de
notes) and used for our novels
- One or two novels bought from Skyline bookkeeper: To be determined
Classeur de notes. To be successful in French class, you should take notes on everything we
do. Date all handouts and keep them in a three ring binder (not a notebook) and keep everything
organized. You must have a separate binder or section of a binder dedicated to French. How
you organize your binder is up to you, but I will periodically check to ensure you have a good
organizational system in place.
The following describes how you will be graded in each category
Quizzes & Tests. The texts Réseau and Une fois pour Toutes will be used this year in IB for
vocabulary, culture, grammar reinforcement, and homework assignments.
Grammar: Use it or lose it! The more you see it, the harder you work to understand the
grammar and vocabulary, the better you will understand it. And ultimately, your IB in-class
writes and oral production assignments will improve.
Incorporate new grammar and vocabulary into your everyday speaking and writing activities. We
will not be spending lengthy class periods reviewing homework assignments. If you’ve made a
strong effort and are still struggling with some material, you need to seek help before the day the
workbook assignments are due. Late assignments are not accepted in IB. There will be
periodic vocabulary, grammar, verb, and reading quizzes throughout the year.
Assessments
Sound file recordings. Throughout the year you will record yourself speaking into a voice
recorder for three to four minutes. You will complete this assignment individually during class.
Each recording will be evaluated using the IB rubric.
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International Baccalaureate French
Mme Fisher
room 1116
Email: fisherj@issaquah.wednet.edu
office 1410A
phone 425 837 7912
Website: mmefisher.wordpress.com
IB test practice activities. You will be given ample time to prepare. These will be done in the
presence of the rest of the class. You will do at least one of each activity where you will be
evaluated using the IB rubric: one debate, one group discussion on a pre-determined reading, one
interview, and one independent speech followed by audience questions.
IB In-class writes/Compositions. You will do several in-class writes this year. You will be
given a topic on which to write an essay of around 100-150 words double-spaced. Each in-class
write will be evaluated by the IB rubrics. [In preparation, we will define common criteria for
various types of texts, practice writing a general outline in only a few minutes, and read and
evaluate essays written by former IB students.]
Conversation/Debates in class
You will occasionally participate in discussions on francophone current events or, on
readings/videos I will have given you in advance. The frequency and complexity of your
questions and responses during these discussions will greatly improve your discussion grade.
HINT!!! Students in the past have noticed that in order to maintain a high oral participation
grade, it is imperative to: *stay in French at all times, *ask and answer questions thoughtfully,
*be an active participant and listener, *use and deliberately incorporate new vocabulary and
grammar concepts during discussions.
English is almost never allowed in the classroom. I will use some English during the first few
days of class to ensure that your responsibilities are clear. Thereafter, a handful of grammar
lessons will be explained in English. Other than that, KEEP IT IN FRENCH. As soon as you
enter the classroom, you should be speaking French. You will automatically lose discussion
points if you are overheard using English.
DailyWork/Homework
La lecture. We will read many novel excerpts, newspaper and magazine articles, short stories,
advertisements, on-line news articles, poems, history chapters, etc. from a variety of writers and
sources.
Vocabulary. You will be given a list with each grammar chapter (from the text Réseau or other
sources) to study for general vocabulary quizzes every 1-2 weeks.
Verbs. You will be given verb quizzes periodically throughout the year to make sure you are
keeping up with your verb conjugations and that you are reviewing your tenses.
Grammar. Most grammar lessons will not be taught in class. As most of the grammar studied
will be review, you are responsible for keeping up with your homework exercises and for
bringing in any questions you may have BEFORE the grammar quiz.
Some general things to keep in mind…
Note cards/Power points/Posters. During oral presentations you will almost always be
permitted to use a note card which meets specific criteria. You’ll be allowed to use either 5 or 10
reference points on the note cards or power point or poster during your speech. They should not
contain whole sentences or anything that you could read off. They are to be used as guides to
keep your thoughts organized, like an outline or a bulleted list. I’ll check them before you begin
any oral presentation. The idea here is that you’ll have practiced your speech so thoroughly that
you will require only a few points on a note card to keep yourself on track.
A. Seek to improve your French as much as possible. Look for opportunities to practice
speaking; especially outside of school. Remember to incorporate new grammar and
vocabulary as much as possible in everything that you do.
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International Baccalaureate French
Mme Fisher
room 1116
Email: fisherj@issaquah.wednet.edu
office 1410A
phone 425 837 7912
Website: mmefisher.wordpress.com
B. Budget your time. Plan to spend one hour per night on average on this class. Some
nights you may only have to complete a short reading. Other nights you will need to
invest more time. In order to avoid rushing to finish your grammar assignments, or
novel readings and questions, dedicate a little bit of time every evening to French
class.
C. This is an upper-level, elective course. Failure to complete assignments satisfactorily
or to participate is not acceptable. In the event that you are unable or unwilling to
meet the expectations of this course, it will be suggested that you drop the class at the
end of the first semester.
D. The IB standards are very rigorous and take some getting used to. Earning an ‘A’ in
an IB class is a considerable challenge and requires hard work, dedication to
improve, and a high level of performance on essays, projects, presentations, and
speeches.
Excused and unexcused absences
No credit will be earned for unexcused absences. If you have an excused absence, you have 5
school days from the date of your absence, to earn credit on any missed work. You will need to
alert Madame by email of your absence as soon as possible. Verbal confirmation of your
absence is great but not enough.
Please be aware that schoolwork takes priority over extracurricular activities. Ultimately, it is
your responsibility to make sure that you have successfully made up all tests, quizzes, and
homework assignments within the allotted 5 day time frame. For example: If you forget to come
in on the day you had planned to do your make-up, you still only have 5 days from the absence
date to make up your missed work!
Grades
Anyone who has a concern about a grade on a particular assignment or exam must consult Mme
Fisher in person and/or by email regarding the matter within 7 calendar days from the date that
the assignment was entered on Skyward. Mme Fisher will respond to you by email about your
inquiry as soon as possible. Please note: “I forgot to check Skyward” is not a valid excuse.
**I do not round grades and there is no extra credit**
Please print, sign and date the last page and return them both to Mme Fisher by the due
date (September 8th).
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International Baccalaureate French
Mme Fisher
room 1116
Email: fisherj@issaquah.wednet.edu
office 1410A
phone 425 837 7912
Website: mmefisher.wordpress.com
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International Baccalaureate French
Mme Fisher
room 1116
Email: fisherj@issaquah.wednet.edu
office 1410A
phone 425 837 7912
Website: mmefisher.wordpress.com
Student Name____________________________________________ Period_________
(Please print)
Student email (most often used) ______________________________________________
Academic Integrity: Students are not allowed to use automated translation engines from the
internet or any other electronic devices for any assignment. Nor can they ask a tutor to edit their
compositions. Should a student be suspected to have received outside help, he/she will be given a
zero on the assignment. All other school policies relating to attendance, tardies, conduct and
cheating are also enforced in this class.
Regarding cell phones and other electronic devices:
Please turn OFF, not to vibrate, but turn OFF all cell phones, laptops, and all other electronic
devices when you come to class. Using the “vibrate” function on your cell phone is still
distracting to other students.
Responsibility Contract:
I have read, agree to, and understand the above description, the world language department
policies, and my responsibilities for French. I will adhere to these policies, responsibilities and
rules and will refer to the syllabus in case of confusion in the future.
Student Signature
Date
Parent/Guardian Signature
Date
Parents and guardians,
Any additional information I should know about your child:
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