FRENCH 1111 (formerly FREN 2211) (Beginner’s French II—U of C 211)
Winter 2008
COURSE OUTLINE
Instructor:
Myrna Andres
Office:
EA 3183
Phone:
440-8912
Email:
mandres@mtroyal.ca
Office Hours: Mondays
Tuesdays
Department Phone:
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
12 – 2 p.m.
440-6528
Fax:
440-6665
(or by appointment)
FREN 1111 (formerly FREN 2211) is a continuation of FREN 1109 (formerly 2209). It assumes a good
knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary presented in that course. It is considered by the U of C to be the
equivalent of French 30, but cannot be counted as both French 30 and U of C French 211. If you have credit for
French 30, 31 a/b/c, or their equivalents, you will not receive College credit for this course unless it was taken
more than 6 years ago. Similarly, if you have passed FLA 10, 20 or 30, you should register in a higher level
course. Please note also that you will need to take one more course, FREN 1113 (formerly FREN 2213), before
you can enroll in first-year university FREN 1115 (formerly FREN 2215).
MATERIALS:
Vis-à-vis, Amon et al., 4th ed. (Textbook and Workbook/Laboratory Manual)
A 90-minute cassette to record listening and pronunciation exercises
A binder to organize your notes and handouts effectively
OBJECTIVES:
Successful completion of this course will move you a little further along the path to speaking and writing French
well. Like FREN 1109 (formerly FREN 2209), it aims at a balance in acquiring the four skills of language
learning: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Chapters 6 – 10 will be covered.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
In this course, the College-wide Learning Outcome which will be stressed is Communication.
Some of the skills you will be expected to demonstrate are:
Skill
Assessment
1. writing with good spelling and grammatical accuracy (in the present and past tenses)
Assignments,
information about food and restaurants, sports and leisure activities, travel, technology
quizzes, tests, exams
2. replying orally to questions and speaking with reasonable confidence and accuracy in
Assignments, oral
situations using structures and vocabulary from (1) above
exam
3. understanding spoken classroom French, and getting the main ideas of and retrieving
specific information from recorded material *
4. understanding the main ideas of and retrieving specific information from written
passages in unabridged French *
5. reading and pronouncing with confidence and accuracy a passage in French *
* based on themes from (1) above
Assignments,
listening
comprehension exam
Assignments, final
exam
Oral exam
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COURSE CONTENT:
Following is an overview of course content. If you believe the level of material is inappropriate for you, please see
me by the end of Drop/Add, and I’ll be happy to try to place you at another level.
Chapter Vocabulary
6
Meals, food and drink, time
7
Restaurant, food stores,
numbers above 60
8
Place names, leisure activities,
travel
9
Transportation, directions
Grammar
préférer, prendre, boire, partitive articles, imperative
Quel/le/s, ce/cet/cette/ces, vouloir, pouvoir, devoir, passé composé
(with auxiliary avoir)
acheter, -ir verbs (2nd group), passé composé (with auxiliary être), il
faut, prepositions with geographical names
conduire, pendant vs. depuis, negative expressions
10
l’imparfait, direct object pronouns, lire, dire, écrire, voir, croire
New technologies, media and
communication
MARK DISTRIBUTION:
Assignments (Paquets)
Chapter tests
Quizzes
Listening comprehension exam
Final oral exam
Final written exam
25%
30%
5%
5%
10%
25%
(5 @ 5%)
(4 @ 7.5%)
(5@ 1% + 1 bonus quiz)
CONVERSION TABLE:
A+
A
AB+
B
B-
95 – 100
90 – 94
85 – 89
80 – 84
75 – 79
70 – 74
C+
C
CD+
D
F
67 – 69
64 – 66
60 – 63
55 – 59
50 – 54
less than 50
HOMEWORK: Daily homework will include:
1. checking the Blackboard site for announcements, instructions and due dates
2. doing, marking and correcting oral and written activities from the Workbook/Laboratory Manual. (The
answer key is at the back of the manual.)
3. reviewing notes and text work from each day’s class and pre-reading certain sections of the text
4. starting the paquets as the concepts are covered
TESTS:
There will be 4 chapter tests - Chapters 6, 7, 8 and 9/10.
Unless acceptable alternative arrangements are made ahead of time, a missed test will result in zero.
A copy of the test will be given to you for your information. A makeup test will be considered only if I am
contacted before the exam and satisfactory arrangements can be made.
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QUIZZES:
There will be a short quiz on one grammatical concept from each chapter. Experience has shown that when this
concept is isolated and quizzed before the exam, students who prepare for the quiz remember the concept better, do
better on that section of the exam, and have a fairly easy way of improving their average in the course. Instead of
arranging make-ups for missed quizzes, I will offer one bonus quiz at the end of the course. The mark on this bonus
quiz will replace a low quiz score or missed quiz.
ASSIGNMENTS (PAQUETS):
The assignment for most chapters will be a paquet (handout package) of activities. Each will have four
components: writing, listening, reading and speaking. Each component will be weighted more or less equally. The
speaking component will generally be done with one of the French monitors or with a partner in class. If the
speaking component is done in class, all students present that day and who speak only French while doing the
activity will receive full credit for that component. The listening component may sometimes be done in quiz format
during class. There will be no possibility of make-ups on the speaking or listening components. Each paquet will
be weighted equally.
Unless satisfactory alternative arrangements are made in advance, the assignments (paquets) will be accepted only
on the day they are due. A one-day late extension may be requested once in the course, but the assignment
will be subject to a 10% late penalty. If you don’t find me in my office, please give your assignment to another
instructor in my office or to Linda, our secretary, in EA3157, making sure to have it date/time stamped.
* On January 14, you will need to provide me with a blank 90 minute cassette labeled as follows and with your
name. No cases, please.
SIDE A : VOCABULARY PRONUNCIATION (A pronunciation model for the chapter vocabulary,
which is intended to help you practice your pronunciation outside of class, so that you will have more
success on the oral exams. This will be used while consulting specified pages in your textbook.)
SIDE B: PAQUET LISTENING ACTIVITIES (The listening activities you will need to complete the
paquets for certain chapters.)
You will need this cassette for the entire course, so keep it handy.
Unless otherwise specified, all homework and assignments are considered individual projects. Copied/shared
work or work done for you by more advanced speakers is very easy to spot. “We worked on it together.” or
“He/She helped me.” will not be accepted as excuses. Asking the monitors or your French-speaking friends how to
say a few words or to point out the errors in your work and explain the principles behind the corrections is fine.
Asking them to translate long phrases or entire sentences, or to make all the corrections for you is not. Copying
answers or using the words of others is a form of academic dishonesty, which will result in a grade of 0 on the work
involved. Incidents of any type of cheating must be reported to the Office of Student Conduct, which keeps the
report in your academic record. To avoid problems, students are expected to familiarize themselves with the Code
of Student Conduct, especially as it relates to academic dishonesty. http://www.mtroyal.ab.ca/codeofstudentconduct
EXAMS (LISTENING, ORAL, AND WRITTEN):
There will be a cumulative listening comprehension exam (5%) during the third last week of classes. It will
focus on aspects of pronunciation I have stressed in class, as well as on listening for key points and details in
recorded dialogues. Your listening comprehension will develop steadily and naturally throughout the course if you
attend and participate regularly in class, practice vocabulary with your pronunciation cassette, do the listening
portions of the paquets and the on-line Audio Program that accompanies your workbook
Your final oral exam (10%) will consist of a 10 minute individual appointment in my office during exam week.
You will be evaluated on how accurately you can read a list of words and a paragraph which you will have had
ample opportunity to practice ahead of time. You will then participate in a brief conversation about two topics
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(also given to you for advance preparation). You will be responding to my questions about the topics, using the
vocabulary and grammatical structures you have learned in the course.
The final written exam will be held during exam week. You are expected to arrange your personal schedule so
that you can attend this exam. A deferred exam will be given only for the reasons stated in the Calendar and if the
Department is notified in advance.
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE:
Please show consideration to others by not causing unnecessary distractions in class (e.g. cell phones, chitchat,
eating, arriving late, leaving class during the lesson or partner work, finishing homework, working on other courses,
or coming unprepared without your book and handouts.) Food and drink are not allowed in the language labs.
ATTENDANCE:
Regular attendance in any language class is essential. You are responsible for finding out what went on if you do
miss a class and for obtaining missed handouts before class starts, by printing them from the Blackboard site.
LAB HOUR:
The lab hour for this course will be independently scheduled by each student to take best advantage of the
following resources in developing oral competency:
WORKBOOK/LAB MANUAL EXERCISES (CAHIER)
Your workbook includes a wide variety of listening and writing activities. Unfortunately, time does not allow us to
do these very useful exercises in class, but there is an answer key at the back of the workbook to allow you to check
your own work. I strongly urge you to do the workbook activities on your own as part of your independently
scheduled lab hour, as they will really boost your ability to apply your French. They will help increase your
confidence and ability in understanding spoken French, and are good preparation for the oral and listening exams.
The listening/speaking exercises in your workbook are freely available online at
www.mhhe.com/visavis4 for the new edition (blue and white) workbook
www.mhhe.com/visavis3, if you are using the old edition (mauve and white) workbook
Simply log on to the website, choose Student Edition, select the Chapter you are working on, and then choose
Audio Program. Choose the exercise with the same title as the audio exercise in your workbook. (A headphone
icon in the margin indicates which workbook exercises are audio.)
MONITORS (EA 3143/EA 2030)
French-speaking monitors are available in the French Centre (EA3143) and/or the drop-in lab (EA2030) to assist
you with pronunciation, conversation, tutoring and editing. Their schedule will be posted on the door of EA3143.
Please note that different colored squares in their timetable indicate which room they are in. Part of your mark on
certain assignments (paquets) will be based on the work you do with the monitors.
DROP-IN LAB (EA2030)
If you don’t have a computer or cassette player at home, you may use the drop-in language lab for review work,
assignment preparation requiring a French keyboard, and Internet access.
SUPPLEMENTARY ON-LINE PRACTICE ACTIVITIES
Go to the websites noted above for:
- Online vocabulary and grammar review Quizzes for each chapter (free to all students)
- Online ActivityPak with supplementary videoclips, games and review activities for each chapter
- Access is free to purchasers of the new 4th edition by means of an access code provided in the textbook.
- Users of the 3rd edition may purchase access from the website for $18.75US (payable by credit card).
- If we can get the publisher’s permission, we may be able to install a CD-ROM with the 3rd edition version of the
ActivityPak on the computers in the drop-in lab. If so, 3rd edition users could access vocabulary, listening, reading
and speaking activities to reinforce each chapter by clicking on the Vis-à-vis icon in the French folder. There are
also verb charts and links to the web-based activities suggested in your text and workbook.
You are strongly encouraged to take advantage of these supplementary practice opportunities.
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INDEPENDENT ORAL WORK:
Due to limited classroom hours with lots to cover, it is necessary to seek more oral practice than what you get in
class. You may receive up to three bonus percentage points in the course, one for each of the following that you
complete. These will be accepted anytime up to and including the last class.
1. Attempt a sustained conversation for at least 15 minutes in French. If and when you decide to do this, I
have prepared a little form to give to your interlocutor to sign. This person must be a francophone (neighbor, coworker, relative, or friend), or a French professor, teacher or monitor. MRC students are welcome to use the
French Centre at the University. There are also questions on the back for you to answer about your experience.
2. Watch a French or Québécois movie—subtitled, not dubbed! The French track of a Hollywood DVD
doesn’t count because it lacks the cultural information you would get in a francophone production. On the back of
this sheet you will find a list of suggestions. The French Centre has a DVD lending library (3 day limit).
Casablanca Video in Marda Loop has foreign films. In order to receive the 1%, you must write up a little summary
(100-125 words) in French, which should be organized as follows:
Why did you choose this film?
When, where, and for how long did you watch it?
What was it about? (3 or 4 sentences)
Did you find it interesting? Why or why not?
How much did you rely on the subtitles ?
Explain 3 words or expressions that you already knew.
Explain 3 words or expressions that you learned.
J’ai choisi ce film parce que . . .
Je l’ai regardé le (jour / mois) chez moi /
chez mon ami pendant . . . heures..
Il s’agissait d’un / une . . . qui . . .
Je l’ai trouvé intéressant / ennuyeux parce que . . .
J’ai dû tout le temps / souvent / quelquefois regarder
les sous-titres.
Trois mots ou expressions que je savais déjà sont . . .
Trois mots ou expressions que j’ai appris sont . . .
3. Watch a French/Québécois TV program on-line (www.radio-canada.ca, www.france2.fr, www.tv5.org) for a
minimum of 30 minutes. The news is often the easiest to understand, but you may choose whatever you like as
long as you are able to follow it satisfactorily. If you choose something too advanced, abandon it and try a
different program. Feel free to pause, replay, etc.
In order to receive the 1%, you must write up a little summary (100- 125 words) in French which should be
organized as follows:
Why did you choose this program?
When, where, and for how long did you watch it?
What was it about? (3 or 4 sentences)
Did you find it interesting? Why or why not?
Explain 3 words or expressions that you already knew.
Explain 3 words or expressions that you learned.
J’ai choisi cette émission parce que . . .
Je l’ai regardée le (jour / mois) chez moi /
chez mon ami pendant . . . minutes.
Il s’agissait d’un /d’ une . . .qui . . .
Je l’ai trouvée intéressante / ennuyeuse parce que . . .
Trois mots ou expressions que je savais déjà sont . . .
Trois mots ou expressions que j’ai appris sont . . .
J’EXPLORE: More information about the federal government bursary program for a non-credit immersion
experience in a French-speaking region of Canada during the spring or summer session is available at
www.jexplore.ca. Applications (which can be printed from the website) are usually due by the end of February
each year.
LEARNING SKILLS CENTRE (T123): If you need help with learning strategies in this or any other course, the
Learning Skills Centre may be able to help. Call 440-6452 for an appointment.