French 2 Syllabus
2011-2012
Theresa C. Monye
Textbook: Bien dit II
As a foreign language instructor I recognize the importance of second language
acquisition in a changing world. I am also aware of the positive impact that language
study has on the total academic achievement of students. Too often, a student spends two
or more years studying a second language without ever being able to actually say
anything. With this in mind, I have worked to acquire a technique that has been proven
very effective in helping the learner to speak as well as to read and write in a second
language. The method, known as Total Physical Response Storytelling, requires a great
deal of output by the teacher and an equal amount of input by the student. It is not a
method that relies heavily on textbooks and grammar, although grammar is taught as
needed. I use the system extensively in the beginning of the course and move
increasingly to grammar and reading in the more advanced classes.
In intermediate French, the student will learn vocabulary of commands, greetings,
numbers, family, shopping, school activities and travel. This is a reinforcement of what
students studied in beginners French. What we do in increase vocabulary to what they
had acquired previously, like adding the past tenses, future tense, conditional tenses. We
will spend a lot of time learning to ask and answer questions. The vocabulary will be
learned through gesture and repetition, and will require the absolute attention and
participation of the student during class. We will also reinforce the vocabulary through
songs, drama, drawing, the internet, movies and games. The internet is an excellent
source of listening and grammar activities and we encourage our students to take
advantage of this source at home.
The intermediate French classes will also study the culture of the francophone world,
beginning with an internet project on French-speaking countries. The study of culture
will include a look at high schools, the family and teen activities as well as some history
and geography of francophone nations.
Each class session will include a twenty or thirty minute study of a new vocabulary. We
will emphasize on repetition and gesture and then we will reinforce the session with a
personalized question and answer activity. After the class has acquired an adequate
amount of vocabulary, the student will be given free writing assignments during each
class period. I will assess the progress of each student through unannounced vocabulary
quizzes, responses given during question and answer sessions, reactions to commands,
and observation of active listening and class participation. I will assign projects two or
three times a semester. These will generally involve the use of the internet and will allow
a reasonable amount of class time to work on them.
Each student will need a composition book or a notebook and a binder for class work
and writing assignments. I also recommend the purchase of a pocket dictionary.
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Your book pages from “Bien dit!” give you access to all of the following:
Interactive pages from your textbook with activities that can be done online
Audio files, so you can hear all vocabulary words and expressions
Self-grading activities that give you immediate feedback
Grammar Tutor activities include alternate grammar presentations, a comparison to
English grammar, and additional practice activities
More Practice activities for additional interactive practice on the vocabulary, grammar,
and culture topics in each chapter
Photo Tour, a slide show of 5 to 10 additional cultural photos for each chapter
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Grading system
:50%: Participation/ Class work/ Homework
30%: Test/Quiz
20%: Exam/Project
The greatest weight is given to daily work and class participation. It is absolutely
essential that the student be present and prepared in order to be successful in this class.
Quizzes will be given as frequently as needed and homework must be complete or it will
not be accepted. All that is handed in late will receive a reduced grade (see the power of
“I”). All work missed due to an excused absence must be made up within one week after
the due date.
Below are the guidelines the American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages
(ACTFL) Standards and Guidelines that all foreign language teachers must use to
evaluate students in the nation.
ACTFL guidelines: Listening—Intermediate (French 2)
Intermediate-Low (C Grade)
Able to understand sentence-length utterances which consist of recombinations of
learned elements in a limited number of content areas, particularly if strongly
supported by the situational context. Content refers to basic personal background
and needs, social conventions and routine tasks, such as getting meals and
receiving simple instructions and directions. Listening tasks pertain primarily to
spontaneous face-to-face conversations. Understanding is often uneven; repetition
and rewording may be necessary. Misunderstandings in both main ideas and details
arise frequently.
Intermediate-Mid (B Grade)
Able to understand sentence-length utterances which consist of recombinations of
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learned utterances on a variety of topics. Content continues to refer primarily to
basic personal background and needs, social conventions and somewhat more
complex tasks, such as lodging, transportation, and shopping. Additional content
areas include some personal interests and activities, and a greater diversity of
instructions and directions. Listening tasks not only pertain to spontaneous face-toface conversations but also to short routine telephone conversations and some
deliberate speech, such as simple announcements and reports over the media.
Understanding continues to be uneven.
Intermediate-High (A Grade)
Able to sustain understanding over longer stretches of connected discourse on a
number of topics pertaining to different times and places; however, understanding
is inconsistent due to failure to grasp main ideas and/or details. Thus, while topics
do not differ significantly from those of an Advanced level listener, comprehension
is less in quantity and poorer in quality.
ACTFL guidelines: Speaking—Intermediate (French 2)
General Description
The Intermediate level is characterized by the speaker's ability to:
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create with the language by combining and recombining learned elements,
though primarily in a reactive mode
initiate, minimally sustain, and close in a simple way basic communicative
tasks
ask and answer questions.
Intermediate-Low (C Grade)
Able to handle successfully a limited number of interactive, task-oriented, and
social situations. Can ask and answer questions, initiate and respond to simple
statements, and maintain face-to-face conversation, although in a highly restricted
manner and with much linguistic inaccuracy. Within these limitations, can perform
such tasks as introducing self, ordering a meal, asking directions, and making
purchases. Vocabulary is adequate to express only the most elementary needs.
Strong interference from native language may occur. Misunderstandings frequently
arise, but with repetition, the Intermediate-Low speaker can generally be
understood by sympathetic interlocutors.
Intermediate-Mid (B Grade)
Able to handle successfully a variety of uncomplicated, basic, and communicative
tasks and social situations. Can talk simply about self and family members. Can
ask and answer questions and participate in simple conversations on topics beyond
the most immediate needs; e.g., personal history and leisure time activities.
Utterance length increases slightly, but speech may continue to be characterized by
frequent long pauses, since the smooth incorporation of even basic conversational
strategies is often hindered as the speaker struggles to create appropriate language
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forms. Pronunciation may continue to be strongly influenced by first language and
fluency may still be strained. Although misunderstandings still arise, the
Intermediate-Mid speaker can generally be understood by sympathetic
interlocutors.
Intermediate-High (A Grade)
Able to handle successfully most uncomplicated communicative tasks and social
situations. Can initiate, sustain, and close a general conversation with a number of
strategies appropriate to a range of circumstances and topics, but errors are evident.
Limited vocabulary still necessitates hesitation and may bring about slightly
unexpected circumlocution. There is emerging evidence of connected discourse,
particularly for simple narration and/or description. The Intermediate-High speaker
can generally be understood even by interlocutors not accustomed to dealing with
speakers at this level, but repetition may still be required.
ACTFL guidelines: Reading—Intermediate (French 2)
Intermediate-Low (C Grade)
Able to understand main ideas and/or some facts from the simplest connected texts
dealing with basic personal and social needs. Such texts are linguistically
noncomplex and have a clear underlying internal structure, for example,
chronological sequencing. They impart basic information about which the reader
has to make only minimal suppositions or to which the reader brings personal
interest and/or knowledge. Examples include messages with social purposes and
information for the widest possible audience, such as public announcements and
short, straightforward instructions dealing with public life. Some
misunderstandings will occur.
Intermediate-Mid (B Grade)
Able to read consistently with increased understanding simple, connected texts
dealing with a variety of basic and social needs. Such texts are still linguistically
noncomplex and have a clear underlying internal structure. They impart basic
information about which the reader has to make minimal suppositions and to which
the reader brings personal interest and/or knowledge. Examples may include short,
straightforward descriptions of persons, places, and things written for a wide
audience.
Intermediate-High (A Grade)
Able to read consistently with full understanding simple connected texts dealing
with basic personal and social needs about which the reader has personal interest
and/or knowledge. Can get some main ideas and information from texts at the next
higher level featuring description and narration. Structural complexity may
interfere with comprehension; for example, basic grammatical relations may be
misinterpreted and temporal references may rely primarily on lexical items. Has
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some difficulty with the cohesive factors in discourse, such as matching pronouns
with referents. While texts do not differ significantly from those at the Advanced
level, comprehension is less consistent. May have to read material several times for
understanding.
ACTFL guidelines: Writing—Intermediate (French 2)
Intermediate-Low (C Grade)
Able to meet limited practical writing needs. Can write short messages, postcards,
and take down simple notes, such as telephone messages. Can create statements or
questions within the scope of limited language experience. Material produced
consists of recombinations of learned vocabulary and structures into simple
sentences on very familiar topics.
Intermediate-Mid (B Grade)
Able to meet a number of practical writing needs. Can write short, simple letters. Content
involves personal preferences, daily routine, everyday events, and other topics grounded
in personal experience. Can express present time and at least one other time frame or
aspect consistently, e.g., nonpast, habitual, imperfective. Evidence of control of the syntax
of non-complex sentences and basic inflectional morphology, such as declensions and
conjugation. Writing tends to be a loose collection of sentences or sentence fragments on
a given topic and provides little evidence of conscious organization. Can be understood
by natives used to the writing of non-natives.
Intermediate-High (A Grade)
Able to meet most practical writing needs and limited social demands. Can take
notes in some detail on familiar topics and respond in writing to personal
questions. Can write simple letters, brief synopses and paraphrases, summaries of
biographical data, work and school experience. In those languages relying
primarily on content words and time expressions to express time, tense, or aspect,
some precision is displayed; where tense and/or aspect is expressed through verbal
inflection, forms are produced rather consistently, but not always accurately. An
ability to describe and narrate in paragraphs is emerging. Rarely uses basic
cohesive elements such as pronominal substitutions or synonyms in written
discourse. Writing, though faulty, is generally comprehensible to natives used to
the writing of non-natives.
Incompletes: Any assignment which is judged to be of less than “C” quality will be
deemed “incomplete” and must be resubmitted for reevaluation. Incomplete assignments
will be given a grade of “I” until completed. Before the assignment can be resubmitted
and the “I” removed, the student must attend tutorial to receive additional instruction on
the topic. An assignment may be resubmitted multiple times, but each time an
assignment is resubmitted, the highest grade attainable decreases by one letter grade.
When an assignment is judged to be “complete” a grade of no lower than 70% can be
earned. This policy does not extend to exams. A student’s grade cannot be computed
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if they have not completed all assignments. All “I” grades must be cleared before
any grade can be assigned for the course. See the school-wide Policy for
“Incomplete” Grading for further details.
Incompletes (The Power of “I” )
Any assignment which is judged to be of less than “C” quality will be deemed
“incomplete” and must be resubmitted for reevaluation. Incomplete assignments will be
given a grade of “I” until completed. Before the assignment can be resubmitted and the
“I” removed, the student must attend tutorial to receive additional instruction on the
topic. An assignment may be resubmitted multiple times, but each time an assignment is
resubmitted, the highest grade attainable decreases by one letter grade. When an
assignment is judged to be “complete” a grade of no lower than 70% can be earned. This
policy does not extend to exams. A student’s grade cannot be computed if they have
not completed all assignments. All “I” grades must be cleared before any grade can
be assigned for the course. See the school-wide Policy for “Incomplete” Grading for
further details.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Cell phones are to be turned off once entering the school building. Cell phones must
be out of sight at all times (including lunch). Cameras, video recorder, radios, tape
players, MP3 players, iPOD’s, CD players and Gameboy’s and other personal audio
equipment will not be allowed on campus and will be confiscated. No student shall
photograph, videotape, record or reproduce, via any audio or video means, another
student or staff member while on school system premises without the expressed
prior permission of the student or staff member.
The administrative staff will be enforcing the following policy to ensure the best possible
educational setting:
 Students must hand over cell phones/electronic devices when asked to do
so by a staff member.
 1st time cell phone/electronic device is turned in to the Discipline Office, a
parent /guardian must come to the school to retrieve it.
 2nd time cell phone/electronic device is turned in to the Discipline Office,
a parent/guardian must come to the school to retrieve it and the student
will be assigned 1 day of ISS.
 3rd time cell phone/electronic is turned in to the Discipline Office; a
parent/guardian must come to the school to retrieve it. The student will not
be allowed to have a cell phone or electronic device on campus and will be
referred to Tribunal.
If students have their cell phones or electronic devices visible and refuse to
cooperate with school personnel, they will be suspended for noncompliance. For
each incident thereafter, the suspension time will increase. The third time a student
is suspended for failure to comply with the cell phone and electronics policy he or
she will be referred to Tribunal.
Students shall be personally and solely responsible for the security of their cellular
telephones and other PCDs. The Atlanta Board of Education shall not assume
responsibility or liability for the theft, loss or damage to a cellular telephone or other
PCD, nor does it assume responsibility for the unauthorized use of any device.
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STUDENT DRESS CODE
Appropriate dress, neatness, and cleanliness are expected of all students. Clothing,
hairstyles, and jewelry must not be distracting, interfere with instruction, or threaten
health or safety standards. The administration has the authority to interpret the dress code
for the school and make a case-by-case determination of the appropriateness of a
student’s dress and grooming.
Unacceptable dress includes the following:
 Headgear for boys or girls (hats,
bandanas, sweatbands, beanies, scarves,
hoods, caps, rags, etc.)
 Clothing with underwear showing
(including bras) or that result in exposed
cleavage
 Spaghetti straps (straps must completely
cover the undergarment)
 Strapless/tube shirts / Halter shirts or
 dresses / Excessively low-cut shirts /
See-through tops
 Slippers and pajamas
 Clothing and /or jewelry displaying
logos of racist groups or juvenile gangs,
obscene language, intolerance or
discrimination, vulgar gestures, racist,
ethnic or sexual slurs or symbols of hate,
prejudice,
 Baggy/saggy pants exposing
undergarments
 Backless shirts (shirts that do not cover
the back entirely)
 Muscle tank shirts / Undershirts
 Bare midriff (stomach) may not be
exposed
 Off-shoulder or single strap garments
 Micro mini skirts and shorts, (shorter
than 3 inches above the knee) and
extremely tight clothing will not be
permitted.
 Clothing and/or jewelry promoting
alcohol, tobacco, drugs, death and
violence
Consequences: Headgear will be confiscated; the retrieval date will vary depending on
the circumstances. Violations of the dress code will result in students having to contact
parent/guardian to bring appropriate clothing or they will be subject to suspension.
If you have any questions about the class, please email me at tmonye@atlanta.k12.ga.us
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Parent/Student Acknowledgement
I have received, read and discussed the information provided by the Grady high school
Foreign Language Department with my child.
Parent Name: ____________________________________________________________
Current address: __________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Phone number(s): _________________________________________________________
Email: __________________________________________________________________
Parent signature: ______________________ Date: ______________________________
Student Name: ___________________________________________________________
Student Homeroom: _______________________________________________________
Student signature: _______________________________ Date: ____________________
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