French Conversation and Composition I
Core 145F (French 145F)
Core Category: Foreign Languages & Cultures
Syllabus
Fall 2010
Dr. Margaret Corgan
Course Description
Development of proficiency in the active use of French, both spoken and written. Study of the cultures
of France and other francophone countries acquaints the student with the contemporary lifestyle, values
and attitudes of French-speaking peoples and increases cultural awareness.
Introduction
An awareness of cultures in countries other than the United States deepens our understanding of the diverse world in which we live and our place in it. When we step beyond our limited cultural surroundings
and attempt to enter into the minds of others in the world community, we are often confronted with values and perspectives that challenge our beliefs and assumptions. The liberally educated individual whose
philosophy of life is solidly grounded in human and humane principles should understand cultural diversity and be equipped to deal with it with empathy and sensitivity. Foreign language courses and foreign
culture courses taught in English provide this important dimension of a liberal arts education.
Objectives
As a result of taking this course, you should:
1. be able to assess and appreciate with deeper insight and sensitivity the culture of a foreign people;
2. be able to analyze the interrelation of the geography, history and cultural achievements of a foreign
nation;
3. be able to compare and contrast the American mode of thinking, creating, behaving and communicating with a foreign mode;
4. have mastered a clearly defined body of knowledge drawn from the culture, e.g., from the language,
literature, history, contemporary culture, etc., of a foreign people.
Goals
As a result of taking this course, you should also:
1. recognize the need to avoid prejudice, provincialism and cultural and linguistic chauvinism;
2. understand and appreciate with empathy cultural values, patterns and points of view different from
Core/French 145F, page 2
your own;
be better prepared to deal with cross-cultural contacts;
have developed new insights into human and cultural values;
understand that language is an integral part of a national heritage;
have developed a broader perspective on your own language and culture by having compared it
with another;
7. have developed a global perspective which recognizes the political, economic and cultural interdependence of all nations.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Specific objectives
As a result of taking this course, you should:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
be able to read with a fair degree of understanding material of a cultural nature;
be able to speak French with some fluency, making use of circumlocution;
be able to engage in social conversation in French;
be able to write on cultural topics with a relative degree of clarity and correctness;
be able to think in French with a minimum of English interference;
have acquired knowledge of the contemporary lifestyle, values and attitudes of French speaking
peoples and increased your cultural awareness;
7. have begun to perceive cultural phenomena as a native would;
8. have gained further insights into the relationship of language and culture.
Course Procedures and Assignments
The textbook will serve as the basis for this course which will be conducted entirely in French. Participation in classroom activities will be an important part of the learning process and you will be given the
opportunity to speak as much as possible. Some exercises will involve working with other students in
pairs or small groups. You will be expected to study vocabulary and prepare assigned written exercises
in the textbook in advance of class. Some on-line exercises on the textbook’s companion website which
are a review of grammar and vocabulary will be considered homework assignments and must be done
before the due date indicated for submitting them to me by e-mail. None will be accepted after that date.
They are graded by the computer with explanations of wrong answers which will serve as a review of
basic grammar and add to your vocabulary. The score will not be counted by me but completion of the
exercises will be part of your class participation grade. If you need further explanation of any of the
grammar please come and see me. I will be happy to explain it to you. Short listening exercises on the
CD which comes with the textbook will help you develop your listening comprehension. You will be
expected to listen to the CD and answer the questions on it before the class in which it is discussed.
Don’t be discouraged if you have trouble understanding the conversation at first and have to listen to it
several times. It is helpful to take notes on the conversation as you listen to it and before listening to
look at the questions which will give you some idea of the subject of the conversation. Timely completion of all homework, including on-line quizzes, will be part of your class participation grade.
You will write four short, graded compositions which are listed in the syllabus with due dates. They are
related to the subject matter of the chapter which they accompany. You are asked to use a writing technique used in French schools which is described in the textbook on pages 13-17. It is very similar to
Core/French 145F, page 3
what you learn in English writing classes. A detailed description of what you need to do is on the textbook Web site for each chapter in addition to the explanation in the textbook itself. The sooner you
begin the assignment the better the composition will be and it will also allow you time to see me if you
have any questions. Trying to do such an assignment the night before it is due is unlikely to produce
good results. There will be two grades on each composition, one for content and style, the other for
grammar and vocabulary. You should not attempt to write the composition in English and then translate
it, either yourself or using one of the electronic translation programs that can be found on the Web, as it
invariably results in grammar and vocabulary errors most of which you would not make if you composed the paper yourself while thinking in French. Compositions will be due no later than the beginning
of class on the date indicated. Failure to present an assignment on time will result in a reduction of the
grade earned. Absence from class on the day an assignment is due will not eliminate the penalty. If you
hand in an assignment in advance or e-mail it to me before the class meets on the due date, it will be
considered to be on time. No assignment will be accepted more than one week after the due date. If
school is not in session on that day, the assignment must be e-mailed to me no later than that day. I will
make suggestions for improvements and corrections which you should consider when preparing subsequent assignments. Compositions must be done on a computer, double spaced with 1¼ inch margins,
and in 12 point type. Expanded or reduced computer type is not acceptable. Print should be dark enough
to be read easily and all accents must be printed. A cover sheet which contains your name, the paper’s
title and the date should be stapled to the paper in the upper left hand corner. No other cover should be
used. Failure to follow these directions will result in a lowering of the grade otherwise earned. All assignments e-mailed to me must come from your King’s College e-mail address which is the only address
I will use in communicating with you by e-mail. My College e-mail address is given below. Any assignment e-mailed to me must be sent as a Word attachment.
Cell phones must be turned off and put away during class. Any use of them will result in a reduction of
your class participation grade.
There will be three tests in addition to the final examination. The dates are indicated in the course outline. If you are absent from a test, there will be no make-up. The next one will count twice. The final
examination will be comprehensive and will be given on the date scheduled by the registrar.
You are encouraged to read the French newsweekly L'Express occasionally to improve your vocabulary
and reading skill. It is available in the library. There are also numerous French newspapers and magazines that you can read on-line and French radio stations to which you can listen. You should consult the
French dictionaries in the library when preparing assignments if you do not have an adequate dictionary.
Be careful if using on-line dictionaries since they often have only one word for the translation of a word
with numerous meanings and different translations and the results can be incomprehensible. If you wish
to purchase a French-English/English-French dictionary, the most highly recommended is the HarperCollins-Robert, unabridged, 8th ed., 2007 (ISBN10 0061338176 or ISBN13 9780061338175).
Attendance Policy
You are expected to attend all classes since improvement of listening comprehension and speaking ability in French is a major goal of the course. Unexcused absences will result in a lowering of your class
participation grade. If you have excessive absences, you will be referred to the administration for assistance in dealing with the problem. It is also important to be punctual for class. Lateness will reduce your
class participation grade.
Core/French 145F, page 4
Compressed Schedule
In case of a snow or other weather emergency, if the college announces that the compressed schedule is
in effect, this class will meet from 11:30-12:05, instead of 10:00-10:50. If a test has been scheduled for
that day, it will be postponed until the next regular class meeting.
Textbook
Larbi Oukada, Didier Bertrand, Janet Solberg. Controverses. Boston: Thomson Heinle, 2006. The
textbook includes a CD and a companion website at http://controverses.heinle.com.
Final Grade
20%
30%
30%
20%
Class participation
Compositions
Tests
Final exam
Office
Office Hours
Hafey-Marian 515
Phone 208-5900, ext. 5776
E-mail, margaretcorgan@kings.edu
.
MWF 11:00-11:45
MWF 2:00-2:45
and by appointment
I am also available without an appointment
any time I am in my office
Course Outline
8/30
Introduction
9/1-9/17
Chapitre préliminaire
9/20
Test #1
9/22-10/8
Chapitre 1 - L’amitié
10/4
Chapter 1 Web quiz due
10/6
Composition #1 due - Controverses, pp. 42-43 – l’introduction
10/8
Test #2
10/11-10/29
Chapitre 2 - Les médias et la vie privée
10/27
Chapter 2 Web quiz due
Core/French 145F, page 5
10/29
Composition #2 due - Controverses, p. 67 – la thèse
11/1-11/17
Chapitre 3 - La parité entre les sexes
11/12
Chapter 3 Web quiz due
11/15
Composition #3 due - Controverses, pp. 92-93 – l’anti-thèse
11/17
Test #3
11/19-12/10
Chapitre 4 - Le bien collectif et la liberté individuelle
12/6
Composition #4 due - Controverses, pp. 116-117 – la synthèse
12/10
Chapter 4 Web quiz due
Study Abroad Fair
Wednesday, October 6
Toole Lobby, Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center - 10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.