Course Description
A review of grammar with continued use of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in French, all with a cultural emphasis.
General Information
FREN 2001, Intermediate French I, aims to build oral and written communication skills in French at the intermediate level and improve cultural awareness and literacy of the French-speaking world. FREN 2001 contributes to students’ education in the humanities by teaching both the French language and the humanistic cultures of the French-speaking world.
Learning Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Use French to communicate with peers and the instructor both orally and in writing to create a shared community experience.
- Employ strategies to comprehend texts (in written, aural, and video form) written by and for French speakers.
- Employ strategies to express ideas orally and in writing related to familiar topics in presentational contexts.
- Employ strategies to express ideas in interpersonal contexts in culturally appropriate ways, including identifying and signaling comprehension breakdown, asking and answering questions, and requesting information.
- Understand and communicate the basics of Francophone cultures, modes of life, and customs.
- Develop intercultural awareness through the study of the similarities and differences among and the relationships between language and culture systems.
- Be prepared to continue developing French language skills and cultural understanding in FREN 2002.
Course Materials
IMAGINEZ: le français sans frontières, 4th Edition, by Champeny Séverine, Vista Higher Learning, Boston 2020. Each package has 2 elements: a textbook (hardcover or digital) and access to Web-SAM (do NOT purchase the workbook/lab manual in book form!).
Evaluation Criteria
Participation 10%
Homework 30%
Unit Tests 40% (5 units /8% per test)
In-Class Presentation 10%
Project 10%
Description of Graded Components
Participation (10%)
You are expected to attend class and participate, making meaningful contributions to the class.
Homework (30%)
VHL Online homework will include grammar & vocabulary tutorials and activities, cultural readings and Flash culture videos, lab activities. The homework needs to be done on a regular basis to help you understand new features in vocabulary and grammar (VHL preview activities) as well as to help consolidate your knowledge of vocabulary and grammar (VHL repetition activities) through additional practice. Cultural readings and videos will provide insights into French and Francophone ways of life, which will allow students to interpret the human experience in different cultural settings.
Unit tests (40%)
There will be 5 unit tests during the semester. They will test the knowledge gained upon the completion of each unit. All tests will follow the same format and include sections such as: listening, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and culture.
In-Class Presentation (10%)
Students will present, in class and in French, on a topic related to their Major. Clear guidelines with expectations will be shared with students in advance. Grading follows a rubric with the following criteria: adherence to the assignment’s requirements, pronunciation, vocabulary (especially as it relates to their Major) and grammatical structures, creativity, and inclusion of relevant cultural elements.
Project (10%)
Students will complete a project, in French, based on a topic of their choice as they relate to the topics of the class. Clear guidelines with expectations will be shared with students in advance. Grading follows a rubric with the following criteria: adherence to the assignment’s requirements, writing, pronunciation, vocabulary and grammatical structures, creativity, and inclusion of relevant cultural elements.
Grading Scale
Your final grade will be assigned as a letter grade according to the following scale:
A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69%
F 0-59%
You must actively contribute to pair, group, and class discussions by both asking and answering questions. This also means that you will willingly engage in class activities and will always use the target language, i.e., French. All students are expected to attend every class day, arrive on time, be prepared for the course, and participate actively in the daily class activities. Absence from class will affect your grade, as will late arrivals, early departures, and regularly entering and leaving the room while class is in session (arriving/leaving 15 minutes late/early counts as ½ of a missed class). Before coming to class each day, prepare the section of the lesson. Please turn off your cell phone in the classroom. Sending text messages, surfing the web, checking emails, or otherwise perform non-class-related activities during class will not be tolerated in class.
Attendance is taken at all lectures, and participation in weekly sections will be graded on the following scale:
Unexcused absence or asleep or obsessed with laptop or phone performing non-class related activities = - 3 points
In class, but silent, ill-prepared, or obsessed with laptop or phone = - 2 points
In class and making an average contribution = - 1 point
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.
This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Humanities area.
Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help students master course content, and support students’ broad academic and career goals.
This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:
- How do I interpret the human experience through creative, linguistic, and philosophical works?
Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:
- Students will effectively analyze and interpret the meaning, cultural significance, and ethical implications of literary/philosophical texts or of works in the visual/performing arts.
Course content, activities and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
- Ethical Reasoning
- Information Literacy
- Intercultural Competence