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French 1A
Syllabus (Suter) - Fall 2010
California State University, Sacramento Section 05 (#86688) meets Thurs 6:00-6:50pm (in person) & Online (flexible) |
Catalog Description
First semester of college French, corresponding roughly to 1-2
semesters of high school French. This is a beginning French course. The
course focuses on the development of elementary linguistic skills, with
emphasis on the spoken language. The relationship of the language to
francophone civilization and culture is given special attention. 4 units.
Note: FALL 2010 -- The format for this course is hybrid and non-traditional. It will be 75% online with a required one-hour class meeting on campus per week (25%) for CSUS students. These courses are listed as French 1A section 05-DIS (#86688) and section 04-DIS (#81087) with respective class meetings Thursdays 6-6:50pm and 7-7:50pm in person, with the rest of the course listed as Sat 9-11:30am. NOTE: the Saturday time is NOT fixed - it is totally flexible. The class meets IN-PERSON ON-CAMPUS on Thursday evenings ONLY. The SATURDAY TIME is really ANY TIME coursework: students do not come to campus; they do their online lectures, listening, pronunciation and grammar homework. The "online" course time does NOT need to be done at that PARTICULAR hour on Saturday, but rather ANY time Fri-Sat-Sun-Mon-Tues !!!
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon
successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate that they are able to communicate in culturally appropriate ways, primarily with formulaic speech to list, enumerate, identify, express courtesies, agreement and disagreement, focusing mainly on the present tense and the near future tense.
- Demonstrate that they are able to begin to communicate by understanding and responding to simple statements and questions, and participate in informal conversation within the cultural context.
- Demonstrate that they are able to think critically and exchange personal information, fulfill routine communication needs in the four language skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening) within the cultural context.
- Demonstrate a better understanding of the culture of the language they are studying through the cultural context of the language that forms the basis of their study, internet searches in the language and exploration of the perspectives, products, and practices of the culture.
Course Objectives
- To develop equally the four language skills: reading, writing, speaking and oral comprehension, and to familiarize the student with the Francophone world. The course objectives are to provide instruction and practice towards competence in French oral and written communication, as follows: to present oneself and other persons, to greet others and answer greetings, to request and thank, to give and receive instructions, to count to 100+, to tell the date and time, to describe people physically and their personalities, to talk about one's home and its furnishings, daily activities/hobbies and places to go, to express likes/dislikes and agreement/ disagreement, to construct negative sentences, to phrase simple questions, to be fluent in regular and irregular present tense verbs, to use the near-future construction, and to develop the appropriate French language pronunciation, rhythm and articulation.
- Students will develop skills to understand concepts in written and oral French, as well as the learned ability to write and speak the language on their own. This course will provide basic information on French culture and civilization and open a window on the Francophone world, through text materials, music, videos and the Internet. In addition, students will develop valuable electronic communication skills and presentation skills in general.
Textbook, Audio CD and Computer
- Motifs, by Jansma and Kassen, 5th edition, 2010, is available for purchase from the CSUS Bookstore. This textbook comes with two audio CDs in a pocket of the book. This textbook is used for 2 semesters of beginning French at CSUS: French 1A and French 1B, and intermediate French 2A (third semester). Students should purchase the textbook only with audio CD insert: no lab manuals are required. ISBN-10: 0-495-79749-9 (the longer ISBN # is the same book: ISBN-13: 978-0-495-79749-4).
- Homework will consist of written, speaking, reading and listening components. Listening comprehension homework will be assigned using a variety of Web sites. Regular language-learning homework (grammar and writing exercises) will be done on the Web; they will be graded automatically, and can be repeated for a higher homework grade. There is no cost for the Web-based activities.
- Students may wish to purchase a French/English-English/French dictionary as well.
- NOTE: if a used Textbook is purchased, the Audio CD might be missing from inside the used textbook at the Bookstore. A copy of this CD may be made in the Practice Lab in MRP 2002 onto a standard cassette or CD which students provide. (Students should not purchase Motifs 4th edition, as the material is different than what is used in the 5th edition.)
- Students will be required to 1) have high-speed internet connectivity and a high-speed computer, 2) download software (free) for the course (Technical Set-up), 3) have a CD player, and 4) have a microphone for their computer with which to record their voices for weekly pronunciation assessment. Campus computer labs are available to students but personal microphones will be necessary, and the required software technical set-up will need to be done at each session, if not using their own computer.
Method
- The online nature of this course will require that students be highly motivated to learn, and that they spend a good amount of time at a computer. Most (75%) of the course will simulate a classroom environment, with speaking, listening, writing and reading practice. Students need to spend 10-12 hours a WEEK online and practicing French which makes up "class" time and "homework" time.
- The LIVE portion of this course (25%) will require students to be very verbal and participate in a conversation-style course. This required "Conversation Class" will be on Thursdays.
- Active participation of the student in class is required. Oral practice of the French language is essential to become comfortable with all aspects of the language and the culture. Your grade will depend on your participation in LIVE class meetings, and on oral assignments (listening comprehension and pronunciation). Oral participation will include: repeating, readings, conversations with partners, group skits/debates, games, songs, and required weekly oral homework. Students will also collaborate on portions of grammar lessons in group study. The Motifs text presents materials in a gradual way, so this beginning course will start out with English explanations and exercises, moving on to assignments and readings only in French. Master pronunciation files will be online and must be used repetitively to gain mastery in pronunciation and fluency.
- Students are expected to attend class electronically, and will be monitored for electronic participation. Participation will be tallied with weekly point totals for electronic homework and activities, and attendance at the required LIVE class meeting; this total number of points must be met satisfactorily EVERY WEEK. This course is not considered self-paced; there is a strict weekly goal for learning acquisition, which will be maintained for the duration of the course.
- Written module exams (midterms) will be given the week after the Module has been completed, approximately every 3 weeks, usually on the following Thursday. Written exams will be in-person, on campus, with paper/pen-pencil and picture student I.D. card required, at the "normal" class time. Students must be in class, therefore, every 3 weeks approximately, to meet on campus for the one-hour exam on a Thursday.
Homework
- Students must have a Saclink account for campus SacCT/WebCT access by the first week of the semester. This is how assignments and communication with the instructor will occur. Weekly assignments will be listed in SacCT - students must do every item or activity listed.
- Within the FIRST TWO DAYS OF THIS COURSE, students must follow very specific Technical Set-up instructions (provided in WebCT) to load their computer with free software and programs required for this online course. Failure to follow and/or the inability to understand the technical instructions will cause the student to be dropped from the course. Student home, work, or laptop computers must be set up to access all elements of this technology-based course.
- Students must access SacCT and send both a Group Discussion message and a Private Mail message to the instructor, by the 2nd week of the semester. Students will be shown how to use the SacCT program in a computer lab environment in the first week.
- Writing, speaking, listening and reading assignments are due weekly, every Tuesday by 11pm. Exercises are automatically corrected online with the highest score for each kept in the online gradebook; pronunciation and written compositions are corrected by the instructor.
- Oral pronunciation readings (students recording their voice for pronunciation assessment) will be assigned weekly and due every Tuesday, recorded as a digital mp3 file.
- Cultural Assignments: Students will complete a series of 3 Internet cultural searches into the Francophone world. Results of this search will be composed into a 2-3 paragraph composition, in French or English, and will be sent to the SacCT Group Discussion. Cultural information found on these searches will thus be shared with all students. Students will also compose questions that will make up part of the cultural exam at the end of the semester.
- Attendance: Attendance will be graded by participation in this online course by both the completion of grammar homework, pronunciation and writing assignments, and also by attending the Conversation Class (in-person).
- Written, listening, pronunciation and practice exercises making up the homework is due by the due date, once a week, every week. Late or poorly done homework will result in a 5 point penalty, with homework still due no later than one week after the due date. Students who request access to electronic drop boxes in WebCT, which close after the due date/time, will also receive 5 penalty points. Homework not turned in will receive zero points. Homework will not be accepted after Module Exams are given that cover that homework.
- Students are responsible for maintaining a weekly passing grade (viewable on the online Gradebook), and must do the four weekly skills assessments: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Failure to maintain a passing weekly grade will result in an administrative DROP from the course.
- Student homework assignments, online exercises, group Discussion mail messages, private mail and grades will be posted on WebCT. The Gradebook is private for each individual student; students are responsible for completing ALL assignments due in the Gradebook. You will need your Saclink account and password; only students enrolled in the course will have access.
- The online course will require 8-12 hours per week class and homework time ONLINE (on the Internet) and one hour LIVE with the instructor.
Culture
- Basic orientation to French culture will be presented with the
Motifs Perspectives Culturelles magazine in the textbook, music,
songs, discussions, videos, and an assignment of 3 sessions on the
Internet to places of Francophone culture in the world. Basic orientation to French culture will be presented with the
cultural sections (Perspectives Culturelles - historical,
geographical and contemporary) from the textbook, music, songs,
food, and videos. Additionally an assignment of 3 sessions on the
Internet to places of Francophone culture in the world will allow
the student to explore culturally-rich authentic sites and share
that information with the class.
Learning elements
- We will cover five (5) Modules (lessons or chapters called Modules 1-5) in your textbook. There will be scheduled short quizzes in the "online" classroom in the form of dictations, question/answers, vocabulary translations, and verb conjugations. There will be a required audio components of the weekly homework. Students will collaborate in class as groups. Students may use any Internet provider, but must have a Saclink account at CSUS for access to the instructor's WebCT site. There will be 13 weekly mid-chapter quizzes, 4 Module Exams, a Cultural Exam and a comprehensive Final Examination on the last Module (5). Tests will have listening and written components.
Grades
Grades are determined as follows (final point totals are subject to change):
Assessment & Examination = 60% 1 Final Exam (Oral Interview & Module 5 exam)
200 7 % 4 Module exams
400 28 % 14 Quizzes
420 12% 1 Cultural Exam
100 3 % 13 Conversation Class/Participation 390 10% Homework and Participation = 40% 15 homework assignments
1680 35 % 3 Internet searches
90 5 % Total Points
3280 100% EXAM DATES for Fall 2010: Sept 30, Oct 14, Nov 4, Nov 18, Dec 16 (in class). CULTURAL EXAM: Dec 9-10 (online)
All homework is due every Tuesday by 11pm online. Poor mid-chapter test and quiz grades will be dropped if there is improvement on Module exams and the Final Exam. THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UP TESTS. Advance make-up tests can be arranged. Exams are paper/pencil, on campus, in person. Remote students will be proctored at their location/campus.
Late homework (written, oral voice recordings, electronic exercises, and Internet search postings) AND incomplete/poorly done homework will be penalized by 5 points and is due no later than one week after the due date. Example: Homework assignments are worth 10 points. Turning in complete homework 2 days late makes it worth 5 points. Turning in poorly done homework on time is worth 5 points. Submitting, on time, a short, poorly written Internet report (even in English) is worth 15 points instead of 30 points. No homework is accepted after the exam covering that material is given.
There are no penalties if you submit complete homework, ON TIME, each Tuesday. It is recommended that you do some French homework EVERY DAY so you can make your weekly Tuesday homework due date. (In other words, you do some homework on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday.) This is the best way to learn any foreign language, and to enjoy learning it. This is a difficult course; it will be harder if you get behind on the homework.
Your final grade will be based on the following:
A
This reflects a good understanding and knowledge of vocabulary, grammar , syntax and oral comprehension.
90-100%
B
This reflects a good understanding and knowledge of vocabulary, grammar , syntax and oral comprehension, but some mistakes occur throughout homework and testing.
80-89%
C
Knowledge at this level reflects some understanding and knowledge of most materials presented, but confusion exists in the overall understanding of mosts concepts presented.
70-79%
D
There is very little understanding and knowledge of vocabulary, grammar , syntax and oral comprehension.
60-69%
I
Incompletes: Students who do not attend class, do not turn in assignments and do not take tests will receive an Incomplete, only if a written completion contract is signed by both student and instructor.
U
Unofficial drops: Students who do not attend class or no longer attend class regularly, do not turn in assignments, who do not maintain their weekly online participation points, and do not take tests will receive an Unofficial drop. These will later turn into an "F" grade.
Students are expected to check the SacCT Gradebook weekly to check homework submission grading.
Students must do ALL assigned exercises every week and maintain an 80% weekly grade. Failure to do so will put the student at risk of being dropped administratively from the course. Students who do not participate electronically will also be dropped, especially in the first four weeks.
There will be a weekly Pronunciation Quiz, a weekly Composition, and a weekly Grammar Quiz.
Technology Requirements
All coursework is done on the Internet and using technology like e-mail, digital mp3 voice files, online lab exercises, and using the Web to access & submit homework assignments on SacCT site. Click here to see technology requirements to make sure your home or work computer is powerful enough to meet your needs for this course. Campus labs are well-equipped and are available to all students, some on a 24-hour basis.
Students will use the SacCT/WebCT (a CSUS site) for this course at:
http://online.csus.edu/. At this page, click on Logon My WebCT, then use your Saclink logon ID and password, then click on French 1A.
Special Needs
Every effort will be made by this instructor to accommodate students who have special needs. Please speak to the instructor in person.
Contact Information
Laurette Suter: Office in Mariposa Hall 2058, Telephone is (916) 278-7417, campus e-mail suterla@csus.edu
Course SacCT/WebCT site: http://online.csus.edu/
OFFICE HOURS: WED 10:30am-1:00pm, THURS 5:30-6:00pm, and by appointment
Page updated: le 31 août, 2010