French I: Annie Knudsen

Course Overview:

Materials;
Deux Mondes – A Communicative Approach (Terrell, Rogers, Kerr, Spielman)
Deux Mondes – cahier d’exercices
Deux Mondes – audio lab work –exercises in the cahier
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/007287659x/student_view0/index.html
Supplementary material such as videos (La Boum), short stories, news articles, poems,

Goals:
The overall stress the first year is on the students’ ability to express themselves orally and in writing in French. They acquire a solid sense of how the language works by focusing on the syntax of the language. For this reason, the present tense of verbs is learned while emphasis is placed on the acquisition of structures such as question forms, negations, the forms and positions of adjectives and pronouns, to name a few; so that these patterns become automatic. Important, every day vocabulary is learned, including a substantial dose of cognates and important idioms.
By the end of the year, students are able to think directly in French, to express themselves both orally and in writing, to paraphrase creatively if they do not know specific vocabulary, to read texts and to use context to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words. They will be able to follow basic conversations in French, express their needs and desires and are familiar with cultural differences such as dining etiquette, greetings, gestures, body language and manners.

Method:
This course is taught entirely in French. All new material is introduced orally and drilled until the students fully understand it, the way they learned their mother tongue. Then the students learn to read and at home, they practice writing. New vocabulary is explained in French and learned through synonyms, definitions in French, pictures, mime or in context. Starting second semester compositions are assigned. They provide a creative way for applying the material mastered. Students are required to rewrite and correct their work. The grade they receive for the assignment is based on the progress made between the two drafts.

Homework:
 Since emphasis in class is on building oral skills, students practice their writing skills at home most evenings. They should always read the rules in the textbook and know what is being practiced, drilled and “tested’, before writing. In order to really learn the vocabulary, students need to spend 10 minutes each night reviewing old words while learning the new, whether or not this is assigned. Late homework assignments will most likely lower the semester average grade. It is difficult to participate actively in class when one has not prepared well the night before. Note: the best way to learn to new words is to both pronounce and write them out. Study skills will be covered during the Fall. Homework is graded more for effort so as to allow students room to experiment and take risks and to learn from mistakes before taking a test.



Grades:
The bulk of a student’s grade is dependent upon performance during class activities, on homework assignments, quizzes, compositions and tests. A purely numerical average is uncommon because daily preparation, readiness to participate in activities, long term retention of material, speaking and writing skills, attitude, effort and attendance are considered when assigning the grade.

Absences:
In general, students have one day for each day missed to make up work after absences. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange all make-up tests and quizzes and homework assignments. Students are encouraged to see me for extra help or advice on how to catch up. If a student knows in advance that he/she will be absent, he/she must complete the work that will be missed in advance. All late work must be turned in before the chapter test, unless the student has come to see me and received an extension.

Extra Help:
I encourage students to see me outside of class as soon as they encounter difficulty, before little misunderstandings grow into stressful problems. I enjoy working with students outside of class for it gives me the chance to get to know them better and it allows them to get answers to their questions in English. If I am not teaching, I will probably be in the Foreign Language Office. To be sure that I am available, students should make an appointment in advance. I can always be contacted via e-mail at annie_Knudsen@college-prep.org.  Students need to understand that I can not always know – until they take a test – what difficulties he/she is experiencing if he/she does not come in for help. I count on my students to take the initiative to seek assistance but if I write “Venez-me voir” (come see me) on their paper, it does not mean that they are in trouble but that I would like to help them or arrange for a student tutor.

Getting Organized:
Students should have a three ring binder with 4 separate sections for
1-    the packs of photocopied material handed out for each chapter (includes homework assignment sheet for entire chapter
2-    the “cahier pages, in order, for the chapter under study
3-    grammar and vocabulary notes taken during class
4-    quizzes, tests and essays
I ask students to save all their assignments for future review and reference. The end of the year exam is comprehensive so students will need to be able to easily access their papers. Students are expected to take pride in their work, write legibly in dark pencil or ink, and skip lines on all their written work so that there is room for them to correct their mistakes. At this level students should not use a dictionary to learn new words (they will get plenty in class each day). A dictionary is useful for checking spelling, gender (masculine or feminine) and seeking a word already learned but momentarily forgotten!




Rules:
1.    Arrive on time, ready to work, with books, pen and paper.
2.    No eating, drinking or gum-chewing in class.
3.    Be courteous and kind, especially to those who may need more time and practice than you to learn new material.
4.    SPEAK ONLY FRENCH in class.

Language Department policy regarding homework
Homework is due the day for which it is assigned. If a student has an excused absence, he/she has the number of days absent to hand in assigned work or take tests. If a student foresees a problem turning in a longer assignment (composition, report, etc.), he/she must talk to the teacher before the due date. A due date may be determined. If a student does not meet this new date, the assignment will receive a failing grade.

Language Department regarding Cheating and Plagiarism.
The Foreign Language Department will not tolerate cheating and or plagiarism of any kind. The CPS handbook (page 9) clearly explains the definition of these terms. Forms of cheating and plagiarism specific to the learning of a Foreign language (i.e., including but not limited to the use of translation programs, the copying of grammar, vocabulary and translation exercises from any textual or virtual source, etc) are included. Any assignment deemed to have been plagiarized will need to be rewritten. Standard grading, but with a cap of 70%, will apply to the rewrite. If the assignment is not redone, the student will receive an incomplete in the course. A repeat offense will receive a zero. All infractions are reported to the Dean of Students.

Other Section Resources:

Student Work

Examples of student work prepared for this course.