Required:

Vis-à-vis: Beginning French, 3^e édition

(textbook, used for 1411, 1412, & 2311)

Vis-à-vis: Cahier d’exercices, 3^e édition

(workbook, used for 1411, 1412, & 2311)

TWO blank CD-Rs (at least 32x)

Recommended:

Any good French/English – English/French dictionary 

with IPA entries after each word

A notebook for note-taking and quizzes

This class covers the first six chapters of the text. French is the principal language of communication in the class. FRENCH 1411, Beginning French I, is a four credit-hour course. It is part of the four-semester beginning and intermediate (1411-1412, 2311-2312) sequence.  The course transfers to universities as foreign language credit.  It also satisfies the cross-cultural and oral communication components of the HCCS core curriculum.

You are embarking on a journey – a journey that will allow you to live anew. It is very important that you keep up your part of the bargain! If you’ve never studied a foreign language before, it is not unreasonable for you to have to spend several hours a week studying for this class (for example, for every hour you spend in class, you should have room in your schedule for three spent studying, doing homework, doing computer exercises, etc.). We will have lots of fun together, but let’s not forget that part of the academic experience of a cumulative course such as ours requires regular attendance and participation. If you don’t come to class or even just sit there when you do come, what you get out of this course will be far less than ideal. This is not a history class, where ‘getting the notes’ from someone else will get you by. There is no cramming in French. You HAVE TO BE THERE to get it. If you’re not ready to make the commitment that this course requires, then it’s probably best that you drop and take it again when you are ready.

In French 1411 you will listen to, speak, read and write French. Vocabulary, language patterns and grammar are introduced and applied in the context of practical communication. You will learn French vocabulary, expressions and structures relating such things as college studies, personal identity, home and family, getting acquainted, describing people and places, activities and leisure, and dining and cuisine. You will also learn cultural information about values, beliefs and practices related to the above situations and to speakers of French. In a more general sense, you will learn about the cultural contexts of the French language. The class includes dialogues, recordings, oral and written exercises, role-playing, partner or group work, and computer exercises.

The recently technologically upgraded Language Lab is located at the northeast corner of the 3^rd floor of the Fine Arts Center (the building in which our class is held). Plan to spend anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half there per chapter. Moreover, we are fortunate enough to be using a text series with many online activities. These can be done anywhere you can get access to the Internet; therefore, you may be able to do much of the computer work from home. The people who work in the lab are very helpful and friendly: ask them for help if you have any computer questions! If you don’t have Internet access at home, and you need a place to work, the lab is where you can go for any work related to language learning.

Currently, the lab has special Vis-à-vis software with exercises specific to our textbook. There are video and audio clips, grammar drills, and vocabulary exercises. You can also use the MHELT (McGraw Hill Electronic Language Tutor) for Vis-à-vis software for further practice. One of the most common causes of silly mistakes on tests is lack of practice: the computer work you do in the lab will definitely improve your grade and reduce commonly made mistakes! In summary, for every chapter we cover, you are expected to do three types of computer exercises: those at the McGraw-Hill website, those in the MHELT, and those in the Vis-à-vis program itself.  

There will be a one and a half hour exam after the first two chapters. Your second test will focus on chapters 3 & 4. Though cumulative in nature,  the final centers on chapters 5 & 6. In summary, there are three written tests throughout the session, one of which is a cumulative written final. Tests have a listening portion, along with reading and writing segments.

At the end of the semester, you will take an oral exam on grammar and communicative topics covered during the course.  This exam will count for 15 percent of your final grade.

You will be assigned three compositions throughout the semester. These will range in length from one paragraph to slightly less than a full page. All compositions should be typed in a size 12 font and double-spaced. You are encouraged to use spelling and grammar check on Microsoft Word: yes, later versions of Word can check spelling in French. All you have to do is adjust the language & dictionary in the program’s setup. For a quick reference guide to creating accents (which count as a part of correct  spelling) in compositions, click here.

Class participation and attendance = 10%; Compositions and homework = 15%, Quizzes = 15%; Chapter tests = 25%, Oral exam = 15%; Final exam = 20%

All test dates and assignment due dates are in the course calendar for your specific section above. No make-up quizzes or late turning in of assignments allowed. You may make up ONE written exam after having provided a reasonable explanation (death in the family, extreme illness, etc.) for having missed it. It is also preferable that you let your instructor know you will miss a test via e-mail or telephone beforehand.

As these make up 10 percent of your grade, you are expected to come to every class prepared and ready take on the day’s lessons. More than two absences will result in your final grade being lowered by one letter. Exchanging phone numbers with one or two other students for times when you miss a single class is a very good idea. It is not your instructor’s responsibility to ‘bring you up to date’ on what you missed during your absence, nor is it his job to tell you if you’ll be ‘doing anything important tomorrow.’

Class will begin at the scheduled time.  Please be on time, as coming and going disrupt the class.  Attendance is essential and daily records will be kept.  In accordance with HCCS official policy, a student may be dropped for excessive absences. Consult with the instructor in case of serious illness or business reasons for absence.  Students will lose points on the participation grade for every class missed over the allotted time. Absences will be counted from the first class day of the semester, no matter when the student registers or first attends.

The student who earns an ‘A’ in attendance & participation has come to every class on time, always done his/her assigned work (computer work, compositions, workbook exercises, etc.), participates actively, and interacts with other students in a positive, encouraging manner. Participation goes far beyond answering when called upon: it also includes an upbeat attitude and a genuine willingness to actually speak some French and help neighbors do the same during group work.

You will need the CD-R I provide you in order to do the listening exercises in the workbook. Audio files for each chapter's workbook exercises are in MP3 format on this disc. Some DVD and CD players read this format; otherwise, they are accesible in Windows Media Player on any sound-ready computer. These same audio files are available to the holder of a new textbook online at the textbook website in a password protected area. At some point during the semester, please bring in a blank CD-R (at least 32x) to trade for the one your were provided at the beginning of the term.

Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office, SJAC 102, 713-718-6164, at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office.

90-100 % A

80-89  % B

70-79 % C

60-69 % D

            59 & below   F

Please have the common courtesy to turn off all cell phones and beepers before class. Their use disrupts the class and is QUITE RUDE.

Students are expected to do their own work, unless an assignment is made specifically as a group assignment. Plagiarism (handing in another person's work while purporting it to be your own), or cheating of any other kind will result in a grade of F for the assignment, quiz, or test in question. For a second offense, the student may receive a grade of F for the course.

This course satisfies the cross-cultural component of the Core Curriculum at HCCS. State Criteria for Cross-Cultural Component of Core Curriculum:

To establish broad and multiple perspectives on the individual in relationship to the larger society and world in which he or she lives and to understand the responsibilities of living in a culturally and ethnically diversified world.

To demonstrate knowledge of those elements and processes that create and define culture.

To understand and analyze the origin and function of values, beliefs, and practices found in human societies.

To develop basic cross/multi-cultural understanding, empathy, and communication.

To identify and understand underlying commonalities of diverse cultural practices.

To analyze the effects of cultural forces on the area of study.

These descriptions reflect what most students will be able to do by the end of the course.  The terms given in parentheses are descriptive terms of proficiency in foreign language based on a classification developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Listening Comprehension (Novice-High): Comprehend words, phrases and sentences of the standard spoken language where the context is familiar.  Comprehensible language will consist mainly of simple sentences and conversations using high-frequency vocabulary and language patterns.

Speaking (Novice-Mid): Speak using words, phrases and some short sentences, mainly learned utterances, in a limited number of familiar contexts.  Speech will be hesitant with frequent inaccuracies.

Reading (Novice-High): Read and interpret language focused on high frequency and practical situations or subject matter. The language will consist mainly of vocabulary previously learned.  May be able to understand materials at a higher level where the material is contextualized.

Writing (Novice-High): Write short simple sentences using learned vocabulary and a limited number of grammatical structures.  Topics deal mainly with personal life and interests.

Cultural Awareness

Be able to identify regions of the world and name some countries where French is spoken. 

Demonstrate knowledge of a few basic facts about several French-speaking countries or regions, including France, Québec, and Senegal.

Show understanding of French customs relating to introductions and initial social contacts, interaction in public places, dining, and interaction between family and friends.

Show some understanding of issues in intercultural communication and cultural misunderstanding.

Demonstrate understanding of the interrelationship between culture and language.

“I guess I’m just not good at languages.” What a bunch of bunk! While any psycholinguist will tell you that it is certainly easier for a child to acquire language(s), there is no such thing, in my learned, professional opinion, as being ‘worse at languages’ than others unless parts of your linguistic apparatus (mouth, brain, ears, etc.) are somehow genuinely and severely malformed or injured. Even then, determination takes people a long, long way. Ask anyone who has learned another language after childhood, and you’ll see that no smoke and mirrors are involved – just dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to make mistakes and learn from them. There is no voodoo, magic spell, or incantation to offer you. The rewards of language learning, like any other important undertaking, are numerous.

Learning French is your chance to go places! Whether you’re just fulfilling a language requirement this semester or quite interested in long-term continuation of the language experience you begin here today, I don’t expect you to be a Navajo code-breaker: I only expect you to keep trying and to do so with an open mind. Please participate actively in this course: what you get out of it is in direct relation to what you put in! Learning a language is a serious commitment.

Take the opportunity before you to surround yourself with French! Explore other ways to supplement what you do in class, especially by making French as present in your everyday life as possible. Rent a French movie once a week, and put paper on the screen to cover the subtitles. If you own a DVD player, change the language of your favorite movie to French. Check out your local Alliance Française and/or French consulate to see what kinds of other outlets are available to you. Label everything in your house in French with post-it notes! Change your web search engine to the French version, or use a French web-search service. Even better still, use the French language versions of programs you use often. Buy (or download!) some French language music, and listen to it in the car, at the gym, etc.

Eat at a French restaurant and order in French! Practice vocabulary and pronunciation in front of a mirror and watch what your mouth does when making those strange sounds! Make flash cards with vocabulary words on one side and a picture of the meaning (as opposed to a translation) on the other. Although you shouldn’t always run to the dictionary, keep a log of every word you end up wanting to look up (especially those you encounter repeatedly), and review it periodically: this will increase your vocabulary tremendously. Try guessing the meaning of unfamiliar words & phrases through context: your mind is capable of some very fancy detective work if you just let it.