SYLLABUS
French, German, Italian, and Slavic Department (FGIS)
INTRODUCTION TO FRENCH I – FR 1001
SPRING 2011
Section 2
Instructor: Dina Cohen
Meeting time and place: MWF 10:00-10:50 RH 105 / F 11:00-11:50 AC 104
Instructor office: 536 Anderson Hall
Instructor phone: 215.204.1760
Instructor e-mail:
Instructor office hours: 11:00 – 11:50 & by appointments
Section 6
Instructor: Dina Cohen
Meeting time and place: MWF 9:00-9:50 AC 202 / W 8:00-8:50 AC 104
Instructor office: 536 Anderson Hall
Instructor phone: 215.204.1760
Instructor e-mail:
Instructor office hours: 11:00 – 11:50 & by appointments
Please see your instructor during office hours (or make an appointment) to discuss any problem related to this course or to your completion of any assignment for this course. Should you have any difficulties speaking to your instructor about any issues related to the course, please make an appointment with the Core Coordinator, Dr. Beth Curran: .
Prerequisites: None
Disability Statement: This course is open to all students who meet the academic requirements for participation. Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible.
Statement on Academic Freedom: Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities, which can be accessed through the following link: .
Course Goals and Methods
Welcome to Introduction to French I, the first course in the French core language sequence: French 1001, French 1002, and French 1003. This is a 4 credit/4 semester-hour course for students who are beginners or near-beginners of French. Particular emphasis is placed on oral/aural communication. Students also acquire writing skills and are taught strategies to read efficiently in French. In addition, students are introduced to French and Francophone cultures through readings and exercises integrated with the materials used for language acquisition.
Students successfully completing this course will be able to:
understand a variety of communicative situations presented in elementary but authentic French (greetings, introducing oneself, identifying people, talking about family, describing familiar objects and places, exchanging addresses and phone numbers, expressing likes, dislikes and preferences, discussing time schedules, extending invitations to dinner, to the movies, etc.)
take part actively with others in the range of situations mentioned above;
read authentic French texts (up to 500 words in length) containing vocabulary studied in class as well as a number of cognates;
write short compositions (up to 75 words) accurately using vocabulary, grammatical forms and structures introduced in the course, using the present tense and the futur prochewith appropriate adverbs of time.
Within the above objectives of acquisition of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills appropriate to this level, students will also:
learn to pronounce the sounds of French correctly, and recognize and imitate essential intonation and rhythmic patterns of the language;
differentiate between and negotiate some sociolinguistic and pragmatic aspects of the language, in particular the use of polite/familiar forms and basic formal/informal spoken and written speech patterns;
appreciate the similarities and differences between their everyday life and that of people in Francophone regions around the world in contexts such as the family, university studies, work, marriage, leisure time.
Throughout this course students will thus be actively engaged in the "5 Cs" of language learning as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL): Communication, Culture, Connections, Comparisons, Communities.See for more information
All students who take French 1001 in the Spring 2011 semester are required to purchase the custom bundle for French 1001 at the Temple University bookstore. This bundle includes chapters 1-5 of Motifs: an Introduction to French (5th edition, published by Cengage, 2010) andaccess to an electronic textbook through the iLrn system.
iLrn is a dynamic audio- and video-enhanced learning environment. As a multi-faceted platform, it includes an audio-enhanced eBook, an online workbook, an online lab manual with audio, companion videos, and interactive enrichment activities. Other features include Diagnostics, a program that allows students to test their knowledge of chapter materials prior to exams and provides suggestions for further study, an application for voice-recording to use in oral assignments, and additional study tools.
Please note that the bookstore lists the bundle as follows: MOTIFS CH.1-5 TEXT+E-BOOK >CUSTOM<.
All students may also be required to have a microphone that can be used with a computer to record their voices outside of class.
French 1001 covers chapters 1-5 of Motifs.
Course Policies
Policy on Religious Holidays
If you will be observing any religious holidays this semester which will prevent you from attending a regularly scheduled class or interfere with fulfilling any course requirement, please inform your instructor within two weeks of the beginning of the semester (or three days before any holidays which fall within the first two weeks of class).
Policy on Cell Phones
Cell phonesmust be turned off during class except with special permission from your instructor.
Please DO NOT text in class.
Classroom Etiquette Policy
Practicing a foreign language entails taking risks and allowing yourself to be vulnerable in front of other people. You’re used to being able to speak at a much more sophisticated level in your native language, so working on French is not always easy! For this reason it is essential to establish an atmosphere of mutual respect in the classroom. Please be attentive and listen not only to your instructor, but also to your classmates when they speak, whether in small group activities or in front of the class.
Attendance Policy
In language skills courses, your presence is de rigueur in order to interact with others in the target language and to receive instant feedback from your instructor and your peers. Regular attendance impacts not only on your performance in all areas over the weeks of the semester, but also counts for a separate 5% of your final grade.Starting with the end of the drop/add period, attendance in both class and labfor the MWF classes will count as follows: 1 absence= 98%, 2 absences = 95%,3=91, 4=87,5=82, 6=75,7=71, 8=64, 9=55, 10=40, 11=20, 12 or more = 0. If you are late or leave early, each time will count as 1/2an absence.
Policy on Academic Honesty
As a Temple student you are expected to know and understand the university’s policy concerning academic honesty, which can be accessed through the following link:
Please read this policy and let your instructor know if you have any questions.If you are caught plagiarizing or cheating in Intro to French I, your instructor reserves the right to give you a grade of “0” on the assignment and / or a grade of “F” for the course and / or report you to the University Disciplinary Committee.
Course Grade
The course grade will be determined according to the following formula:
Attendance (class and lab)5%
Language Lab 5%
Class participation/activities5%
Homework assignments10%
Test 1 (Module 1)10%
Test 2 (Module 2)10%
Mid-semester exam (Module 3 plus active use of basics of Modules 1 and 2)20%
Test 3 (Module 4)10%
Final Exam (Module 5 plus active use of basics of Modules 3 and 4)25%
Please note that the 20% for the mid-semester exam breaks down as follows: 12% for the written part and 8% for the oral part. The 25% of the final exam breaks down as follows: 15% for the written part and 10% for the oral part.
Letter grades for the entire course will be assigned as follows:
92.5% and higher = A80-82.49% = B–67.5-69.99% = D+
90-92.49% = A–77.5-79.99% = C+62.5-67.49% = D
87.5-89.99% = B+72.5-77.49% = C60-62.49% = D–
82.5-87.49% = B70-72.49% = C–59.99% and lower = F
While students receiving a D+ through D- are allowed to move on to French 1002, this is not normally advised; they should consult with their instructor and advisor before doing so. Students may repeat the course for a better grade, but not for additional credits.
As a rule, an Incomplete (I) will be assigned in this course only if a student has verifiable proof of unavoidable absences or a condition that has made it impossible to complete the work due at the end of the semester. Instructors can assign a grade of incomplete only when both of the following conditions are met:
a) The student has completed the majority of the work for the course (at least 51%) at a passing level or higher; and
b) The student is unable to complete the remaining portion of the work of the course due to circumstances beyond his or her control (e.g., illness, family emergency).
Class participation grading
Class participation will be graded according to the following scale:
5 points (A/A-)Present, on time, contributing, listening attentively, fully prepared
4 points (B+/B/B-)Present, partially prepared, contributing and listening well
3 points (C+/C/C-)Present, partially prepared, contributing little
1 point (D+/D/D-)Present, unprepared, not contributing and / or disruptive, texting
0 points (F)Absent
Present, On Time, and Contributing does not mean that the student can answer every question correctly in class: it merely means that the student is prepared to attempt to answer every question based on the previous evening's homework assignment and is ready to engage actively in class.
Partially Prepared means that the student has demonstrated that she/he has not completed the given day's assignment entirely and / or is not participating as much as possible in class activities.
Homework grading
Homework will be graded according to the following scale:
5 points (A/A-)Submitted on time and completed with excellent quality
4 points (B+/B/B-)Submitted on time and completed with good quality
3 points(C+/C/C-)Submitted on time and completed with reasonable quality
1 point(D+/D/D-)Submitted on time but completed with poor quality and / or incomplete
0 points (F) Not submitted
Homework is due at the beginning of each class. Late homework can only be accepted within 1 class period of the due date, but the grade will be reduced 1 point. In order to make progress in this skills-based course, it is important to work incrementally on assignments because each structure builds upon what has come before.
Please note: Since all assignments will be posted on Blackboard, students will be responsible for handing them in on time, even if they have missed a class.
Test Information
All three tests are based on chapter materials and have two parts: listening and written. The listening part of each test will last approximately 15-20 minutes. The written part will last approximately 50 minutes. (For MWF sections of FR 1001, the written part of each test will be administered during a separate class from the listening part.)
The mid-semester and final exams also have two parts: listening and written. In addition, the mid-semester oral exams will last 5-10 minutes and take place by appointment outside of class. Final oral exams will last 10-15 minutes and take place by appointment outside of class.
The final exam will last 2 hours and entail the same types of activities as the chapter tests.
Use of Blackboard and other student responsibilities
All of the announcements, homework assignments, test dates, and grades relating to the course will be posted on Blackboard.Course documents, such as oral questions and test formats (as well as materials for use in class or lab) will also be posted on Blackboard.
French 1001 is a skills-oriented course requiring daily speaking and listening practice, as well as written work. Students are required to attend classes regularly, prepare assignments appropriately, arrive punctually, and participate actively in each class meeting.
The lab classes (to which students may need to bring headphones) are an essential part of the course. Using the lab computers for any activity other than the task at hand (i.e. the French 1001 course) is disruptive and will result in a low class participation grade.
Students are expected to submit or perform required work, including classroom and homework assignments, group and individual exercises, tests, and exams. Those who do not submit or perform required work by the due date without the formal permission of their instructor will receive a "0" as the grade for the assignment, exercise, test, or exam in question.
Schedule of Class Topics and Tests/Exams
WEEKTOPICTESTS/EXAMS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Week 1Jan. 19, 21 / Module 1
Week 2
Jan. 24-28 / Module 1
Week 3
Jan. 31-Feb. 4 / Module 1 / Test 1 – Module 1 / Mon., Jan. 31:Last day to drop a course
Week 4
Feb. 7-11 / Module 2
Week 5
Feb. 14-18 / Module 2
Week 6
Feb. 21-25 / Module 2 / Test 2 – Module 2
Week 7
Feb. 28-Mar. 4 / Module 3 / SPRING BREAK =
MARCH 7-11
Week 8
Mar. 14-18 / Module 3
Week 9
Mar. 21-25 / Module 3 / Mid-Semester Exam
The Mid-semester oral exam will take place in the instructor’s office / Mon., March 21: Registration for Summer begins
Week 10
Mar. 28-Apr. 1 / Module 4 / Tues., March 29:
- Registration for Fall semester begins
- Last day to withdraw from undergraduate courses
Week 11
Apr. 4-8 / Module 4
Week 12
Apr. 11-15 / Module 4 / Test 3 – Module 4
Week 13
Apr. 18-22 / Module 5
Week 14
Apr. 25-29 / Module 5
Week 15
May 2 / Module 5 and review for the final exam / The final oral exam will take place in the instructor’s office / Last day of classes: Mon., May 2
Study Days: Tues. and Wed., May 3 and 4
Final Exams: May 5-11
FINAL EXAM / Section 2
Section 6 / May 6 (Friday)8-10 am
May 9 (Monday) 8:00-10:00 / Location for the final exam: regular classroom
If you need to purchase an iLrn HeinleLearningCenter Access Code, please follow the instructions below.
- Log on to . If this is your first time purchasing from CengageBrain you will need to create an account before you can purchase materials.
- After the registration process is complete you are ready to purchase.
- Go to to be taken directly to the iLrn HeinleLearningCenter Instant Access Code purchase page.
- Click “Add to Cart.” A new window will open.
- Choose “See My Cart” in the new window.
- A summary of your order (Review and Pay) will open. Review your order and confirm your choice(s).
- If you are not signed in to your account, please sign in with your username and password at this time.
- Enter your payment information.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and choose “Finish Purchase.”
If you experience any difficulty purchasing material from please alert your instructor immediately.
You may also contact Customer Service at:
Email:
Phone: 866-994-2427
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. EST
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