| Instructor: |
|
| Office and office hours: |
|
| E-mail: |
| Coordinator: | Andréa M.
Javel |
| Office and office hours: |
Lyons 307E Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays: 10-11 and 3 - 4 (and by appointment) |
| E-mail: | javel@bc.edu |
| Office phone: |
x2-3839 |
| Web page: | www2.bc.edu/~javel/ (Check Blackboard Vista (http://cms.bc.edu) and this web page regularly for updates and changes, as well as additional course materials throughout the semester.) |
| Required texts: | 1) Débuts:an Introduction to French.
(2nd edition) Siskin, Williams and Field, New York: McGraw-HIll, 2007. |
| 2) Workbook/Laboratory
Manual Part 2 to accompany Débuts. Siskin, Williams, Virtue
and Leahy, New York: McGraw-Hill 2007. |
COURSE DESCRIPTION: As was the case in RL 009, the objective of this course is to lay the foundation for the acquisition of intermediate level proficiency in French. Our goal is to enable students to make a smooth transition into Intermediate French I, on their way to fulfilling Boston College's foreign language requirement. Students will continue to develop proficiency in the four skill areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing. During Elementary French II, students will continue to explore French culture, vocabulary and grammar through the film, Le Chemin du retour. The course will culminate with the resolution of Camille's quest to learn the truth about her grandfather's role in World War II, i.e., was he a Collaborator or part of the Resistance? In the classroom, the focus will continue to be on oral expression. To this end, French is the language of choice in class and on assignments, providing an immersion experience, the quickest path to proficiency. Students will further explore France, French culture and la Francophonie through various media. As students experience Francophone culture, they will be encouraged to challenge their own cultural biases and assumptions.
PRE-REQUISITES AND PLACEMENT: RL 009
or placement into Elementary French II (RL 010) on the Foreign Language
Placement Exam. If you have not taken the Placement Test and have taken
French before (but not RL009) you must take the test. It can be
taken on line 24 hours a day, seven days a week at: http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/romlang/undergradprog/place.html.
Results are immediate. If you have questions about your placement
(you believe the test has placed you too high, or too low) please
contact the Coordinator, Andréa Javel at javel@bc.edu.
THE PRACTICUM: RL012, the
Elementary French II practicum is a fourth hour of class, offered to
students who were true beginners last semester, students who
experienced
difficulties last semester, those who antcipate difficulties, as well
as
those who would like additional reinforcement of topics, vocabulary and
grammatical structures discussed in RL010, Elementary French II.
Elementary French II Practica are held on Thursdays at 11:00, 12:00 or
1:00. Students who are interested in the practicum, should only
sign up for one of the sections. This is a one credit course
which
is graded separately from RL010. Attendance is required.
OVERRIDES: The Department will only consider overrides when there are NO other options. NO OVERRIDES will be considered until the end of DROP/ADD, January 23, 2009. Up until that time, students should intermittently continue to try to enroll in the section of their choice through U-VIEW. During the DROP/ADD period, spots open up randomly and most students are able to enroll in the section they prefer without consulting the Coordinator. If the need for an override does arise, students must obtain the Coordinator's permission. Individual instructors CANNOT give overrides.
Want to spend next summer in France? Click here!
GRADING: Grades will be computed based on the following :
| Grade component: | Percentage of final grade: |
|
15% |
|
8% |
|
22% |
|
20% |
|
6% |
|
9% |
|
20% |
*lowest test grade is dropped
In computing grades, the following numerical
equivalents for the 12 letter grades will be used:
| A 94-100 | B- 80-83 | D+ 67-69 |
| A- 90-93 | C+ 77-79 | D 64-66 |
| B+ 87-89 | C 74-76 | D- 60-63 |
| B 84-86 | C- 70-73 | F below |
WE CARE ABOUT ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Any work submitted in this course must be each student's own work. Students will receive a grade of "F" for work that can be attributed to someone else. Subsequent plagiarism or cheating will be met with disciplinary action involving the student's dean. For clear-cut, university wide guidelines on what constitutes academic integrity, please visit the following BC web page: http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/polisci/integrity.html
CLASS PARTICIPATION AND ABSENCE POLICY: Since learning to communicate in a foreign language requires regular oral practice, the Department allows only three (3) unexcused absences per term. For each additional absence, 1 point will be subtracted from the semester grade unless the absence is officially excused by the Dean's office. Students are responsible for making up any missed work promptly following an absence. Late work will not be accepted. In order to excel in class participation and to make the most of this course, students must be present and must have prepared the items on the syllabus for a given day.
TESTS AND MAKE-UP POLICY:
There will be three (3) unit tests during the semester, with a strong
emphasis on listening comprehension, plus an additional focus on
creating with the language in written form. Unit tests will
include vocabulary, key plot information, as well as cultural content.
No make-up tests or quizzes will be given, except for medical
reasons. The lowest test grade will be dropped.
Students missing class on a test day will be advised to take that test
as their dropped grade.
QUIA ONLINE WORKBOOK AND LAB MANUAL: Students will need to purchase a new Quia key in order to access the online workbooks for second semester. Instructors will provide students with a new Quia class key, so that they may set up their Quia account for second semester. The Quia online workbook and lab manual provides oral and written exercises to be completed based corresponding grammar and vocabulary in the text. Completed workbook assignments are to be turned in online on the dates indicated below. Students will find that for certain activities their answers will be identical to those listed in the answer key. Other activities are more open-ended and for those activities, submitting answers that are identical to those of the answer key is be considered to be plagiarism. Students will be given a grade of "0" (zero) for each open-ended activity where their answers are identical to those of the answer key. Students will also receive a grade of "0" for activies where answers are left blank on the first attempt. Students encountering difficulty with workbook activities should contact their instructor for help
CINÉMATHÈQUE:
Cinema provides language immersion, cultural information, historical
data and a unique opportunity to develop a feel for the language as it
is spoken by natives. Students are required to see two (2) French
or Francophone films of their own choosing during the spring semester
and will fill out and hand in Fiches
techniques on the films they see. Films may be viewed
at the O'Neill Media Lab (students can check out DVD's), at the
Language
Laboratory, at the Maison
Française, at local cinemas, or at home (Netflix has
thousands of French language films). American movies dubbed in
French do not qualify, nor do French movies in English. All fiches
techniques must be written in French this semester.
Click here
for French and Francophone films available at the O'Neill Media Center.
| O'Neill
Media Center (films): Hours |
|
| Mon-Thu |
9 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Fri | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Sat |
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Sun |
Sun 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. |
| Language Laboratory HOURS: Lyons 313 | |
| Mon-Thu |
8 a.m. - 10 p.m. |
| Fri |
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. |
| Sat |
CLOSED |
| Sun |
1 p.m. - 9 p.m |
DISCUSSION:
There will be three discussion assignments to be submitted online in Blackboard Vista. Topics will
relate to aspects of French and Francophone culture explored in the
textbook, as well as current events and other topics of interest.
Students will voice personal opinions, ideas and reactions to these
issues. A week before a given discussion assignment is due, the
instructor will post a topic for her class in her individual folder in
the Discussion section of Blackboard Vista. To access your
instructor's folder, click on the Discussion icon in Blackboard Vista
and then click on the folder labeled with your instructor's last
name. Please do not use English in these assignments. Use a
dictionary (many are available online) to look up individual words, but
fight the impulse to attempt word-for-word translation. Avoid
using online translators; they are incapable of accurately translating
anything but the simplest of ideas. When a student submits work
he
or she has not written or uses an online translator, it is crystal
clear
to the instructor. Do you own work! It's the only way to
make progress.
MID-TERM
ONLINE ORAL TEST: To quickly assess oral progress and
proficiency, students will take an online oral test at the
mid-term. The test will be sent to students' BC e-mail addresses
in the form of a voice e-mail to which students respond by creating
their own online recording. These recordings can be done on
students' personal computers, if they are equipped with
microphones. If not, students may record their responses on any
one of the many computers available in the Language Lab in Lyons
313. It is essential
that students include their names in the subject line of the e-mail
containing their test responses. Tests submitted without names
will have to be redone.
FINAL EXAM: The Final exam is a
comprehensive written exam covering the entire semester's work.
There is no oral component. The Final will take place on
Saturday, May 9, 2009 at
4 p.m.
This is not the date and time listed in the course guide. A
make-up exam will be scheduled for students who have two other exams
scheduled for the same day. This exam may take place as late as
Tuesday, May 12, 2009. The specific location of the make-up will
be announced. The Final exam is never given
early. DO NOT make
travel plans to leave campus before May 12, in case you need to take
the
make-up.
SYLLABUS: SPRING 2009 (Assignments are
in the Débuts textbook unless otherwise noted.)
| Date | MATERIAL TO BE READ and/or COVERED (Tests are in bold.): | Pages to be read, structures to be studied and items to be handed in are listed below. | |
| Wed- Jan 14 |
Introduction au cours & révision des épisodes 1 à 11. |
|
|
| Fri - Jan 16 |
Episode 12: C'est à propos de Louise Chapitre 12: les étapes de la vie, les médias. |
|
|
| Mon - Jan 19 |
Pas de classe. Fête pour commémorer la naissance de Martin Luther King. | ||
| Wed - Jan 21 |
Chapitre 12: la
narration au passé et l'imparfait. Regards sur la culture: les étapes de la vie |
|
|
| Fri
- Jan 23 (last day to drop/add online) |
Chapitre 12: les verbes dire,
lire et écrire. Synthèse: Culture, «Mon Amant de Saint-Jean», la chanson favorite de Louise. |
|
|
| Mon - Jan 26 | Episode 13: Documents Chapitre 13: la communication et la technologie, les cours à l'université |
|
|
| Wed- Jan 28 |
Chapitre 13: les
négations: rien et personne, savoir vs. connaître Regards sur la culture: L'enseignement supérieur |
|
|
| Fri
- Jan 30 |
Chapitre 13: le passé
composé et l'imparfait. Synthèse: Culture, Les technologies de la communication |
|
|
| Mon- Feb 2 |
Episode
14: Une lettre Chapitre 14: le transport en commun, le métro. |
|
|
| Wed - Feb 4 |
Chapitre 14: parler du temps
(depuis vs. pendant), les adverbes. Regards sur la culture: Les transports et la société |
|
|
| Fri-
Feb 6 |
Chapitre 14: les
prépositions géographiques. |
|
|
| Mon - Feb 9 |
Synthèse: Lecture, «Marraine
de Guerre» |
|
|
| Wed
- Feb 11 |
Contrôle nº 1 - Episodes 12-14 | Cliquez
ici pour la feuille
révision. |
|
| Fri - Feb 13 |
Episode 15: Une piste! Chapitre 15: la cuisine maghrébine. |
|
|
| Mon - Feb 16 (last day to drop course in Dean's office or change to Pass/Fail) |
Chapitre 15: des verbes comme
ouvrir, y et en. Regards sur la culture: Transformations de la culture en France |
|
|
| Wed
- Feb 18 |
Chapitre 15: des verbes comme
vivre et suivre. Synthèse: culture, «Immigration et nationalité» |
|
|
| Fri - Feb 20 |
Episode 16: Le départ Chapitre 16: les Cévennes et la Bretagne. |
|
|
| Mon - Feb 23 | Chapitre 16: le comparatif et le
superlatif Regards sur la culture: L'amitié |
|
|
| Wed- Feb 25 |
Chapitre 16: les
pronoms interrogatifs (suite) Synthèse: Lecture, «L'amitié et l'amour» |
|
|
| Fri - Feb 27 |
Episode 17: Je cherche la trace d'un homme. Chapitre 17: la géographie de la France, demander et donner le chemin (directions) |
|
|
| March 2 - 6 |
SPRING BREAK! Amusez-vous bien! | ||
| Mon - Mar 9 |
Chapitre 17: le
futur et les pronoms compléments Regards sur la culture: Le déclin de la campagne |
|
|
| Wed - Mar 11 | Chapitre 17: les
pronoms compléments d'objets (bis) Synthèse: Culture, L'écologie et les mouvements de population |
|
|
| Fri - Mar 13 | Contrôle
nº 2: Episodes 15 - 17 |
|
|
| Mon - Mar 16 |
Episode 18: Histoires privées Chapitre 18: l'agriculture et l'environnement |
|
|
| Wed - Mar 18 |
Chapitre 18: les pronoms
relatifs et les verbes comme conduire Regards sur la culture: La vie en ville et à la campagne |
|
|
| Fri
- Mar 20 |
Chapitre 18:
verbe + préposition + infinitif Synthèse: Lecture, «Le partage de la récolte» |
|
|
| Mon- Mar 23 | Episode 19: Un certain Fergus Chapitre 19: Un reportage sur la Résistance |
|
|
| Wed - Mar 25 | Chapitre 19: le conditionnel et
les phrases avec "si". Regards sur la culture: La Résistance |
|
|
| Fri - Mar 27 |
Chapitre 19: les pronoms
démonstratifs Synthèse: Culture, Deux îles françaises loin de la France |
|
|
| Mon - Mar 30 | Episode 20: Risques Chapitre 20: la ville de Marseille, le travail |
|
|
| Wed - Apr 1 (Poisson d'avril!) |
Chapitre 20: des
expressions impersonnelles + infinitif ou le subjonctif Regards sur la culture: Le monde du travail |
|
|
| Fri - Apr 3 |
Chapitre 20: le
subjonctif (la volonté) Révision pour le contrôle nº 3 |
|
|
| Mon
- Apr 6 |
Contrôle
nº 3: Episodes 18 - 20 |
|
|
| Wed - Apr 8 |
Episode 21: D'où vient cette photo? Chapitre 21: Marseille (bis) |
|
|
| April 9 - 13 |
Easter Break! Pas de cours! | ||
| Wed - Apr 15 | Episode 21: le subjonctif (l'émotion, l'opinion, le
doute) Regards sur la culture: La notion du musée |
|
|
| Fri - Apr 17 | Episode 21: le subjonctif (avec
des conjonctions) Synthèse: Culture, «La politique culturelle au Québec» |
|
|
| Mon - Apr 20 (April 21, last day to withdraw with a "W") |
Patriot's Day! Pas de
cours! |
|
|
| Wed - Apr 22 |
Episode 22: Secrets dévoilés Chapitre 22: Casablanca |
|
|
| Fri - Apr 24 |
Episode 22: Le passé
composé et l'imparfait. Regards sur la culture: La culture de Casablanca |
|
|
| Mon- Apr 27 | Episode
22: Synthèse: Lecture,
«M. Loubon» |
|
|
| Wed - Apr 29 |
Révision
pour l'examen final. |
|
|
| Fri - May 1 |
STUDY DAY. No class. | ||
| Mon- May 4 |
GENERAL REVIEW SESSION FOR ALL
SECTIONS OF ELEMENTARY FRENCH Salle TBA 12 - 1:00 |
||
| Sat - May 9 | FINAL EXAM, 4 to 6 p.m., location TBA | Feuille de révision pour
l'examen final. Mock exam - pour l'examen final. |