Course Description

• Description
• Goals and Objectives
• Prerequisite
• Texts and Materials
• Classroom Activities
• Homework
• Tests
• Grade Breakdown
• Absence Policy
• Participation
• Office Hours
• Honor Code
• Students with Learning Disabilities
• Audio Files

Description

This course is the second part of a three-part elementary sequence that serves as an introduction to French language and culture.  This semester, however, is the last semester of the three-part sequence, and 1101 students this semester will continue their study of French in subsequent semesters by enrolling in FREN1202.  This course builds upon the content and activities of the preceding course in the sequence by extending basic vocabulary, key grammar structures, pronunciation, and aspects of culture, and provides additional contexts for practice and learning.  I will conduct class primarily in French and will expect you to grasp main ideas rather than understand every word you hear.  Classroom activities will focus on helping you build vocabulary and develop communication skills, with attention paid to each of the four language skills (listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing).  We will also discuss French culture and geography.

This section of FREN 1101 has been designated as a pilot class for exploring the integration of technology into the Languages and Culture Studies curriculum, begun under the auspices of the Language Mission Project, a national grant in which UNC Charlotte participated.  (In order to maintain accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, all UNC Charlotte departments are now required to assess student competency in computer skills.)  We will cover the same chapters as other FREN 1101 classes, but will approach some of the material and some class activities with the aid of technology.  We will use e-mail (all students have been assigned an e-mail address by the university; see the campus online directory), the Internet, and WebCT for some communications and activities, as well as the new Language Resource Center (COED 434, ext. 78768).  The new GenEd Program at UNC Charlotte requires the following “basic skills of information literacy and technology”:

Entering students are expected to have already developed the basic computer skills necessary to use word processing, email, and the internet. By the end of their first semester at UNC Charlotte, students are expected to have developed the basic information literacy necessary to find and evaluate information from the internet and bibliographic and database sources in Atkins Library. These skills are developed in English 1101 and 1103, and help with bibliographical and database search skills is available in the information commons of the Library. Basic tutorial help is also available at campus computer labs. Students are expected to exhibit ethical behavior in the use of computers. More advanced information literacy and technology skills are required by individual departments and majors.

Goals and Objectives

This course fulfills in part COGE Communication Goal I, which prepares students to “communicate effectively in a symbolic system of language (other than English) having written, oral or visual components.”  The goals of the course are to help students continue to develop conversational skills, awareness of different cultural practices and perspectives, to use the language to explore other disciplines, to compare French and their native language and culture, and to apply French beyond the classroom.  See Goals and Expectations for FREN 1101 for specific vocabulary and grammar covered.  These goals are in keeping with the national Standards for Foreign Language Learning [dead link], which propose activities in the areas of Communication, Culture, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities.  As for objectives, students are expected (1) to be able to greet people and count and tell the date and time in French, to understand and speak about rooms and furnishings, families, the weather, getting around in a town, and to describe people; (2) to demonstrate control of grammar such as pronouns, verbs, negatives, interrogatives and articles; (3) to write short compositions on familiar topics; (4) to read selected authentic texts for main ideas and information; (5) to evaluate language software programs; and (6) to navigate French sites on the Web.  The national Proficiency Guidelines are used to gauge students’ level of performance and progress.

Prerequisite

This course is for students who have had FREN 1100 or equivalent.  The French Proficiency Test [dead link] is required (except for students who took FREN 1100).

Texts and Materials

In student bookstore:

• Text:  Voilà!  Heilenman et al., 4^th edition
• Workbook:  Voilà! Cahier d’activités écrites, 4^th edition
• Workbook:  Voilà! Cahier d’activités orales, 4^th edition
• Answer Key:  Voilà! Cahier d’avtivités écrites et orales, 4^th edition
• CD-ROM:  Text audio CD-ROMs, 4^th edition (on inside back cover of text)
• CD-ROM:  Voilà Interactive CD-ROM, 4^th edition

Audio Program: The recordings for Leçons 8-13 that correspond to the workbook of oral exercises can be obtained:

1. for free by dropping off a 90-minute tape in the LRC [see LRC Services for instructions about tape duplication],
2. for free on-line as streaming-audio files annotated with workbook titles [which download faster on home computers than MP3 files] at http://pages.charlotte.edu/katherine-stephenson/wp-content/uploads/sites/221/2012/11/f1oralex.doc or as MP3 files at LRC, Online Media, French, Voilà [dead link], or
3. by purchasing the complete 13-CD audio program for FREN 1100-1102 at Gray’s Bookstore.

Course Homepage: http://pages.charlotte.edu/katherine-stephenson/courses/elementary-french-ii

On WebCT: Some information, study and homework materials, and all exams are on WebCT.  You access our course from any computer on or off campus (campus computer labs are open 24/7) through 49er Express.  If you’re accessing your campus student account for the first time, see https://49erexpress.uncc.edu/cp/home/displaylogin or http://49erexpress-info.uncc.edu/help/ for instructions.)  Also, if you select the “Student Home” link on the WebCT homepage [dead link], you will get the WebCT Student Support web pages (http://www.uncc.edu/webct/WCT_STUDENT/index.html [dead link]).  From there, you can access important information on browsers (you may have to adjust your browser settings and/or download a plug-in), how to log in, WebCT tours, general guides, and the “forgotten password” reset.

If you have any problems with WebCT, you must contact WebCT Student Support by sending in a completed “Request Help” form, found under “Troubleshooting and Help” on the WebCT Student Support web page at http://www.uncc.edu/webct/WCT_STUDENT/index.html [dead link].  See “Instructions for WebCT” for guidelines on accessing WebCT and taking tests in WebCT.

After the first class meeting, immediately send the professor an e-mail message using the 49er Express “Email” function. Select the email icon on the upper right on your 49er Express homepage, then select the “Compose” button at the top left of the email page, then type my email address [see beginning of this document] in the “Enter Recipients” box, then type “[Your Name]’s 1101 contact info” in the “Subject” box and type the information below, in exactly the format below, in the “Message” box, then hit the “Send button” on the bottom right.

• Name (for first name, indicate name you wish to be called by in class)
• Telephone number
• E-mail address*
• Classification, major, advisor
• If you have a job, number of hours you work per week
• Previous French: when, where (if UNCC, name of professor), grade;
• Other languages, trips to France (where, when)

On Friday, Jan. 21, send a list with the first 3 items above to everyone in the class, using WebCT “Mail.”  Select “Mail” from the left frame on the WebCT Course Homepage [not your 49er Express homepage], select “Compose mail message,” then in “Browse” next to the “Send to” box, select all the names and message will go to the entire class.  Type “[Your Name]’s contact info” in the “Subject” box and type your 3 contact info items in the “Message” box, then select “Send” at the bottom left.  See WebCT Help (upper right of main page), Index, Mail, Compile and download messages, to create your class info list for downloading and printing out.  Keep this list with your class materials so you can easily contact classmates for help and getting updates if you’re absent.

Attention: You may not be able to access your WebCT account until 24 hours after you are officially enrolled in the class.

*The university administration encourages students to use the official university-provided e-mail address when corresponding with professors and students, to be aware of the university’s Electronic Mail Policy, and to check their 49er Express e-mail account regularly.

Classroom Activities

The classroom is where you have the opportunity to hear and speak French.  I will present vocabulary, grammar structures, exercises, readings, and other material and will ask questions to check pronunciation and understanding.  On occasion, you will work in pairs or small groups and give brief reports.  Do not worry about making mistakes in class because making mistakes is part of the process of developing language fluency.  Also, take advantage of class time to ask about any material or concepts you do not understand.

Respectful classroom behavior is expected.  This includes arriving on time for class and turning off your cell phone before entering class.  Breaches of proper classroom etiquette have the following consequences: each time you disrupt class by coming in late or having an electronic device go off in class, you will be charged with a “late”; 3 lates/disruptions = 1 unexcused absence.

Homework

Most of the learning takes place outside of the classroom.  You will have to devote a minimum of two hours of preparation for each class hour (see UNC Charlotte Catalog 27).  The homework consists of reading about the language in the text, writing exercises from both text and workbook of written exercises, and completing the exercises in the workbook of oral exercises based on the audio program (available through tape duplication in the LRC—see LRC Services—on-line at LRC, Online Media, French, Voilà [dead link] using most media players, or through annotated links at the end of this document on pages 5-6 using RealPlayer).  In addition, some homework activities will include using e-mail, the Internet, and software programs in the LRC.  A class session will be devoted to introducing students to the necessary skills for using such technologies.  All of these activities help you “pin down” and remember vocabulary and grammar and help develop communication skills.  See Study Guidelines for details on homework, preparing for class, and free tutoring. Homework is assigned on a regular basis and is due on the assigned date at the beginning of class.  I will only accept late homework for excused absences, and only on the day you return to class.

Tests

Tests appear on the syllabus, except for “pop” quizzes given at the instructor’s discretion, and will be taken in the LRC.  There will be seven chapter tests and a final exam, all of which have a similar format:  The first section is listening comprehension in which you listen to audio excerpts and do various exercises based on what you hear.  This section is vocabulary-intensive, but also includes some grammar.  The second is on the grammar of the chapter and contains a variety of test items, including blank fill-ins, translations, asking or answering questions, and multiple-choice, among others.  The tests also include a reading passage with exercises to gauge comprehension.