COURSE NUMBER: FRE 201, 202


			Text only

FRE 201, 202

I. TITLE: INTERMEDIATE FRENCH

II. CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION:
Intensive grammar review with emphasis on communication skills. Includes further practice in listening, conversation, reading, and writing. Taught in French. The course description for 202 is the same as it is for 201 but a continuation of 201. Therefore, the proposals for 201 and 202 are being offered together.

III. PURPOSE:
To equip students with an intermediate level knowledge and communicative competency in French. The courses also cultivate “Characteristics of the Murray State Graduate:”
A. encourages student independent thought and effective expression of that thought in oral and written communication:

1. Students learn about structures of language, including their own; by doing so, they refine their own means of expressing thought effectively through oral and written communication.
2. The course itself focuses on oral and written communication; thus students learn not only to communicate in a foreign language, but also to communicate in English more clearly, with less slang and more direct means of expression.

B. has the students apply sound standards of analysis and evaluation to reach logical decisions:

Students analyze and evaluate standard vocabulary and basic language structures to synthesize and formulate further forms of speech communication, thus reaching logical decisions in language.

C. encourages the understanding of the role and applications of technology to solve the problems of a changing world:

Students use the internet to access information about the countries they are studying: geography, culture, people, systems, etc.

D. teaches critical understanding of the world’s historical, literary, philosophical, and artistic traditions:

By including culture of the countries studied, students learn about historical, literary, philosophical, and artistic traditions beyond those of the United States.

E. teaches understanding of the dynamics of cultural diversity:

1. Students learn about languages, people, and cultures different from theirs as an integral part of the course;
2. they begin to compare and contrast our culture with the varied cultures of the peoples studied and to understand the dynamics of one culture interacting with another; and
3. they learn more about our own cultural heritage as a result of the influence other cultures have on our culture.

IV. COURSE OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the second year French language study are to:
a.) have a solid foundation in all major grammatical structures of the French language;
b.) possess an active vocabulary for Intermediate* level language production in real-life situations as well as expanded passive knowledge of additional vocabulary for listening and reading comprehension;
c.) be able to understand Intermediate* level spoken French at normal conversational speed;
d.) be able to express him/herself in writing complex sentences in French;
e.) be able to read and understand a variety of Intermediate* level, including some authentic texts ( ie. texts written by a native speaker for a native speaker audience);
f.) be able to speak with acceptable pronunciation and intonation for the Intermediate * level;
g) to improve students’ understanding of the grammar, structure, and vocabulary of English;
h.) to improve interpersonal communication skills, whether in English or French;
I.) to increase and refine students’ awareness and appreciation of French-speaking peoples and their cultures;
j) to develop the critical thinking skills of deduction and inference in order to extract meaning from texts and verbal discourse at a more advanced level;
k.) and to learn how to problem-solve with language and how to predict patterns of form and usage.
*Please refer to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Proficiency Guidelines for specific criteria for “Intermediate Level.”

The course also
A. introduces students to fundamental concepts and ways of knowing:

Students learn the fundamental concepts involved in language study: They learn the vocabulary (grammar and syntax terms), the methods of learning a language and how languages work, and the function and structure of language. Students also increase their knowledge of the English language.

B. promotes interdisciplinary understanding by clarifying how the content and methods of foreign language learning contribute to an understanding of its function in society:

1. Students learn how to communicate on a wide variety of topics in a foreign language;
2. they learn how to approach a wide variety of texts not translated into English; it facilitates their ability to make a mature approach to foreign texts. This prepares students going into many different disciplines, e.g., music students to understand songs and music in French, journalism students to comprehend articles and reports in French; students of the sciences to understand research documents in French; business students to engage in basic professional dialogue; history students to interpret historical texts and better grasp historical contexts; etc.
3. students learn to compare another language and its structure to the English language;
4. they learn the interrelationship of language and culture/society and how a language contributes to the formation of a society’s world view and visa versa;
5. by studying cultures--not just the culture of the language being learned--students begin to compare and contrast other cultures with their own.

C. emphasizes international perspectives:

1. International perspectives are emphasized on a daily basis as an inherent part of language and culture learning;
2. besides class discussions and readings in the text materials that introduce students to international perspectives, students are encouraged to attend a wide variety of international cultural events that further enhance their knowledge of global perspectives.

V. CONTENT OUTLINE: In French 201 we shall cover Unités 1-4 in the textbook; in 202, 5-8.

VI. INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:
1. Class sessions will be conducted in French as much as possible.
2. Class periods may include introduction of new material, practice of previous material, question and answer practice, brief dialogues or discussions of outside materials, homework or composition checks as assigned.
3. Students are expected to prepare assigned material before every class period.
4. Lab/workbook exercises will be collected regularly.
5. Assignments will not be accepted late unless by prior arrangement.

The course also
A. promotes student engagement in and responsibility for learning through the use of active learning methodologies:

1. As stated above as a regular part of the syllabus: “Students are expected to spend at least two hours preparing for every class period. ***Grammar assignments are to be read and studied before class. Any grammar explanations given in class will be very brief and will presuppose a knowledge of the material. All exercises assigned in the textbook are to be practiced thoroughly outside of class. Written homework is to be done before class and in the most complete form possible (i.e., in complete sentences).”
2. communicative teaching is an approach which focuses on maximizing the four communicative skills as opposed to the traditional grammar-translation method. It includes the use of the target language in class. Students prepare grammar assignments outside of class and are prepared to implement them in class in given situations involving students sharing information, asking questions to elicit information, answering questions, asking and receiving directions and instructions, exchanging information, etc. Communicative teaching elicits production of language from students in writing and speaking; students learn the language more than learn about the language;
3. student-centered learning, which involves communicative interaction (see above) in the form of group-work and partner-work, problem-solving, role play, short skits, and other interactive activities,
4. group discussions,
5. partner- and teamwork,
6. frequent role play situations, etc.
and as demonstrated in the communicative assessment at the end of each semester and formally at the end of the first & second years of instruction as well as part of the entire language program.
The course also focuses on problem solving:
7. students employ problem-solving techniques as part of the foreign language learning process. Students are expected to study grammar at home, figure out rules, apply them, and come to class prepared to begin immediate application. Students learn to take a given grammatical, lexical, or syntactic rule and see how it may be applied to other instances. Examples of significant problems are rules of conjugation and their variations, rules of word order, and the differences and similarities between the native language and the target language. Thus, students learn to solve language problems without having to learn every word as an isolated instance.

B. requires a significant amount of speaking, writing, and critical thinking, and reading within the limitations of their first year reading skills in a foreign language:

1. Students have daily written homework assignments;
2. speaking is heavily emphasized every day in class;
3. students learn to read and decipher a variety of elementary texts; and
4. students learn critical thinking as it applies to both languages (the language being learned and English) and cultures (a foreign culture and our own culture).

C.promotes the use of computer technology through

1.student creative writing assignments using a word processor
2.student homework assignments using the World Wide Web and the Internet to access information about the countries they are studying: geography, culture, people, systems, etc.;
3.faculty who teach in the multi-media classroom employing the Internet to show students cultural information
4.student use of e-mail to contact the instructor and faculty use of e-mail to contact students to disseminate information to them and to aid in explanations.
5. the use by some faculty members who have access to the multi-media room to use PowerPoint to demonstrate or illustrate a grammatical, communicative, or cultural point to the students; and
6. utilize the instructor’s homepage to access information and data more efficiently. A growing number of faculty have web pages, and the use of the web page increases every semester. Eight of the 10 faculty members in our department have learned how to develop a web page as of January 1998.

Assignments using the World Wide Web and the Internet to access information about the countries they are studying: geography, culture, people, systems, etc.;
The use of e-mail to contact the instructor.

VII. FIELD AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCES:
Opportunities for cultural events will be announced during the course.

VIII. RESOURCES:
Resources include the Language and Culture Lab (Room 403) which holds audio and computer language aids. Students are expected to listen to tapes often and practice aloud to perfect listening and speaking skills. Another good source of language immersion will be the regular foreign film showings at the Curris Center. Additionally, the Media Center of the Library has a good collection of French films with subtitles. Students should consider joining the Foreign Language Club and participating in other cultural activities that may be planned from time to time.

IX. GRADING PROCEDURES:
Semester grades will be determined as:

10% workbook, labs, & participation (including two reports on cultural events)
10% homework and dialogues
10% quizzes
10% compositions (2 major typewritten)
40% unit exams
20% final/proficiency exam

No absence from an exam will be accepted without prior notification of the instructor or medical justification. There is a limit of one make-up on quizzes.

Written homework is required daily; class time is used for extensive oral work for which students receive an “Active Oral Participation” Grade. Also, as stated in the regular syllabus, “students will be required to attend and write a report on two approved cultural events.”

Exams are in the form of listening comprehension, short answer, reading comprehension,, sections on learned cultural awareness and extensive writing in the target language; written sections of exams are meant to have the students demonstrate what they have learned in the language, and thus what they can produce and communicate in the target language. Every language textbook contains cultural information. Acquired knowledge of the target culture(s) is tested on every exam, either in separate sections dealing only with culture or in sections integrated into other parts of the exam but for which cultural awareness is necessary to attain a correct answer. Written sections of exam are also intended to have the students construct and develop rational arguments and points of view based on an introduction and logical elaboration in their writing.
    Written homework is required daily; further student written homework assignments include independent creative writing beginning at several paragraphs and later a page to two pages in length during the course of the semester. The work is graded on correctness and successful communication skills and evaluated according to the ACTFL standards. Students are also evaluated on their reading skills. Each chapter in the textbook includes a reading text that increase in length with each chapter. Reading is a component of most major exams and the Final Proficiency Exam. Emphasis is placed on reading strategies rather than on just isolated linguistic elements.   Critical thinking is evaluated by student demonstration of understanding the connection and relationship between the native and the target language, the application of rules, the questioning why both languages function the way they do. Evaluation takes place on the homework assignments, in class discussion, and on the exams. The predominant component of the language courses is speaking. While there is variation instructor to instructor, evaluation of speaking skills takes place on a regular basis, and this evaluation is based on the ACTFL standards.
    The Final Achievement exam is comprehensive. The Proficiency Exams include sections covering the four skills: There are speaking (oral), writing, listening, and reading sections of the exam.
    High academic standards are maintained through extensive testing methods and rigorous grading procedures. There are no ACTFL specific descriptors that establish proficiency levels for receiving certain grades. The grades we assign are based on performance within each course.

X. ATTENDANCE POLICY: Attendance is mandatory; absences beyond three for justified reasons will affect your grade. If a student misses over one-fourth of all class meetings for any reason, s/he will not receive a passing grade for the course.

XI. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY: It is the responsibility of every student to be informed about the collegiate Academic Integrity Policy. I expect to grade each student's own individual efforts and achievement on written assignments and exams; when appropriate and announced, students are invited to collaborate and help each other on in-class dialogues and activities.
A votre tour by Valette & Valette
A votre tour Workbook and Lab Manual
One 90-minute blank audio tape of high quality, low-bias

XIII. PREREQUISITES: FRE 102 or placement test equivalent; FRE 201 or placement test equivalent.
Notice: If this is your first college-level French course, you may use your successful completion of this course to challenge credit for earlier language courses (FRE 101-102 for six hours + FRE 201 for three hours = nine total credit hours). To do this, however, you must have taken the placement exam, you must receive either an A or B as a semester grade, and you must file an application with the Dept. of Foreign Languages.

Last updated February 14, 2000. Designed and maintained by Kyosung Koo