Elementary French

Course Details

Course Number: 1234  Section Number: 01,02

Spring 2013

Location: Prothro-Yeager Hall

Classroom Number: py 204

Days & Times:

M,Tu,Th,F 8:00-8:50 1234-01

M,Tu,Th,F 11-11:50

Course Attachments

Textbooks

VIS-A-VIS  ISBN: 0-070353542-7

VIS-A-VIS, WORKBOOK  ISBN: 0-39-018976-6
MSU Faculty Member
Dr. Stuart Allan McClintock   
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Course Objectives

 

 

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Goals and Language of instruction: The goal of this course is to begin to be able to speak, understand, write, and read the French language. We gradually move towards total immersion as the semester progresses.. We will also study francophone (French-speaking) cultures. Further we will study the fundamental building blocks of all languages through the study of one particular language.

                                                           

French at Midwestern:

1. There is a French Club open to anybody interested in francophone (French speaking) culture.

2. There is a French minor and a French area of concentration at Midwestern. You must take the four introductory semesters of language instruction and then a minimum of four advanced courses for the minor and six advanced course for the area of concentration. Those interested in teaching will take six advanced classes for a total of 32 hours. If you are interested, see me for details.

3.  There is a 2,000 dollar scholarship given every year for a French minor to study/travel in a francophone country.

4. We have a chapter of Pi Delta Phi, the French National Honor society. To qualify for membership, you must have completed one advanced French course with an average of 3.00.

5. There are possibilities for studying French in another country over the summer. See me.

6. Midwestern participates in a program in France at which you can study for a full semester every spring. Courses are in English and cover a wide range of subjects. The program is open to all majors because courses are part of the core curriculum.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Course Expectations

Required Texts: Vis-à-vis, 4th edition and accompanying 4th edition workbook

Lab homework: Each chapter has a lab assignment to be done in the language lab in Moffet Library . (It is not the lab assignment in the workbook.) The lab must be completed in one seating because you hand in your work when you leave.  Skip the dictation at the beginning of the tape. The questions after the dictation are your assignment. You write the questions and then the answers to these questions/prompts in full sentences in French. You may listen to the tape as many times as you like. When you have finished, recopy your work neatly and hand it in to the lab assistant. The lab assistant is instructed to only accept work done in the lab. You should do the lab at the end of the second week of the chapter. I collect the lab work at noon following the day of the chapter test, which is the day we start the next chapter. Tests are generally on Monday; so your lab is due Tuesday.  You should not consult with a classmate about any part of the lab.

Academic honesty: Any work that you submit that is not your own is reason for censure for all parties involved. Procedure for censure follows the academic dishonesty policy in the student handbook.

Students with disabilities:MSU provides students with documented disabilities academic accommodations. If you are a student with a disability, please contact me.

Homework rules and procedures:

1. Arrive in class with work completed. Do not do your homework in class or start doing your homework just before class starts!

2. Head your paper with your name, section (8am or 11am), and assignment (page and exercise numbers).

3. Write out everything in an assignment. For example, the whole paragraph or sentence in a fill-in-the-blank exercise should be written in full.

4. We go over homework each class, and you are responsible for properly grading your own paper. Bring a red pen to mark errors and/or make corrections.

6. You should keep a French folder into which you put your returned homework assignments, quizzes, and test study sheets. You can refer to these at test times, and you have a record of your work in case there is some discrepancy between a grade I have for you and what you have as the actual grade.

 

Extra Credit:You can do something related to French for extra credit to replace or add to a poor grade for homework, quiz, or lab. It can be just about anything such as going to a museum with French art, reading a French novel, or watching a French movie. Write up what you've done and submit it. The bigger the project, the more it's worth. You may do a maximum of two extra credit projects. Talk to me to clear project before you do it.

Please help create and maintain MSU as a tobacco-free campus.

 Turn off and put away all phones.


Grading Standards

Grade: Lab                                                                                                            10%

           Attendance                                                                                                 10%

           Quizzes,                                                                                                      10%

           Daily work (25% of this grade is your oral work)                                 10%

           Tests                                                                                                            40%

            Final                                                                                                             20%


Final Exam5/6/2013  13:00-15:00

Submission Format PolicyNote: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance.

Late Paper Policy

Homework: Homework is due at the beginning of class; no work is accepted after class. If you are absent, turn in assignment the day you return. Please submit neat work and follow rules about homework procedures clearly outlined in syllabus. Sloppy work or work that does not follow homework procedures will be returned with a zero.

Quizzes: Quizzes are administered at the beginning of class. In general, no make-up quizzes are given for late students. Quizzes are usually announced; however pop quizzes will also be administered. If you are absent, you may make up your quiz, but you must be ready to do it at the beginning of the class to which you return. It is your responsibility to follow through on making up the quiz


Plagiarism Policy Plagiarism is the use of someone else's thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in "Works Cited")-whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not.

Student Honor Creed

As an MSU Student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else do so."

As students at MSU, we recognize that any great society must be composed of empowered, responsible citizens. We also recognize universities play an important role in helping mold these responsible citizens. We believe students themselves play an important part in developing responsible citizenship by maintaining a community where integrity and honorable character are the norm, not the exception. Thus, We, the Students of Midwestern State University, resolve to uphold the honor of the University by affirming our commitment to complete academic honesty. We resolve not only to be honest but also to hold our peers accountable for complete honesty in all university matters. We consider it dishonest to ask for, give, or receive help in examinations or quizzes, to use any unauthorized material in examinations, or to present, as one's own, work or ideas which are not entirely one's own. We recognize that any instructor has the right to expect that all student work is honest, original work. We accept and acknowledge that responsibility for lying, cheating, stealing, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty fundamentally rests within each individual student. We expect of ourselves academic integrity, personal professionalism, and ethical character. We appreciate steps taken by University officials to protect the honor of the University against any who would disgrace the MSU student body by violating the spirit of this creed. Written and adopted by the 2002-2003 MSU Student Senate.

Students with Disabilities The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Support Services in Room 168 of the Clark Student Center, 397-4140.

Safe Zones Statement The professor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being - regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the professor's expectation that ALL students consider the classroom a safe environment.

Contacting your Instructor All instructors in the Department have voicemail in their offices and MWSU e-mail addresses. Make sure you add your instructor's phone number and e-mail address to both email and cell phone lists of contacts.

Attendance Requirements

Attendance is mandatory. A student will be dropped after six unexcused absences. Only an excused absence, defined as a university-sponsored event, is not counted as an absence. Attendance grades are as follows: zero or one absence, 110; two absences, 90; three absences, 85; every absence thereafter is fivepoints off your attendance grade per absence. Repeated late arrival will count as an absence. I will try to warn you when you are approaching the limit, but you are responsible for knowing how many absences you have


Writing Proficiency Requirement All students seeking a Bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University must satisfy a writing proficiency requirement once they've 1) passed English 1113 and English 1123 and 2) earned 60 hours. You may meet this requirement by passing either the Writing Proficiency Exam or English 2113. Please keep in mind that, once you've earned over 90 hours, you lose the opportunity to take the $25 exam and have no option but to enroll in the three-credit hour course. If you have any questions about the exam, visit the Writing Proficiency Office website at http://academics.mwsu.edu/wpr, or call 397-4131.