FREN 103: ONLINE Summer I, 2016

Course Information and Requirements

Description: French 103 is the first course in a two-course intensive sequence of beginning French. Students will

develop their ability to comprehend spoken and written French as well as to speak and write in French.

Additionally, students will become familiar with the main aspects of French culture and civilization,

including the cultures of some of the approximately three dozen countries in the world where French is

an official language and where there are strong cultural ties with France. No prior knowledge of or

experience with French is assumed, although some students may have had brief exposure to French in

middle school and/or high school.

Foreign Language Placement Test:

All students planning to take a foreign language class at the University of Maryland are required to take the FLPT prior to course registration (or beginning a course). The FLPT is an online exam designed to measure students’ foreign language proficiency. The results are used to place students in the appropriate foreign language course. Students are expected to perform at their highest level and should not solicit outside help with the exam. Students’ placement will be assessed for accuracy during the schedule adjustment period and can impact registration if it is determined that students have been placed above or below their ability. The FLPT is administered online. See http://www.arhu.umd.edu/undergraduate/flpt for more information about the test. Please note that if you have never studied French before, you still need to log in and begin the test, but you will not actually take it. Once you finish the demographic section and indicate that you have never studied French, you will be informed that your correct placement is in 103. Restriction: Must not be a native/fluent speaker of French.

Learning Outcomes: After two semesters of French (103 and 203), students should be able to accomplish the following:

Demonstrate knowledge of many features of everyday life and culture in France and in the three dozen countries where French is spoken.

Instructor: Alex Joensen Email: ajoensen@umd.edu

Phone: 704-578-4915

Sample

Compare aspects of life and values in North America to those of French speakers across the globe. Specifically, students will be able to compare cultural artifacts such as food, music, literature and holidays; have knowledge of institutions such as the educational system, transportation, housing, currency; and have a basic understanding of social phenomena ranging from leisure activities to immigration.

Speak French well enough to maneuver through the countries where it is spoken. Specifically, students should be able to exchange personal information covering self, family, home, studies, daily activities, interests, and personal preferences. Students should also be able to negotiate physical and social needs such as food, shopping, travel, lodging, obtaining basic medical care. Students should also be able to assist French-speaking visitors in this country.

Understand spoken French well enough to get the main ideas and some details from a news broadcast, lecture, or conversation, i.e., across a range of text types and formality levels.

Read French Web sites as well as newspaper and magazine articles dealing with current events and familiar topics. Students should also be able to enjoy short pieces of literature in French with the help of a dictionary and be able to discuss what they read.

Write French well enough to take notes, write messages and letters for various purposes, fill out forms, and write one to two page essays on familiar topics with some degree of structural and stylistic accuracy.

Demonstrate an understanding of the structure of the French language: its pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary and how languages function in societies.

Course requirements: 30 % Homework and Assignments: MFL, ELMS (SAM activities (including Lisons, Observons, Écoutons,

and Écrivons sections), eText activities, Video activities,)

20 % Discussion Board Posts: ELMS (Language and Culture)

15 % Speaking Activities: (Partner Work, Instructor Chats)

25 % Chapter Tests: MFL (to include: listening comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, culture, reading,

writing, and speaking)

10 % Final Oral Interview with Instructor: (info on ELMS)

MFL = MyFrenchLab by Pearson o SAM activities (Student Activities Manual activities); assigned on MFL o eText activities (other activities on MFL) o Video activities (involve watching short clips through MFL) o You will see all activities to be completed on MFL under Assignments and in the

Calendar.

ELMS = also known as Canvas; the online site through UMD o Homework will also be assigned on ELMS. Finished homework should be

uploaded to ELMS. Instructions on how to do so accompany the required

assignments.

Speaking Activities: Sample

o Occur between partners or with the instructor using Adobe Connect. I will

provide the Adobe Connect link before the causeries or instructor talks occur.

Causeries are 5-minute spontaneous conversations between partners. I

provide each of you with a prompt before the causerie occurs, you have

10 minutes to look over it, and then you must have an impromptu

conversation about the subject provided on the respective prompt.

Instructor Chats between one or multiple students will occur using

Adobe Connect or the Conferences tab in ELMS in order to facilitate

conversation between one or more persons. These will occur weekly.

Chapter Tests o Occur on MFL. They will be timed. You will have 50 minutes to complete each

chapter test. Once you start the test, you must complete it during that sitting.

Once the 50 minutes is up, the test will close, and you will no longer be able to

add or edit responses to it.

Final Oral Interview o This is the final exam for the class. You will have no written final exam. This final

oral interview will take place over Adobe Connect between the individual

student and the instructor. Preparatory and potential questions can be found on

ELMS under “Entretien final.” This final oral interview is designed to be a

conversation between student and instructor, to last 5 minutes (timed).

Due dates: Chapitre préliminaire : Présentons-nous !

Leçon 1 Thursday, May 31

Leçon 1 Friday, June 1

Leçon 2 Monday, June 4

Leçon 2 Tuesday, June 5

Venez Chez Nous (VCN) Wednesday, June 6

*Instructor Chats to take place between Monday, June 4 and Wednesday June 6*

Chapitre 1 : Ma famille et moi

Leçon 1 Thursday, June 7

Leçon 2 Friday, June 8

Leçon 2 Monday, June 11

Leçon 3 Tuesday, June 12

Leçon 3 et VCN Wednesday, June 13

*Instructor Chats to take place between Monday June 11 and Wednesday June 13*

CHAPITRES P & 1 TEST turned in by 11:59 pm Friday, June 19 Sample

Chapitre 2 : Voici mes amis

Leçon 1 Monday, June 15

Leçon 2 Tuesday, June 16

Leçon 2 Wednesday, June 17

Leçon 3 Thursday, June 18

Leçon 3 et VCN Friday, June 19

*Instructor Chats to take place between Friday, June 19, and Sunday, June 21*

CHAPITRE 2 TEST turned in by 11:59 pm Sunday, June 21

Chapitre 3 : Études et professions

Leçon 1 Monday, June 22

Leçon 2 Tuesday, June 23

Leçon 2 Wednesday, June 24

Leçon 3 Thursday, June 25

Leçon 3 et VCN Friday, June 26

*Instructor Chats to take place between Friday, June 26, and Sunday, June 28*

CHAPITRE 3 TEST turned in by 11:59 pm Sunday, June 28

Chapitre 4 : Métro, boulot, dodo

Leçon 1 Monday, June 29

Leçon 2 Tuesday, June 30

Leçon 2 Wednesday, July 1

Leçon 3 Thursday, July 2

Leçon 3 et VCN Friday, July 3

*Instructor Chats to take place between Friday, July 3, and Sunday, July 5*

CHAPITRE 4 TEST turned in by 11:59 pm Sunday, July 5

Chapitre 5 : Du marché à la table

Leçon 1 Monday, July 6

Leçon 2 Tuesday, July 7

Leçon 2 Wednesday, July 8

Leçon 3 Thursday, July 9

Leçon 3 et VCN Friday, July 10

CHAPTER 5 TEST turned in by 11:59 pm Sunday, July 12

FINAL ORAL INTERVIEW:

to be scheduled with the instructor the weekend of Saturday, July 11 to Sunday, July 12.

In this online course, we will be using three main tools: Sample

ELMS @ elms.umd.edu

MyFrenchLab (MFL) @ www.myfrenchlab.com

ELMS

ELMS (or Canvas) will serve as our main organizing tool. You should always log into ELMS first to look for

information, keep track of your grade, see what work is due and in what order to do it, and to

communicate with your instructor and your classmates. We will also be using graded Discussion Boards

within ELMS and you will be turning in a number of assignments using ELMS. Virtually all of the

information you need for this class can be found by logging into ELMS and clicking on “Modules” on the

left-hand side of the screen.

MyFrenchLab

Virtually all of our course content will come from MyFrenchLab (MFL). MFL contains an eText (for Chez

nous, branché sur le monde francophone, Media-Enchanced 4th edition) which will be your main source

for learning about French. MFL also contains grammar tutorials, screencasts, a wealth of exercises (some

of which will be assigned and count for a homework grade and some of which will be optional for

practice), video and audio clips, and many more resources (like a glossary, grammar tutorials in English,

flashcards, and a verb conjug9ator). You will also take your chapter tests via MyFrenchLab at the end of

each chapter. The first time you log into MFL, you should follow the steps in the “Getting Started” bar,

near the top of the screen. Be sure to complete the “Browser Tune-up”, set your time zone, and disable

pop-up blockers. [You will NOT be able to do much of anything in MFL if you block pop-ups for MFL!] I

also strongly encourage you to take the time for step number 4 “Take a tour.” This ten-minute video

tour will show you what you need to know to be operational in MyFrenchLab. Please note that technical

support is available 24/7 by clicking on SUPPORT in the upper-right hand corner of your screen.

Textbook or Online text:

MyFrenchLab with Pearson eText -- Access Card -- for Chez nous: Branché sur le monde francophone, Media-Enhanced Version, Fourth Edition. ISBN: 9781269419338

o All students need to have access to a textbook. An eText is included with the MFL access card, and students can choose to use only an eText. More details about this can be found on the course ELMS space.

o The textbook and Student Access Code Card for MFL are used for both Fren 103 and Fren 203; if you plan to continue your study of French with Fren 203, you should purchase multi-semester access and you will not need any additional materials for Fren 203.

For detailed information about course requirements, see the “Course Information and Requirements”

document in ELMS (in Modules).

University Policies: Sample

1. The University of Maryland values the diversity of its student body and is committed to providing a

classroom atmosphere that encourages the equitable participation of all students regardless of age,

disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

Potential devaluation of students in the classroom that can occur by reference to demeaning

stereotypes of any group and/or overlooking the contributions of a particular group to the topic under

discussion is inappropriate. (See the full Statement on Classroom Climate in the Undergraduate Catalog.)

2. Students with disabilities should contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to discuss any

accommodation for this course.

3. The University has approved a Code of Academic Integrity which prohibits students from cheating on

exams, plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses without authorization,

buying papers, facilitating academic dishonesty, submitting fraudulent documents, and forging

signatures. Plagiarism policy: all quotations taken from other authors, including from the Internet, must

be indicated by quotation marks and referenced. Paraphrasing must be referenced as well. The

following University of Maryland Honor Pledge, approved by the University Senate, should be

handwritten and signed on the front page of all papers, projects, or other academic assignments

submitted for evaluation in this course: "I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any

unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination."

4. As of Fall 2012, the University has adopted a new policy on plus/minus grading as follows:

a. Students must earn a grade of C or higher in each course counted toward a major, minor or

certificate.

b. Students matriculating in Fall 2012 or later must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 within the major

(or minor or certificate) in order to graduate.

5. Religious observance: Please inform your instructor of any intended absences for religious

observance at least two weeks in advance.

6. Course evaluations are a part of the process by which the University of Maryland seeks to improve

teaching and learning. Your participation in this official system is critical to the success of the process. All

information submitted to CourseEvalUM is confidential. Instructors can only view group summaries of

evaluations and cannot identify which submissions belong to which students.

7. This syllabus may be subject to change. Students will be notified in advance of important changes

that could affect grading, assignments, etc.

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