82-101  Français Élémentaire I.  Automne 2001. 

Professeur: Michael J. West

Bureau: Porter Hall 125A 

Office Hours: Wed. 2:30 ­ 3:30 and by appointment

Téléphone: 412-268-8051

mw48@andrew.cmu.edu

Welcome to Elementary French I, the first in a series of French languages courses.  To those of you who are new to the university, an especially warm welcome.  I hope you’ll enjoy the course and your experiences this semester, both inside and outside the classroom.

Textbook and instruction materials

The textbook for this course is “Entre Amis” [Between Friends] 3rd ed. by Michael Oakes et al.  The instruction package includes a textbook and an activity book (“cahier d’exercices”) along with student cassettes.  In this course we will cover the first half of the text, Chapters 1-8.  We realize that these texts are expensive; however, if you continue with Elementary French II, you will use the same textbook (covering chapters

Credit Regulation Form

This course is designed for students who have never studied French before or those who have studied it so long ago that they have forgotten it.  Students who have previously studied French are required to take a placement exam to determine which level they belong in.  If you have studied French recently, you do not belong in this class.  The credit regulation form, used in all elementary language classes, is designed to insure that  all students in beginning language classes are true beginners.  You will be required to read and sign the credit regulation form as part of your enrollment in this course.

“Learning about language learning” component in first-year language courses

Part of the research agenda of the Modern Languages Department includes the investigation of how adults learn foreign languages and ways that language learning can be learned more effectively.  As part of that research, over the course of the semester you will be asked to read a number of scholarly articles and watch short videos, all in English, about language learning and write brief reaction papers.  With your permission, the results of certain examinations may be used occasionally in coordination with ongoing research on improving language learning.   All examination results used in research will be anonymous and will not be used without your express written consent.  Many other courses in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, particularly in psychology, involve similar student participation.  You will be asked to sign a standard permission form, called a “human subjects form”, to give your consent to the Modern Languages Department to use your anonymous examination results.

Programme du cours (Work plan)

The pages listed in the syllabus below refer to material that will be covered in class on that day.  You should look it over beforehand to have an idea of what will be covered in class.  The corresponding exercises in the Cahier d’activités (workbook, lab book and video workbook) should be done when you feel sufficiently comfortable with the material.  Corrections to the exercises are provided in the text.  At various points in the semester I will check your work to make sure you are making sufficient progress.  You are expected to check your own work against the corrections.

Study skills recommendations

Those of you who are new to Carnegie Mellon will soon discover that organizing one’s time effectively is one of the most significant challenges to academic life, and, ultimately, to life in general.  Much is expected of you.  As faculty, we expect you to work hard but we also expect that you will succeed.  One of the keys to successful foreign language learning is to apply yourself regularly and frequently.  Don’t wait until the last minute to review lessons or do exercises.  You cannot rush or cram language learning.  Try to set aside a regular time period, preferably every day, when you can devote yourself as completely as possible, with as few interruptions as possible, to your language learning.  “Time on task” is an essential component to your success in any course, especially this one.  Attendance is mandatory except in case of illness or emergency.  In the case of excessive or prolonged illnesses I will ask you to provide proof in the form of a note from Health Services.  Any more than three unexcused absences will result in the forfeiture of the 30% of your grade derived from attendance and participation (see below).

Academic Integrity

Except for situations in which you will be working with a partner or in groups, you are expected to do your own work.  Any compromise of academic integrity (plagiarism, copying someone else’s work or any other form of cheating) will not be tolerated.

Distribution de la note globale:

Assistance, Participation 30%
Devoirs (cahier) 20%
Tests de chapitre 20%
Examen partiel 15%
Examen final

15%

Echelle:

90% <  A

80% <  B

70% <  C

60% <  D

60% >  R

Work Plan (syllabus):

lundi le 27 août: Introductions, prise de contact

mardi le 28 août: Chapitre préliminaire, pp. 2-4

mercredi le 29 août: Chapitre préliminaire, pp. 5-6

vendredi le 31 août: Chapitre 1: pp. 8-11

lundi le 3 septembre: Fête du travail; congé, pas de cours

mardi le 4 sept.: Chapitre 1: pp. 12-15

mercredi le 5 sept.: Chapitre 1: pp. 16-19

vendredi le 7 sept.: Chapitre 1: pp. 20-23

lundi le 10 sept.: Chapitre 1: pp. 24-28

mardi le 11 sept.: Révision; Quiz sur le chapitre 1.  Hand in workbook and lab book assignments for Chap. 1.

mercredi le 12 sept.: Chapitre 2: pp. 29-33

vendredi le 14 sept.: Chapitre 2: pp. 34-38

lundi le 17 sept.: Chapitre 2: pp. 39-43

mardi le 18 sept.: (début de Rosh Hashanah) Chapitre 2: pp. 43-48

mercredi le 19 sept.: Chapitre 2: pp. 49-55

vendredi le 21 sept.: Révision; Quiz sur le Chapitre 2.  Hand in workbook and lab book assignments for Chap. 2.

lundi le 24 sept.: Chapitre 3: pp. 58-63

mardi le 25 sept.: Chapitre 3: pp. 64-71

mercredi le 26 sept.: (début de Yom Kippur) Chapitre 3: pp. 72-77

vendredi le 28 sept.: Chapitre 3: pp. 78-83

lundi le 1er octobre: Chapitre 3: pp. 84-88

mardi le 2 oct.: Révision; Quiz sur le Chapitre 3.  Hand in workbook and lab book assignments for Chap. 3.

mercredi le 3 oct.: Chapitre 4: pp. 90-96

vendredi le 5 oct.: Chapitre 4: pp. 97-103

lundi le 8 oct.: Chapitre 4: pp. 104-111

mardi le 9 oct.: Chapitre 4: pp. 112-119

mercredi le 10 oct.: Révision, pp. 120-123

vendredi le 12 oct.: Examen partiel [mid-term]; hand in workbook and lab book assignments for Chap. 4.

lundi le 15 oct.: Escale 1; pp. 126-127

mardi le 16 oct.: Escale 1; pp. 128-129

mercredi le 17 oct.: Chapitre 5: pp. 131-135

vendredi le 19 oct.: congé de mi-semestre; pas de cours

lundi le 22 oct.: congé de mi-semestre; pas de cours

mardi le 23 oct.: Chapitre 5: pp. 136-141

mercredi le 24 oct.: Chapitre 5: pp. 142-148

vendredi le 26 oct.: Chapitre 5: pp. 149-155

lundi le 29 oct.: Chapitre 5: pp. 156-160

mardi le 30 oct.: Révision; Quiz sur le Chapitre 5.  Hand in workbook and lab book assignments for Chap. 5.

mercredi le 31 oct.: Chapitre 6: pp. 163-167

vendredi le 2 nov.: Chapitre 6: pp. 168-174

lundi le 5 nov.: Chapitre 6: pp. 175-180

mardi le 6 nov.: Chapitre 6: pp. 180-185

mercredi le 7 nov.: Chapitre 6: pp. 186-190

vendredi le 9 nov.: Révision; Quiz sur le Chapitre 6.  Hand in workbook and lab book assignments for Chap. 6.

lundi le 12 nov.: Chapitre 7: pp. 193-197

mardi le 13 nov.: Chapitre 7: pp. 198-202

mercredi le 14 nov.: Chapitre 7: pp. 203-207

vendredi le 16 nov.: Chapitre 7: pp. 208-212

lundi le 19 nov.: Chapitre 7: pp.213-218

mardi le 20 nov.: Chapitre 7: pp. 217

mercredi le 21 nov.: congé de l’Action de grâce; pas de cours

vendredi le 23 nov.: congé; pas de cours

lundi le 26 nov.: Révision ch. 7; Chapitre 8: pp. 220-224

mardi le 27 nov.: Révision; Quiz sur le Chapitre 7.  Hand in workbook and lab book assignments for Chap. 7.

mercredi le 28 nov.: Chapitre 8: pp. 225-229

vendredi le 30 nov.: Chapitre 8: pp. 230-234

lundi le 3 décembre: Chapitre 8: pp. 235-239

mardi le 4 déc.: Chapitre 8: pp. 240-245

mercredi le 5 déc.: Chapitre 8: pp. 246-251

vendredi le 7 déc.: Révision; Quiz sur le Chapitre 8.  Hand in workbook and lab book assignments for Chap. 8.

lundi le 10 déc.: (début de Hannukah) Escale 2; Révision

mardi le 11 déc.:  Dernier jour du cours.  Escale 2; Révision

Examen final:  jeudi le 13 décembre:  5:30--8:30pm, local TBA

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