LEARNING GOALS

• To build language skills in French: listening, speaking, reading and writing; to greet people, to exchange information, to understand and discuss topics such as important dates, the time, school schedules, social relationships and academic studies.
• To be able to describe yourself, family, friends, activities, interests, clothing, your home; to be able to express preferences, order food and drink, and to make plans.
• To become comfortable communicating in the present tense and the near future; to begin to narrate actions and events in the past.
• To gain familiarity with Francophone regions and cultures around the world. 

MATERIALS

Textbook
William J. Carrasco, Shahrzad Zahedi & Caren Barnezet Parrish, French OER 1. Palomar College and Chabot College. Available through the Open Education Resources (OER) LibreTexts Project. 

A paperback French-English dictionary (available at the bookstore) is recommended, as online translators are generally incorrect and ineffective. In terms of online resources, helpful websites include wordreference.com (for vocabulary & idiomatic expressions) and forvo.com (for pronunciation). 

The beginning levels of the language program Rosetta Stone are also available for free through the Newman Library. Once you sign up, try starting with the “Speaking and Listening” focus. I would also highly recommend trying the Duolingo app! Weekly use of Duolingo results in extra credit. 

GRADE COMPONENTS

Class Participation                   40%
Homework Assignments        15%
In-class pop quizzes                10%
Oral Presentation                      5% 
3 Exams                                     10% each                  

ENGAGEMENT

What does participation look like in a language course? 

As you can see in the grade breakdown, while there will be 3 written exams in this course, 65% of your grade will be based on your ENGAGEMENT, which is based on (1) participation in class, (2) completion of the homework assignments, and (3) preparedness for in-class pop quizzes. For our purposes this semester, engagement means:

• reading the relevant material and completing homework assignments on time
• actively, vocally participating during class meetings 
• asking and answering questions in class
• using class time as an opportunity to work on speaking & pronunciation in French

HOMEWORK

Every week, you will have 2 types of homework for this course:
 
(1) Reading and studying the material to be covered in class before we meet. 
(2) Completing all of the homework assignments. The homework will be a review of the content we’ve covered in class and what you’ve read; it is listed under Course Schedule. 

Keeping up with the homework is very important to your progress in French. If you miss a class, you are responsible for asking a classmate about notes & homework assignments and completing them on time.

ASSESSMENTS

There will be 3 exams (including the final) and one short oral presentation.

On the schedule these are noted as EXAMEN. From time to time, there may be a pop quiz at the beginning of class, to get a sense of how everyone is doing with the material. Further details on graded assessments will always be posted beforehand. 

PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints, make-up exams are not permitted.

ATTENDANCE

The early stages of learning a new language can be difficult, so regular attendance and punctuality are essential. You may miss class up to 3 times, no questions asked. Starting at your 4th unexcused absence, and for each absence beyond it, your final course grade will be lowered by a half letter grade (A- becomes B+, etc). If you miss 6 or more class sessions (the equivalent of 3 weeks of class or more), you will earn an F in the course.  Please notify me via e-mail if you are unable to attend class. You are responsible for keeping track of your absences.

Unfortunately, work conflicts are not considered excused absences. Please plan accordingly. 

Because of the way this class is structured, lateness is highly disruptive both for me and for your fellow students, so please arrive on time. If you are more than 25 minutes late for class, you will be counted as absent for that day. 3 late arrivals are equivalent to 1 absence. Please let me know if you are consistently having difficulty getting to class for any reason.

Phone use in class will result in a loss of participation points. It should also go without saying that those who use laptops or tablets must refrain from using sites or apps unrelated to class work. It is also inappropriate to use sites like Google Translate during class unless you are specifically directed to do so. Thank you for your cooperation!   

POLICIES

• Students and faculty have a responsibility to maintain a respectful learning environment. We all deserve to feel safe in class. Openness, courtesy, and consideration for our classroom community are particularly important with respect to race, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, ability, age, or veteran status.

• Cheating: the use of Google Translate or similar search engines is not allowed in this course, and, if used on homework or an exam, constitutes cheating. Similarly, the use of AI software is considered cheating in the context of a humanities course. You may use a dictionary or a site like wordreference.com to look up vocabulary words, but in general, it is best to stick to your textbook as a reference. If you are unsure if what you are doing is cheating, please ask. 

It is important to avoid Google Translate for three reasons: (1) typing something into a translator does not help you learn how to use the language, and (2) Google Translate is almost always incorrect in some way, so your answer will be marked wrong. Language instructors are able to tell immediately if a student has used a translator, so it is best to avoid it altogether. Again, the use of Google Translate on an assignment constitutes cheating and will result in an automatic F grade for that assignment. Repeated cheating will result in a report to the department. 

• Communication: I am an adjunct professor & doctoral student, which means that I am paid for my teaching hours and 1 advisement hour per week, per course. In order to avoid unpaid labor, I have to be very deliberate about making myself available for responding to e-mails or offering assistance. I respond to e-mails on Mondays and Wednesdays and am available for office hours by appointment (either in the office or on Zoom). You can make an office hours appointment with me after class or by e-mail. As soon as I have a set schedule, I will let you know when you can be sure to find me in the office. 

• Please note Baruch College’s policy on academic honesty:

 “Academic dishonesty is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Cheating, forgery, plagiarism and collusion in dishonest acts undermine the college’s educational mission and the students’ personal and intellectual growth. Baruch students are expected to bear individual responsibility for their work, to learn the rules and definitions that underlie the practice of academic integrity, and to uphold its ideals. Ignorance of the rules is not an acceptable excuse for disobeying them. Any student who attempts to compromise or devalue the academic process will be sanctioned.”

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