Beginning French 1A at UNCA-OLLI- Syllabus
Fall, 2015
Instructor: Renee Raffini
[email protected]
Bienvenue à la Classe de Français! This is an introduction to French language and culture
using the Points de départs 1st ed. Textbook, its audio and visual components, and a variety
of interactive methods to help you acquire skill in listening, speaking, reading and writing in
French. Instruction will be in both French and English.
What effort you put into learning the material will determine the speed at which you will be
able to use the language. Feel free to work ahead if you feel ready, or to see me at break or
before class if you need some help. There are no grade pressures, but I will be asking
questions to see if we understand, and if the pace is too fast or too slow. Wanting to help each
other is natural, but be mindful not to blurt out answers while people are organizing their
thoughts. Ask for help if needed, but no sidebar conversations while someone’s speaking.
The website for the book is http://wps.prenhall.com/wl_pons_pointsdedepart_1/ for valuable
extra practice with the material.
Class Content:
Session 1: Greetings and Introductions (Chapître Préliminaire: leçon 1: pp 3 à 13)
 The book and cognates are your allies (alliés)
 Read silently while listening to the sound file of dialogue pp 3-4;
 The culture of French greetings, p. 5 & observe video clip
 Guided practice, p. 6 ex. 1-3 Practice the dialogue aloud
 Subject pronouns and the conjugation of the verb être pp 7-8;
 Tonic , Disjoint or Stress pronouns to emphasize or after a conjunction (or preposition)
 La Francophonie –French speaking world. Video clip
DEVOIRS: Website practice with the flashcards (pronouncing) & leçon 1 exercises
Session 2: Dans la Salle de Classe , (Prélim. Leçon 2 :pp. 14 à 23)
 Identify objects around us in French using “There is” (Il y a) p. 14
 Vocabulary toward immersion; Teacher vs. Student expressions
 School system in France: !! le collège ≠ l’université !!
 Phonics: Pronouncing ‘l’Alphabet français’ & the diacritics
 Using definite or indefinite ‘Articles’ according to gender & number
 Using plurals (& liaisons in front of vowels and silent h)
Session 3: Ma Famille et moi; (Chapître 1 ( Leçon 1 : pp 27à 37)
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Vocabulary & Monologue with chart- Voici ma famille
Culture: French families & pets
Pronunciation practice
Possessive Adjectives – my, your, his/her in their forms;
Adjectives that don’t change sound with gender (les invariables)
Session 4 : Les Dates Importantes (Chp. 1, leçon 2 : pp 38-46)
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Holidays, anniversaries & birthdays (numbers to 31/ months)
Culture: calendar formats & date abbreviations
Pronouncing numbers before vowels and consonents
‘Having’ age—The verb “avoir” conjugation
Numbers 40 to 91
More possessive adjectives; our, your (plural people/owners); their & forms.
Session 5: Nos Activités (Chp. 1, leçon 3 : pp 48-56)
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Vocabulary (-er verbs), parts of the day and days of the week;
Power of the French present tense;
Negating sentences with ne and pas
Question (interrogative) formats: Yes/No vs. Informational
Session 6: Mes amis et moi (Chp. 2, leçon 1 : pp 59 à 67)
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Vocabulary to describe women (adjectives and their antonyms)
Culture: Copain/Copine vs. Ami/e Are Americans superficiel?
Pronouncing final consonants or not?
Variable adjectives
More question words (Where, When, Why, and How much/many)
Session 7: Nos loisirs (Chp. 2 leçon 2 : pp 69 à 76)
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Vocabulary of ‘doing’ things- The verb ‘faire’
Culture: Leisure time activities of the French
Pronouncing vowel sounds of ‘é’ vs. ‘è or ê’
Prepositions ‘à’ (to/at) and ‘de’ (from/of) with contractions
‘faire’ conjugated
Session 8: Où est-ce qu’on va ce week-end? (chp. 2 leçon 3 : pp 78 à 84)
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Vocabulary of places in a town
Culture: Small towns in France and the ‘tour de France à vélo’
Associate activities with places
The verb ‘aller’ (to go) and creating the near future tense (le futur proche)
Conjugation
Vocabulary of time for future
Numbers > 100 Historical dates