FR 1110 (Fall 2016)
(11132/100, 11133/101, 11134/102, 11135/103, 11136/104, 11137/105, 11138/106)
Instructor:____________________
Email:____________________
Office:____________________
Office Phone:____________________ Office Hours:________________________________________________
Course website: www.ohio.edu/people/moretti/french.html
Textbook site: www.vhlcentral.com
Bonjour et bienvenue! Welcome to French 1110, the first course in the two-semester sequence of beginning
French. This course is designed for the student who has no prior knowledge of French. This course will help you
develop your French skills in a comprehensive manner, including proficiency-building in all of the four language
skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and will introduce you to the cultural richness of the Frenchspeaking (francophone) world. The focus of the course is on the students’ ability to use the language for
communicative purposes.
FR 1110 outcome goals:
1. The successful student understands and interprets the meaning and structures of elementary spoken
language and written texts exploring such topics as family, housing, food, technology, the environment, etc.
2. The successful student produces basic spoken language and written texts relating experiences and personal
opinions on those topics in the present tense.
3. The successful student exhibits culturally appropriate behavior in common social contexts and demonstrates
a general understanding and appreciation of the language-specific cultures and peoples.
Language use in the classroom: Expect to hear French spoken in class from the beginning. Your instructor will
strive to speak only French in class. All the instructors do the same (in all the modern languages in all good
universities). We do this to maximize your exposure to the language in the limited class time we have. You need
experience in hearing and using French for communication in order to develop communicative ability.
Required texts: ESPACES : Rendez-vous avec le monde francophone by Mitchell and Tano. Vista Higher
Learning, 3rd edition, 2015 (Textbook, Supersite Plus code with WebSAM and V-text).
Recommended text: A small French/English dictionary for in-class compositions.
Please note:
• You will spend more if you purchase the textbook and code separately, so shop smart! Only buy books
that include the required Supersite Plus code (WebSAM and V-text). Used books and books bought on
sites other than the publisher's site DO NOT include the Supersite Plus code. Shop for new textbook
packages at the campus bookstores, or shop http://vistahigherlearning.com/store/ohiou.htm/espaces3rd-edition-2.html This special webpage offers two options: hard-bound or loose-leaf packages at a
special discount price and free shipping for OU students.
• Make sure you have a paper copy of the book (whether it is hard-bound or loose-lease format) because
you will need the book for in-class compositions. Since technology tools are not allowed for in-class
compositions you will not be able to use your book if you purchase only a V-text (online book).
Graduate students: Graduate students enrolled in French 5110 or 5120 will receive CR on their transcripts as
their final grade if they pass the class with a 60% or higher.
C- rule: In order to continue to the next course in the sequence, you must receive at least a C- (70%) in the
previous class (after deductions due to absences). For example, if you have a 71% in the class, but 5 absences,
your final grade will be a 69% and you will not be eligible to take the next class in the series.
FR 1110 (F16) Page 1 of 6
Attendance policy: Under the learner-centered framework of the Department of Modern Languages courses,
your attendance is of utmost importance. Certain circumstances may arise that prevent you from attending class;
therefore, you are allowed three (3) 55-minute absences. These three absences are not “free” but should be
used to account for events such as colds, routine medical appointments, away-games for athletes, religious
observances, court appearances, weddings, funerals, car problems, job interviews, etc. Beginning with the
fourth absence (and for each subsequent absence), 1% will be deducted from your final grade calculation. A
student who has accumulated 10 or more absences will automatically receive an “F” for the class. Use the 3
days wisely. Note that attendance is taken on regular exam days too. Note also that 3 late arrivals equal one full
absence. Excessive bathroom breaks and early departure from class will not be tolerated.
Important: if a section meets for 80 minutes twice a week, one absence of 80 minutes will count as 1½ absences
and penalties will be calculated proportionally.
 For instance, if you earn a 71% (C-) in the class but have 5 absences (penalty of 2 percentage points), you will
receive a 69% (D+) in the course.
 Note: The attendance policy does not distinguish "excused" from "unexcused" absences; all absences
count towards the maximum. Ten (10) absences is an F.
 In case of extended absence due to severe illness, hospitalization or disability, please consult with the
coordinator.
Disabilities: We are committed to ensuring equal opportunity for students with a disability. This is a
collaborative process and effort among the Student Accessibility Services, the student and the instructor.
Students with disabilities should provide the instructor with written notification of their disability via the Office
of Accessibility Services and make a direct request for accommodations to establish the means of providing
accommodations, academic adjustments, and/or auxiliary aids within one week of the beginning of the course. If
you have any condition (physical/learning disability), which will make it difficult for you to perform class work as
delineated in this syllabus or if you require special accommodations, it is YOUR responsibility to notify your
instructor the first week of class.
Tutoring: Tutoring Services offers one-hour appointments in almost any subject for a fee. Peer Tutoring through
Tutoring Services is free for students who are registered with Student Accessibility Services, the Office of
Multicultural Student Access and Retention, College Adjustment Program, Commuters and Veterans, and
Athletics. Most appointments are held in the Academic Advancement Center, Alden 101. To schedule an
appointment, with Tutoring Services, visit www.ohio.edu/tutoring and log in to Tutor Trac. Please keep in mind
that tutoring is not a guaranteed service, so book appointments early.
Concerns about your class/classroom/grades/disputes: should be first discussed with your instructor (please
ask for a special appointment if you cannot meet his/her office hours); if the need arises, you should then
contact the coordinator of First-Year French, Brigitte Moretti-Coski, [email protected]. When emailing either
your instructor or the coordinator, please fill in the "subject" line with the reason and ask for an appointment. If
you have questions about grades, ask your instructor (grades are NOT to be discussed either during class time or
via e-mail, make an appointment), if you want to dispute a grade after you have asked and discussed it with your
instructor, it should be done in writing.
Academic dishonesty: The Ohio University Student Code of Conduct prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty.
These include, but are not limited to: cheating; plagiarism; forgery; furnishing false information to the University;
and alteration or misuse of University documents, records, or identification. In addition, assignments that are
totally/partially taken from an external source such as published information (book, web page, etc.), produced
by a translation program or by another person will receive NO credit. All forms of dishonesty will be reported to
the Director of the program. Possible consequences include a grade of zero on the assignment, course failure,
and/or referral to judiciaries.
FR 1110 (F16) Page 2 of 6
Technology use in the classroom: Students may not use their phones in class. Students caught using phones (or
any other technological devices) during a quiz, a composition, a midterm or the final will receive a zero.
Final grade determination:
100-93
92-90 89-87
A
AB+
86-83
B
82-80
B-
79-77
C+
76-73
C
72-70
C-
69-67
D+
66-63
D
62-60
D-
59-0
F
Grading procedure:
Final exam: 25%
Midterms: 20%
Oral exams: 15%
Compositions: 10%
Quizzes: 10%
Homework: 10%
Participation: 10%
Final exam: The final is cumulative. See date on the schedule. All FR 1110-1120 sections follow the Combined
Sections Examination Schedule. If you have a conflict with another final exam, you will be granted an alternate
exam date if required by the O.U. policy (http://www.ohio.edu/registrar/). In case of an emergency
hospitalization please confer with your instructor. Note that weddings, birthday parties, divorces, vacations,
plane tickets, your sibling's graduation, job interviews, internship interviews, routine medical appointments, etc.
are NOT valid reasons to request an alternate date for the final exam.
Midterms: Both midterms are cumulative. No make-ups are given. If you are absent on a midterm day your final
exam grade will replace the grade for the missed midterm. [Note that attendance is taken on midterm days.]
Oral exams: Both oral exams are cumulative and will be held on the days indicated on the class schedule. Each
student will be assigned a specific day/time for his/her exam. Detailed information will be posted online.
Compositions: You will be required to write formal in-class compositions. There will be detailed explanations
posted online. There are no make-ups for the compositions. If you miss one composition, the average grade of
your other compositions will be substituted for the missed composition grade. [Note that attendance is taken on
composition days.]
Quizzes: There will be many small quizzes during the term. Quizzes will be given at the beginning of class and
will typically be set to be taken in five minutes. The date, topic and preset duration for each quiz will be
determined by individual instructors and will be announced ahead of time in class. There are no make-ups for
quizzes: if you are late or miss class, you will receive a zero for the missed quiz. To account for exceptional
absences, the three lowest quiz scores will be dropped at the end of the term.
Homework: Each instructor will determine how homework is assigned and graded. Please read your instructor's
policy carefully. Exercises on the WebSAM can be found online www.vhlcentral.com.
FR 1110 (F16) Page 3 of 6
Participation: You will receive 2 participation grades during the term. Participation requires that you volunteer
answers and that you "play the game" by only using French in the classroom to communicate with your
instructor and classmates. Your instructor will grade your participation according to the following criteria:
o
o
o
o
Focus: Student answered readily when called on and followed all directions (e.g.: paired up when required,
got up and circulated in the class when asked to do so, etc.).
Respect: Student was respectful to fellow classmates and teacher. Examples of disrespectful behavior: using
a cell phone, chatting in English, talking with a classmate while the teacher is explaining something,
interrupting classmates, making fun of classmates, disrupting the class, arriving late, sleeping, not bringing
the needed materials to class, doing anything that is not related to the class, etc.
Language: Student remained in the target language to communicate with instructor and classmates. S/he
did not use English without asking permission to do so in French ("Je peux poser une question en anglais?").
Volunteering: Student raised his/her hand and volunteered answers in French in class several times a day,
everyday. Note that it is much better for your grade to volunteer many times and make mistakes than to
volunteer rarely in perfect French.
If you are completely focused, very respectful, exclusively speaking French AND you...
• RARELY volunteer an answer, the maximum you can score is 60%.
• only OCCASIONALLY volunteer an answer, the maximum you can score is 70%.
• volunteer SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK, the maximum you can score is 80%.
• volunteer A COUPLE OF TIMES A DAY, the maximum you can score is 90%.
• volunteer MANY TIMES A DAY, you will score 100%.
La communication en classe
Les étudiants au professeur:
Comment dit-on ___ (en français)?
Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ___ (en anglais)?
Je peux poser une question en anglais?
Je ne comprends pas.
Je ne sais pas.
Répétez.
Épelez ____.
Prononcez ____.
S'il vous plaît.
Merci.
De rien.
How do you say ___ (in French)?
What does ___ mean (in English)?
May I ask a question in English?
I do not understand.
I do not know.
Repeat.
Spell ____.
Pronounce ____.
Please.
Thank you.
You are welcome.
Un étudiant à un autre étudiant:
Comment t'appelles-tu?
À tes (vos) souhaits!
What is your name?
Gesundheit! (Bless you!)
Le professeur aux étudiants:
Faites passer devant.
Faites passer derrière.
Un volontaire?
Essayez!
Pass (your assignments) to the front.
Pass (this) to the back.
A volunteer?
Try!
FR 1110 (F16) Page 4 of 6
Schedule
***This schedule is subject to change***
•
•
•
CCPR = Communication, Culture, Preparation, Review
The days for in-class quizzes are not marked on the schedule. The dates will be set and announced in class by each
individual instructor during the term.
Daily homework will be announced in class by each individual instructor.
Week 1
August 22August 26
Introduction / L'alphabet (page 5)
Vocabulary 1A: Ça va?
Grammar 1A.1: Nouns and articles
Grammar 1A.2: Numbers 0-60
Week 2
August 29September 2
Vocabulary 1B: En classe
Grammar 1B.1 (part 1): Subject pronouns and the verb être
Grammar 1B.1 (part 2): C'est and il/elle est
Grammar 1B.2: Adjective agreement
Week 3
September 5September 9
**[Monday, September 5 = Labor Day (No class)]**
Week 4
September 12September 16
Grammar 2A.2 (part 1): Forming questions
Grammar 2A.2 (part 2): Expressing negations
Composition in class 1:
MTuWF sections: Wednesday, September 14
MWThF sections: Thursday, September 15
MTuWTh sections: Wednesday, September 14
MTuTh sections: Tuesday, September 13
Vocabulary 2B: Une semaine à la fac
Week 5
September 19September 23
Grammar 2B.1 (part 1): Present tense of avoir
Grammar 2B.1 (part 2): Expressions with avoir
Grammar 2B.2: Telling time
CCPR
Week 6
September 26September 30
Midterm 1 (Unités 1, 2): [All sections] Monday, September 26
Vocabulary 3A: La famille de Marie Laval
Grammar 3A.1 (part 1): Descriptive adjectives
Grammar 3A.1 (part 2): Position of certain adjectives
Week 7
October 3October 7
**[Monday, October 3 = Reading Day (No class)]**
Week 8
October 10October 14
Grammar 3B.2 (part 1): Prepositions of location
Grammar 3B.2 (part 2): Prepositions of location and disjunctive pronouns
Oral Exam 1 (Unités 1, 2, 3):
MTuWF sections: Wednesday, October 12 and Friday, October 14
MWThF sections: Thursday, October 13 and Friday, October 14
MTuWTh sections: Wednesday, October 12 and Thursday, October 13
MTuTh sections: Thursday, October 13
CCPR (Communication, Culture, Preparation, Review)
Vocabulary 2A: Les cours
Grammar 2A.1: Present tense of regular -er verbs
Grammar 3A.2: Possessive adjectives
Vocabulary 3B: Comment sont-ils?
Grammar 3B.1: Numbers 61-100
FR 1110 (F16) Page 5 of 6
Week 9
October 17October 21
Vocabulary 4A: Où allons-nous?
Grammar 4A.1 (part 1): The verb aller
Grammar 4A.1 (part 2): The preposition à
Grammar 4A.2 (part 1): Interrogative words
Week 10
October 24October 28
Grammar 4A.2 (part 2): The interrogative adjective quel
CCPR
Composition in class 2:
MTuWF sections: Wednesday, October 26
MWThF sections: Thursday, October 27
MTuWTh sections: Wednesday, October 26
MTuTh sections: Tuesday, October 25
Vocabulary 4B: J'ai faim!
Week 11
October 31November 4
Grammar 4B.1 (part 1): The verbs prendre et boire
Grammar 4B.1 (part 2): Partitives
Grammar 4B.2: Regular -ir verbs
CCPR
Week 12
November 7November 11
Midterm 2 (Unités 1, 2, 3, 4): [All sections] Monday, November 7
Vocabulary 5A: Le temps libre
Grammar 5A.1 (part 1): The verb faire [MTuWF/MWThF sections: 5A.1 part 1 and 2]]
(Grammar 5A.1 (part 2): The expression il faut)
**[Friday, November 11 = Veterans’ Day (No class)]**
Week 13
November 14November 18
Grammar 5A.2: Irregular -ir verbs
Vocabulary 5B: Quel temps fait-il?
Grammar 5B.1: Numbers 101 and higher
Composition in class 3:
MTuWF sections: Friday, November 18
MWThF sections: Friday, November 18
MTuWTh sections: Thursday, November 17
MTuTh sections: Thursday, November 17
Week 14
November 21November 25
Grammar 5B.2: Spelling change -er verbs
(CCPR)
November 28December 2
CCPR / Evaluations
CCPR
Oral Exam 2 (Unités 1, 2, 3, 4, 5):
MTuWF sections: Wednesday, November 30 and Friday, December 2
MWThF sections: Thursday, December 1 and Friday, December 2
MTuWTh sections: Wednesday, November 30 and Thursday, December 1
MTuTh sections: Thursday, December 1
Week 15
Finals week
**[Wednesday, November 23-Friday, November 25 Thanksgiving Break (No class)]**
Final Exam (Unités 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) [All sections]
Monday, December 5, at 2:30 p.m.
[Room TBA]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Important University Dates:
August 26, Friday Last day to add a fall semester class without instructor's approval.
September 2, Friday Last day to register (drop/add) for fall semester.
October 28, Friday Last day to withdraw (WP/WF) from an individual class on your fall semester schedule.
December 2, Friday Last day to withdraw (drop all classes) from the University for fall semester.
FR 1110 (F16) Page 6 of 6