French 210
FREN 210 Intermediate French II
Prerequisites: FREN 200 or two years of high school French
Credit Hours: (4) Four hours lecture and language practice
A review of basic French grammar and practice in speaking, listening, reading and writing, This course has been approved for credit in the Foreign Languages Area of the Core Curriculum.
Detailed Description of Content of Course
Situations covered and cultural focus: leisure, communication, the Francophone world, gender roles, music, the world of work, multiculturalism, religion, the educational system, the social security system, the national health system and current issues in immigration policies. Parallel to the cultural topics, there will be a basic review of grammar.
Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
Class instruction focuses on communication practice utilizing the situations, intentions, vocabulary, culture, and grammar introduced in a given chapter. Other activities include: grammar and vocabulary explanations, pronunciation practice, listening comprehension exercises, writing, and grammatical drills, using feature-length French films, slides, additional Xeroxed materials from contemporary sources, CDs and audio tapes.. Class is conducted in the target language.
Goals and Objectives of the Course
Speaking and listening goals (standardized ACTFL proficiency criteria): Students will be able to handle successfully a limited but increasing number of interactive, task-oriented and social situations. They can ask and answer questions, initiate and respond to simple statements, and maintain face-to-face conversation although in a restricted manner. The students will be able to be understood by sympathetic interlocutors. They will be able to produce most French sounds and sound sequences correctly with good stress and intonation patterns. Listening goals are: students will be able to understand sentence-length utterances which consist of recombinations of learned elements in a limited number of content areas, particularly if strongly supported by the situational context.
Reading and writing goals (standardized ACTFL proficiency criteria): Students will have sufficient control of the writing system to interpret written language in areas of practical need. Students will be able to derive meaning from material at a higher level where context, vocabulary aids, and/or extra-linguistic background knowledge are supportive. As regards writing, students will be able to write simple fixed expressions, limited memorized material and recombinations thereof. They can write about personal interests and familiar cultural topics in letters or in a diary format. Students will be able to analyze basic grammar in most French sentences.
Students will achieve a degree of competence in a foreign language and culture.
Students will be able to:
a. demonstrate language skills appropriate to the level of study
b. analyze similarities and differences between their own and the target cultures
c. explain contemporary international issues from the perspectives of their own and the target cultures
Assessment Measures
Speaking is tested in communication activities and through the public performance of a compulsory oral presentation. Hourlies determine the success in completing various homework assignments. Writing progress is graded in the form of written homework and assignments. The unit tests and final exam evaluate lexical and morphological mastery, listening and reading comprehension, and cultural competence in a context in which students demonstrate their awareness of the diversity of French-speaking cultures.
Other Course Information
French 210 completes the B.A. degree requirement for students who began their college level French study with the first semester. A number of students with three or more years of high school study of the language begin on the college level with 210 and finish their degree requirement with the following course, French 300, Readings in French. To supplement linguistic and cultural encounters in class, students are expected to participate in some extracurricular activities such as conversation with native speakers, watching French- language movies, and inquiring about French speaking cultures by means of the multitude of media available as informational resources.
Approval and Subsequent Reviews
August 2001 Revised Eric du Plessis