Catalog Description

Prerequisite: Completion of FREN 2 or three years of high school French with grade(s) of "C" or better
Hours: 72 lecture
Description: Designed for those who have had previous training in the French language. Review of grammar with increased emphasis upon speaking and linguistic structure of the language, reading of excerpts from works of French-speaking authors, study of cultural distinctions among the French-speaking peoples, and writing at the intermediate level. (CSU, UC)

Course Student Learning Outcomes

  • CSLO #1: Paraphrase intermediate level French spoken at regular conversational speed.
  • CSLO #2: Produce accurate pronunciation with grammatically correct sentences in Intermediate Low level conversations.
  • CSLO #3: Explain what is read in any Intermediate Low level literary materials.
  • CSLO #4: Write compositions and short reports using appropriate syntax for the Intermediate Low level.
  • CSLO #5: Compare and contrast cultural perspectives based on reading, discussions and videos.

Effective Term

Fall 2020

Course Type

Credit - Degree-applicable

Contact Hours

72

Outside of Class Hours

144

Total Student Learning Hours

216

Course Objectives

Through oral and written exercises, activities, reading and writing assignment, students will:
1. Communicate coherently in French on topics such as: cars, technology, places in the city, the workplace, professions, the environment and the arts.
2. Differentiate between verbs that require prepositions and verbs that don’t.
3. Use reciprocal reflexive verbs in the present, past, future, conditional and subjunctive present.
4. Identify and employ irregular “ir” and “oir” ending verbs such as: offrir, ouvrir, voir, and recevoir.
5. Express hypothetical facts using the conditional tense.
6. Distinguish between negative expressions.
7. Conjugate regular and irregular verbs using the future tense.
8. Using “si” clauses.
9. Differentiate between relative pronouns such as: qui, que, dont and où.
10. Replace nouns by demonstrative pronouns.
11. Express doubt, opinion, emotion and doubt using the subjunctive mood.
12. Differentiate between comparative and superlative of nouns.
13. Identify and use possessive pronouns.
14. Recognize common vocabulary and grammatical constructions to understand spoken and written French at an intermediate level
15. Compare, contrast and analyze aspects of French, Francophone, and American cultures in areas such as geography, food, history, music, politics, and society.
16. Watch and discuss authentic French video clips.
17. Analyze intermediate-level readings to identify main ideas, summarize content, and evaluate the validity of statements made about the material.
18. Read, analyze, evaluate, comment on and summarize intermediate-level materials such as: literary and cultural reading selections, poems, magazine and newspaper stories.
19. Identify intermediate French pronunciation rules.

General Education Information

  • Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability
    • AA/AS - Literature & Language
    • AA/AS - Multicultural Studies
  • CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval)
    • CSUGE - C2 Humanities
  • Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval)
    • IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval)
      • IGETC - 3B Humanities
      • IGETC - 6A Lang other than Eng

    Articulation Information

    • CSU Transferable
    • UC Transferable

    Methods of Evaluation

    • Classroom Discussions
      • Example: The instructor will divide the class into 2 teams and lead a debate on unions and strikes in France. Students will use the vocabulary pertaining to the workplace and support their arguments with examples.
    • Essay Examinations
      • Example: Students will pretend they write a letter to a senator, describing a local ecological problem they feel is important to address. They will write 30 sentences using the subjunctive mood.
    • Objective Examinations
      • Example: Students will identify work-related pictures using the appropriate vocabulary word for each picture. Grades based on accuracy of the answers.
    • Problem Solving Examinations
      • Example: In class, show a map of Paris on the board. Group students in 4. Have students look at the map for a minute and locate landmarks. Have students listen to the instructor read the directions in French from Musée du Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe (without mentioning the destination). Have students follow along on the map to find out the destination. The first group that answers correctly wins a point. Display a different map, and as a follow-up activity, have students within each group give directions in French to their partners. Each pair plays against the other in the group.
    • Projects
      • Example: Students will research a topic of their choice related to the French-speaking world and present it to the class in French and using a PowerPoint presentation. They will then submit a written summary of their research in French. Other students will write 2 questions and ask them at the end of the presentation.
    • Skill Demonstrations
      • Example: Make a one-minute video in French in which you present your car. Describe the color, show 5 different parts of the car, say whether you like it and why. Post the video to the LMS in the discussion board and comment on 3 other posts in French.

    Repeatable

    No

    Methods of Instruction

    • Lecture/Discussion
    • Distance Learning

    Lecture:

    1. The instructor will show pictures of Madagascar and describe a potential trip. She will emphasize the verbs and ask the students to identify the infinitive form and write them on a piece of paper. She will then ask them to get in groups and deduct how the verbs are formed in the conditional tense. Students will explain and compare their theory to the rest of the class. The instructor will then explain how the conditional is formed in French, using a PowerPoint presentation.
    2. Assign the relative pronouns reading to students as homework, followed by an instructor lecture. In class, write the four pronouns on the board and briefly explain and show where the singer is from (Corsica). Play “Je sais où aller” song by Patrick Fiori. Show the lyrics without the relative pronouns. Ask students to fill in the missing pronouns while listening to the song. Have the students get in pair and compare their answers. Then go over the lyrics and have students find the antecedent for each pronoun. Draw 4 columns on the board and label each with a pronoun. Have students come up with the rules for the use of each pronoun. As a class, go over the song one more time and have students sing along. Debrief and discuss the meaning of the song.

    Distance Learning

    1. Students will answer orally (recording) and in writing 3 questions related to work in French. a. Dans quel domaine aimerais-tu travailler? b. Pourquoi as-tu choisi ce domaine? c. Préfères-tu travailler dans un groupe ou seul/e? After the students answer the questions, the instructor will present the vocabulary related to the workplace using a PowerPoint with accompanying audio. Students will follow along and practice their pronunciation. At the end of the presentation, students will answer the following questions orally, using the new vocabulary and the conditional tense. Rubric grading. a. Quelle profession voudrais-tu faire? b. Pourquoi? Explique en 2 phrases complètes.

    Typical Out of Class Assignments

    Reading Assignments

    1. Read the fable “La cigale et la fourmi” by Jean de la Fontaine and answer open-ended comprehension questions related to the content and message of the story. Grades based on accuracy of answers. 1. Qu’est-ce que la cigale a fait tout l’été? 2. Quel personnage de la fable a beaucoup travaillé pendant l’été? 3. Pourquoi la cigale n’a-t-elle rien à manger quand l’hiver arrive? 4. Que fait la cigale quand elle a faim? 5. Quel est le moindre défaut de la fourmi? 6. La fourmi va-t-elle donner quelque chose à manger à la cigale? 2. Read the following excerpt on French small shops. Make a list and compare them to American shops and grocery shopping (in French and with a partner). Rubric grading. Dans beaucoup de pays francophones, on fait toujours les courses chez les petits commerçants, même s’il est plus pratique d’aller au supermarché. Pour le fromage, par exemple, on va à la crémerie; pour la viande, on va à la boucherie; pour le poisson, à la poissonnnerie. Dans les épiceries de quartier, on trouve aussi toutes sortes de produits frais, des boîtes de conserve, des produits surgelés, etc. Les épiceries fines se spécialisent dans les produits de luxe et parfois, dans les plats préparés. En France, la boulangerie reste le petit commerce le plus fréquenté. Les pâtisseries aussi sont très nombreuses. Les petits commerces ont survécu en France grâce à une volonté politique. Pour les sauvergarder, les pouvoirs publics des années 1980 ont limité les autorisations de constructions des supermarchés et hypermarchés dans la périphérie des villes. Avec la présence des petits commerces, vie et activités dans les centres-villes ont ainsi été préservés.

    Writing, Problem Solving or Performance

    1. Imagine that you won a trip anywhere in the world. Use the conditional verb tense and write 20 phrases explaining where you would go, how you would travel, what you would do, where you would stay, what you would eat, what you would buy, with whom you would go, etc. Rubric grading. 2. For each example, put the two sentences together, using a relative pronoun (qui, que, oû, dont). Grades based on accuracy of answers. 1. Voici le bureau de M. Dantes. Vous pouvez vous adresser à ce bureau pour obtenir une assurance-vie. 2. Je vous ai parlé d'une banquière. La banquière s'appelle Murielle Marteau. 3. Vous avez vu la grande boutique. M. Descartes est le patron de cette boutique.

    Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.)

    Required Materials

    • Espaces
      • Author: Mitchell - Tano
      • Publisher: Vista Higher Learning
      • Publication Date: 2019
      • Text Edition: 4th
      • Classic Textbook?:
      • OER Link:
      • OER:

    Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.

    Pass code for online homework.