French 221/222/223 – French 4/ 5/ 6	Office: A245 E
Spring Quarter 2012	Office Phone: 425-564-6169
Instructor: Carolyn Bilby	Fax #: 425-564-2690
e-mail: carolyn.bilby@bellevuecollege.edu	Office Hours: 12:30 – 1:20 PM Mon-Thurs. & by appt.

Course Materials:	· En Bonne Forme text, 8^th edition · En Bonne Forme: SAM (Student Activities Manual) 8^th edition · A French/English bilingual dictionary · A stapler
Optional Activities:	· “Drop-in” tutoring located in D 204 · Hours for tutoring posted on: www.bellevuecollege.edu/asc/

Flora Lewis once said: “Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.” Enjoy advancing your knowledge in French!

Bienvenue à notre cours de français!

During Spring Quarter, French 221, 222, and 223 students will cover the material for French 223. French 221 students are not expected to perform at the level of the French 222 and 223 students: Individual personal progress is taken into account in grading the oral work and written compositions.

We encourage you to take the full series of Second Year French here, as it is difficult to gain entry into these particular classes at the University of Washington.

This class covers the six chapters of grammar and readings from En Bonne Forme. Class time will be devoted to practicing aural and oral (listening and speaking) French skills, reviewing grammar, examining and discussing cultural differences in the francophone (native speakers of French) world, working on improving one’s written French, and developing strategies to better comprehend both written and spoken French.

You will present a short oral presentation on a topic that interests you, will captivate the class, J and will showcase your proficiency in French.

One and one half hours of homework are expected for every hour in class.

MY BC:

You need to gain access to My BC, and have been asked to use your BC e-mail account whenever you communicate with BC or your instructors at BC. Please visit the following address to establish your BC account as well as to learn about this new effort to protect your privacy.

Please visit: http://bellevuecollege.edu/students/email/

You will also need to check My BC for regular postings which include: the syllabus, the SAM answer keys, the script for your CDs, the text’s answer key, the review sheets for exams, worksheets, as well as announcements, such as an unexpected cancelation of class. So check regularly.

CDs

CDs are used in conjunction with your workbook (SAM) and textbook. Each CD contains 2 chapters. You need to get them from the Library Media Center D- 126. Please ask for all the CDs you’ll need for this quarter. You will need them to do your SAM homework, so get them as soon as possible.

It is essential to devote a lot of time and effort working with your CDs in order to improve your listening comprehension and pronunciation of spoken French, as well as to prepare yourself for your exams. Try to practice listening, as well as speaking French every day, even if you are talking to yourself or your pets. J

Please go to the Arts and Humanities Materials web site and familiarize yourself with the “Student Procedures and expectations.” The A & H web address is: http://bellevuecollege.edu/ArtsHum/materials/spring2012/default.htm

Below you will see my amendments to the Arts and Humanities policies.

ATTENDANCE: (1/6 of grade)

Generally there are no excused absences. Two points are deducted per absence. After 10 absences three points are deducted per absence. Lateness also affects this grade. (50 late minutes equal one absence.)

Since you are expected to be in class every day, it is up to you to find out from a classmate what you missed on a day you are absent.

DAILY PREPARATION/ORAL PRESENTATION: (1/6 of grade)

You will be graded on class participation and your oral presentation. The participation portion of your grade is my perception of your daily preparation, performance efforts in class, and your willingness to participate in small group activities. You will have an assignment just about every day. Many of these will be announced in class on a daily basis.

You will damage this grade if you are inattentive, do homework in class, text message etc.

You will also make a short oral presentation. More information about this presentation will be given around mid-quarter. You will be given a grade for your oral presentation. That grade plus your daily participation grade constitute the final grade in this category.

OTHER HOMEWORK: (1/6 of grade)

There will be four compositions, each worth a total of 15 possible points each, for a grand total of 60 points.

There are 6 SAM assignments worth a total of 7 possible points each, or 42 SAM points, for a grand total of 102 points. Late work, incomplete work, work with many errors, will result in a lower score or the opportunity to redo the assignment. I will not accept a SAM assignment that lacks the listening component. ( la première partie: exercices oraux…en utilisant le CD)

The SAM due dates are posted in this document. Generally they are due on the fifth or six day (depending on the chapter) after we start working on the text En Bonne Forme. The exact calendar appears later in this syllabus.

SAM and the listening component: Students are expected to do all of the SAM exercises including the listening portion for which you will need to write a minimum of 10 complete sentences. I suggest you write the questions and answers to the reading(s) that you will listen to at the beginning of the CD. Some students prefer to satisfy the listening requirement by completing the “transformations.” Don’t forget to do the “Dictée de sons.”

Correct all your written work. Some corrections will be given on the CD. The rest will be posted on My BC. Please use a different color ink for your corrections, and preferably not green, the color I use for corrections. Use your text and a dictionary as necessary. Assemble your pages in order and stapled (please!!!), and try to submit it on time.

Homework is due when class starts, but if I’m still on campus, the written work will be accepted as on time.

At the end of each SAM chapter, there is a cartoon with vocabulary, and the anticipation of a written composition. You do NOT have to complete this exercise. J

We will talk in class about how to tackle a well-written composition, and I am hoping that all of you will make substantial progress in the way you write an organized composition in French. I will consider your personal progress as I grade these. I will also be focusing on: organization, correct grammar and spelling, comprehensible text, the content (do you justify your point of view with examples?), choice of vocabulary and even the length. I am requesting 3/4 of a page of average size handwriting. Please leave room for me to write comments and corrections.

I want the composition to be your own work. Using the internet to help you write is not something I encourage. The translation websites are “entertaining”, but one needs to understand grammar and consider context in order to use them. Please do your own work especially since plagiarism can adversely affect your life.J Please refer to the Arts & Humanities policies on plagiarism.

GRADING OF THESE ASSIGNMENTS
	Workbook / Lab Manual	Compositions
Complete, organized, on time, well-done with few errors.	6-7 points	13-15 points
1-2 days late / incomplete / many errors when turned in on the due date*	4--5 points	11-12 points
More than 2 days late	0 points	0 points

• Sometimes if a composition is incomprehensible, or in need of a major re-do, based on my perception that a student has tried but has considerable difficulty with writing, I will give the student up to a week to re-do the assignment, (probably with the help of a tutor) and will waive the late penalty, provided that the subsequent composition shows substantial improvement. This is not a regular practice in my 200 level classes, but it happens from time to time.
• If you have to be absent due to the flu or other circumstances, you should still send me your homework via e-mail. Being absent does not excuse you from doing homework.

WRITTEN EXAMS: (50% of grade)

There are five exams, the last one being the final exam. I will drop one exam grade, but not the grade of the final exam. There are no make- up exams. If you know in advance you will be absent on a test day, arrange to take the exam ahead of time. Exams are not to be taken lightly. Do try to show up on time, and do not leave the room until you have turned in your completed exam. Leaving the room tells me that you have finished the class for the day.

RESPECT AND DIVERSITY

Bellevue Community College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and discrimination.

MY CLASSROOM is an LGBTQ Safe Space where I welcome your individuality, and I will defend your right to be yourself in the spirit of learning and in an environment of mutual respect.

We are all here to learn. I am committed to maintaining an environment wherein we all feel safe to do so.

Accessibility

If you have medical information to share with me in the event of an emergency, please contact me via email or come to see me during office hours. Emergency preparedness is important.

If you need course modifications / adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, I can refer you to our Disability Resource Center (DRC). If you prefer, you may contact them directly by going to B132 or by calling 425.564.2498 or TTY 425.564.4110. Information is also available on their website at http://bellevuecollege.edu/drc/

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT / CHEATING / DROP PROCEDURE

For more information on this, please refer to the Arts and Humanities policies featured on the Materials website. http://bellevuecollege.edu/ArtsHum/materials/winter2012/default.htm If you are having trouble with your work, please come see me as soon as possible. Do not just disappear. Often potentially excellent students feel they can’t do the work to their or my satisfaction. After a conversation with me, they may be surprised to hear that I think they have the ability to succeed if not excel in French, so please do not give up without a little chat with me.

Our goal is to empower students and to foster an academic relationship wherein the student takes full responsibility for the learning and assessment process. It is inappropriate for an instructor to discuss a student’s issues with anyone other than the student. This includes parents, any family members or others.

Essential to a liberal arts education is an open-minded tolerance for ideas and modes of expression which might conflict with one’s personal values. By being exposed to such ideas or expressions, students are not expected to endorse or adopt them but rather to understand that they are part of the free flow of information upon which higher education depends.

To this end, you may find that class requirements may include engaging certain materials, such as books, films, and art work, which may, in whole or in part, offend you. These materials are equivalent to required texts and are essential to the course content. If you decline to engage the required material by not reading, viewing, or performing material you consider offensive, you will still be required to meet class requirements in order to earn credit. This may require responding to the content of the material, and you may not be able to fully participate in required class discussions, exams, or assignments. Consult the syllabus and discuss such issues with the instructor.

A Word of encouragement: Mastering a Foreign Language is like mastering a musical instrument. It takes daily/consistent practice and several years before becoming competent. Do not be afraid of making mistakes, experiencing frustration, or appearing foolish in class because of an error. Celebrate those mistakes. They mean you have courage and are learning something. Success often comes after many failed attempts. But with enough effort, you usually have significant accomplishments of which you can be very proud. Qui ne risque rien, n’a rien.

Please continue below to the calendar for this quarter’s graded homework assignments as well as the test dates.

Tentative Calendar for Written Assignments/Exams – Spring 2012
SAM chapter 14 Composition #1 p. 326 Rédaction #4 “Visions de l’avenir” EXAM chapter 14	Friday, 4/6 Wednesday 4/11 Friday, 4/13
SAM chapter 15 Compositions #2: p. 350 Rédaction #3 ou #4 EXAM chapter 15	Friday, 4/20 Monday, 4/23 Tuesday, 4/24
SAM chapter 16 Composition #3:sentences using the subjunctive! EXAM chapter 16	Tuesday, 5/1 Friday, 5/4 Tuesday, 5/8
SAM chapter 17 Composition #4: Rédaction #4 Conformité page 376 EXAM chapter 17	Tuesday, 5/15 Thursday 5/17 Friday, 5/18
e THINK ORAL PRESENTATIONS
SAM chapter 18 SAM chapter 19	Friday, 6/1 Friday, 6/8
Final Exam, chapters 18 & 19	Wednesday 6/13 from 9:30---11:20AM!