Course Syllabus

Bienvenue au cours de Français 5

Madame Jones

Course Description

Advanced French Language and Composition is a course designed for highly-motivated fifth-year students who desire to gain proficiency in speaking, reading, writing and listening in French.  This course will help students enhance their interpersonal, interpretive and presentational communication skills.  Students will expand their comprehension and appreciation of the French speaking world and its different forms of media, customs and traditions, and values and beliefs.  Students will also read and study the novel "Le Petit Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and will need their own personal copy in French.

This class is conducted solely in the target language and students are expected to communicate in French at all times with their classmates and with the teacher.  A variety of texts, literature, newspapers, magazines, podcasts and websites will be used throughout the course.  Students are strongly encouraged to be active learners and to spend time each day listening and reading French and utilizing the vast array of resources available to them.

 Contact Information

Email: dawn.jones@ucps.k12.nc.us                                                                                                        

Téléphone: 704.290.1520

My preferred method of correspondence is by e-mail, and I will try to return all e-mails and phone calls within 24-48 hours, if possible. 

Supplies and materials

• Students will receive a copy of two textbooks, Allons au-delà and En Bonne Forme, which need to be brought to class daily. 
• By the end of October, students will need a copy of the novel  Le Petit Prince (in French) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (this can be easily ordered on-line or sometimes Barnes and Nobles has some in stock). 
• They will also need a three-ring binder with a pocket in which they will organize and keep their notes, worksheets and supplementary handouts. 
• Students will also need Expo markers to use on an individual dry erase board in class. 
• They are encouraged to purchase their own dictionary and may bring it to class.  (The Pocket Oxford-Hachette Dictionary is an excellent choice.) 
• For listening and speaking exercises, students will need a set of earbuds. 
• When creating vocabulary lists, students may want to use note cards and keep them on a key ring.  This method is effective for reviewing (especially at the end of the semester) and parents can easily quiz their student. 
• Lastly, donations of boxes of tissues would be greatly appreciated.  Merci!

Announcements

Homework is assigned daily and written on the board, and students are expected to copy it down at the beginning of the period.  Quizzes and tests are posted 2 to 4 days in advance on the board.  I will also send messages and updates via Remind.com.  In class, students will receive instructions about how to subscribe.

Grading Procedures

Students are assessed in a variety of ways, such as, tests, quizzes, homework, class work, speaking activities and performance in class.  A point system is used for all grading and the following points are approximate:

• Homework assignments: 10 points (sometimes 20 for longer ones)
• Quizzes: 40-50 points
• Tests/Projects: 90 - 100 points
• Class performance/Speaking: 50-100 points

Grades are updated in Power School once a week on Friday.  Please allow approximately one week before tests and/or major assignments are graded and posted.

Homework

Homework is an extension of what we have completed in class and will be assigned most days.  While learning a foreign language, it is very important to practice the language as often as possible.  Homework is to be completed upon entry to class and will be accepted late only with an excused absence note.  Sometimes homework is graded for accuracy, but mostly it is graded for completeness.

• Assignment is entirely done, legible and shows good effort - 100%
• Assignment is half-finished and shows some effort - 50 %
• Assignment is not complete, illegible and/or not finished on-time - 0

Students are responsible for any missed class work and notes during their absence.  They will have two days to complete the missing assignments and to take a quiz/test or the missing work/quiz/test will be scored as a 0.  Before their absence, students are encouraged to e-mail me to receive their missed work.

Students are expected to produce their own original work.  An on-line translation agency (or similar service) may be used for translating a single word, not for translating or writing sentences and/or extensive phrases.  Work is to be done at an appropriate French 5 level.  If student work is not original, it will be automatically graded as a 0.

***When using an on-line dictionary, students are encouraged to use www.wordreference.com.

Tutoring

Tutoring is offered on Monday and Tuesday afternoons from 3:00 - 3:40 by appointment.  In order for me to effectively meet their needs, students should alert me as to the specific material that they would like to review.    There is a wealth of helpful information on the Internet that can assist students who have questions or students who want to further their learning.  There are excellent instructional videos on YouTube, interesting lessons on TV5 and BBC on-line and grammar and vocabulary review on quia.com and quizlet.com.

Thank you for partnering with me to ensure the success of your student!  I look forward to watching their growth and progress as they become global citizens and lifelong learners.

                                                                                                                                          Cordialement,

Madame Jones