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FREN 1010 Syllabus

Course Syllabus

FREN 1010 - Beginning French I

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

In this course emphasis is placed on acquiring the four basic language skills: speaking, listening, writing and reading. Insights into French culture, customs and ways of life are presented. Activities include grammar study, online discussion and audio posting. Upon course completion, students are prepared to enter French 1020.

Course Outcomes:

After completing this course the student will be able to:

1. Write grammatically correct short descriptive or narrative paragraphs in the present and/or past tense.

2. Answer, orally or in writing, simple questions about their lives.

3. Carry on simple conversations using formulaic responses.

4. Read short texts (<1 page) for meaning

5. Listen for meaning to short (1-2 paragraphs) auditory examples.

6. Demonstrate basic knowledge of French and francophone culture and how it differs from American cultural norms. 

Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

Successful completion of Learning Support competencies or equivalent skill levels.

Course Topics:

Module 1 - Greeting and Identity
Module 2- The Calendar and Classroom
Module 3 - Describing things and people
Module 4 - Actions and Questions
Module 5 - The French Speaking World
Module 6 - Francophone Africa
Module 7 - Regions of France
Module 8 - Trips and Vacations
Module 9 - Around Town
Module 10 - Telling Time
Module 11 - Describing Someone
Module 12 - Let's talk about the past
Module 13 - Homes
Module 14 - Life at my house 

Specific Course Requirements:

This course requires you to record yourself speaking French. Therefore, use of audio recording software and a microphone is necessary.

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:

Morton, Jacqueline. English Grammar for Students of French. Ann Arbor: Olivia and Hill Press. ISBN 093403432X 

Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Testing Procedures:

The mid-term and final exams are proctored. All quizzes are taken online. 

Grading Procedures:

Grades will be calculated as follows
Proctored Midterm exam - 20%
Proctored Final Exam 20%s
11 Grammar Quizzes @ 1.82% each = 20%
13 Voice Assignments @ 1.54% each = 20%
13 Discussion Postings @ 1.54% each = 20%

TOTAL 100% 

The successful student will participate regularly in class discussions and produce grammatically accurate and meaningful French.

Some items will be automatically computer graded. Those that require manual grading will be returned within 10 days. 

Grading Scale:
90-100A
80-89B
70-79C
60-69D
0-59F

 

Assignments and Projects:

The mid-term and final exams will be during the designated periods for proctored exams Other assignments, including grammar practice, written discussions, and audio submissions, will take place throughout the course. 

Class Participation:

Interactive tools are a vital part of learning a language. After all, learning a language is about learning to communicate, which you do by communicating. The grading design of this course makes completion of the discussion and communication activities essential if you wish to succeed. 

Late Policy:

The course is divided into 14 modules, two for the preliminary chapter and two for each numbered chapter (1-6) plus a getting started module. Students must complete the assignments for each module by the dates posted in the course calendar. 

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on July 12, 2021