French 3 / B-SL 1
Madame Cardiasmenos Fall 2011
Course Description: In French 3 / IB French B-SL 1 we will continue to develop skills of producing (speaking and writing) and interpreting (listening and reading) French. We will further explore French speaking cultures around the world. The class will be conducted entirely in French and will consist of communicative and interactive group activities. Students will be immersed in the sounds, words, and expressions of modern French through communicative and interactive class activities and materials from Belleville 3, Imaginez, the novel Le Petit Prince and a variety of authentic francophone materials. We will continue to build on and expand what students have learned in introductory and intermediate French courses. There will be a significantly greater emphasis on French language spoken in and out of the classroom and students will be required to produce more with the language.
Course Requirements and Required Materials:
1. Imaginez : Le Francais Sans Frontières - With Student Activity Manual Mitschke, Cherie 2008 Vista Higher Learning ISBN 978-1-60007-169-0
2. IB French B Subject Guide: Higher and Standard Level Delavallée, Marie-Laure Oxford Study Courses 2009, ISBN 978-1-904534-25-9
(the above books will be used for both years of IB French B-SL)
3. Le Petit Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943, ISBN 978-0-15-601398-7
4. Belleville 3 Méthode de français, Grand-Clément et al., 2005, ISBN 978-209-033028-1
5. Un bon dictionnaire français (Le Robert Micro)
6. A notebook organized into: vocabulary, grammar, texts, writing, projects, “mon français”
7. Internet access–www.tv5.org , www.rfi.fr , www.lemonde.fr , www.liberation.fr , www.google.fr, www.wikipedia.fr , www.wordreference.com , and a way to print French articles, texts etc.
8. A mind open to other languages and cultures
9. Students are expected to use class time efficiently by paying attention, taking notes, working cooperatively on interactive activities and participating to the best of one’s ability. Interfering with other students’ language learning will not be tolerated.
Goals and Objectives:
1. To build on the five areas of linguistic competence in French: reading, writing, listening, speaking, knowledge of cultures
2. To communicate in French – be able to understand others as well as express oneself effectively in the language
3. To understand and use French in a range of contexts for a range of communicative purposes
4. To pursue one’s individual interests in French through research and exploration of a variety of texts
5. To increase cultural awareness through social interaction in another language
6. To examine the role of language in relation to other areas of knowledge
7. To examine the link between language and culture and how each reflects the other
NOTE – three questions to guide yourself when preparing and evaluating your French:
• Is the French language being used accurately for communication?
• What type(s) of cultural interaction is/are occurring here? Is the language appropriate to the context?
• What is the message? Is it conveyed in a way that is easily understood?
All IB assessment rubrics evaluate: Language – Cultural Interaction - Message
Course Policies and Expectations:
Attendance - All students are expected to be present and on time for class. It is the responsibility of the student to make-up any work that was missed from an excused absence. Work should be made up the first day the student returns from an absence. “The internet was down” is never an acceptable excuse for missing an assignment.
Participation and preparation – All students are expected to arrive prepared to participate in class activities with their texts, materials, and completed homework assignments. Missing or incomplete homework will not be tolerated and will negatively affect your grade. In a foreign language class, it is crucial to participate and practice the language. Your actual participation speaking the language during class time is more important than accuracy!
A note on language learning and time spent outside the classroom- A language is a living, breathing thing; always evolving and changing to reflect the cultures that use it to communicate. Competence in a second language is a skill that must be nurtured, fed and exercised regularly. In addition to class and time spent on French homework, students are expected to pursue the French language at least 2 hours per week in a variety of formats that fit their needs, interests and schedules. IB French students will keep track of these hours in their notebooks (“mon français” section) which will be checked throughout the academic year. It becomes very apparent in the classroom, who has genuinely been devoting this time to their language development!
Academic Honesty – Cheating of any kind, including plagiarism and online translator use, will not be tolerated and will result in a failure grade for the assignment. If a student has used work that is not his or her own, without proper citation, the consequences to academic honesty according to the Newman student handbook will follow.
Extra Help – Extra help is available after school every day from 3:05-3:30 in room 31 with Madame Cardiasmenos. There are also tutors available through upperclassmen at Newman, as well as resources at “L’Alliance Française” (53 Marlborough St.). I am also reachable by email for homework questions until 5:00pm during the week – ecardiasmenos@newmanboston.org . Please seek help as soon as an area of difficulty has been identified – do not wait until exams!
Grading :
Homework, class preparation, quizzes – 20% Participation – 20%
Oral Language Demonstrations – 20% Written Language Demonstrations – 20%
Tests, Projects – 20%