Textbooks |
Apprivoiser
l'écrit: techniques de l'écrit et stratégies d'autoperfectionnement.
Christine Besnard et Marie-France Silver. Toronto, Canadian Scholars' Press, Inc., 1997. French for Oral and Written Review, 5th Edition.
Charles Carlut and Walter Meiden. Fort Worth, Hot, Rinehart and Winston, 1993.
Composition et Grammaire de Texte. Dany B. Perramond. Toronto, Canadian
Scholars' Press, Inc., 1997.
A good, large French-English dictionary, such as Larousse. |
| About the Course:
Objectives
Evaluation
Compositions
Portfolio
Grammar Work
Participation
Late Work
|
Objectives:
This course is designed to help students make their writing in French more accurate,
better organized, and more expressive. In addition to reading and analyzing a variety of
types of writing, students will write, discuss, review, and rewrite six short
compositions. The types of writing to be explored are autobiographical sketches, literary
portraits, movie reviews, letter-writing, outlines, summaries, story-telling,
descriptions, and analytical, persuasive essays. Class and small-group discussions will be
conducted in French. In addition to our writing, we will do a guided grammar review using
the first 9 chapters of Carlut & Meiden.Evaluation:
| Participation/Homework |
15% |
Grammar Tests (3) |
15% |
| Compositions (analyses=5%) |
35% |
Midterm |
15% |
| Portfolios |
10% |
Final Exam |
10% |
Compositions:
All writing beyond the first brainstorming must be computer-printed or typewritten in
standard type (12 point please), double-spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides. If you
do not have a computer of your own, please use the department computer lab (STV 237).
Computers in this lab are equipped with foreign-language word processing software and
spell-check capabilities, as well as foreign language dictionaries, such as Le Robert
électronique. (Of course, you can use these computers even if you have your own
computer!)
Writing in this course will involve a three-step process. The first step involves
brainstorming and free-writing, the second will concentrate on the ideas, content,
vocabulary, mechanics, and organization of the paper, and the last draft will add
"grammar" to the list of aspects to be graded. Both the second and third drafts
will be graded; your final grade for the paper will be the average of these two grades.
Please note that it is quite possible to get a lower grade on your final draft if you have
not paid sufficient attention to your grammar!
With your third draft of each paper, you will turn in a Composition Analysis. On a
separate sheet or the last page of your composition, you will do the following steps
concerning the grammar of your paper:
- Correct as many errors that I have highlighted (or others you may find) on your own
using dictionaries, grammar books, and corrections from past compositions.
- List the errors that you cannot correct. Type the line number and the error. If you are
at a total loss as to how to express a particular idea in French, explain what you mean in
English, and leave space for me to offer a solution. (This list should NOT be long!)
- Review your errors and list the top three errors you make most frequently. Types of
errors to watch for are the following:
noun-verb or noun-adjective agreement
word order (e.g., placement of adverbs and adjectives)
conjugation of irregular verbs
use of tenses (especially the passé composé andimperfect)
anglicisms (use of false cognates and literal translation of English expressions into
French)
wordiness and convoluted syntax
spelling and accents
choice of articles (e.g., definite vs. indefinite, 'des' vs. 'de') & gender nouns
prepositions (choice of & need to repeat prepositions in a series)
An important caution: Revision is not the simple correction of past grammar errors. The
third draft should show marked improvement in word choice, organization, and clarity of
detail. Sometimes the only way to jump into the next grade level is through completely
re-thinking the paper.
Portfolio:
At midterm and the end of the semester, you will 1) gather all your writing
samples, 2) re-write any paper that you wish, and 3) evaluate your progress. For this
reason, please keep all your work (compositions in all stages, homework assignments, class
notes) in a loose-leaf 3-ring binder (I have some used ones sitting in my office if you
need one). For the portfolio, you will gather all your materials and do a Composition
Analysis of all your work to date. Please answer the following questions in doing your
portfolio:
- Which essays have you revised a fourth time, if any? For these, please do the following:
- Correct as many errors that I have highlighted (or others you may find) on your own
using dictionaries, grammar books, and corrections from past compositions.
- List the errors that you cannot correct. Type the line number and the error. If you are
at a total loss as to how to express a particular idea in French, explain what you mean in
English, and leave space for me to offer a solution. (This list should NOT be long!)
- Review your errors and list the top five errors you make most frequently. Use the list
above to help you determine some error types.
- Do you see improvement in content, organization, grammar, vocabulary, and mechanics?
What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
- How do you feel about writing in French? Is it hard, fun, or boring?
Grammar work:
Your understanding of French grammar will be tested in four tests which each cover two
chapters at a time. The fourth test is actually the final exam, which will combine the
testing of chapters 8 and 9 of Carlut and Meiden with a section on the writing of dissertations.
During the semester, you will be doing selected exercises as homework, and we will discuss
each chapter as scheduled. I will give you an answer key to the exercises after they have
been discussed in class, but will check off that you have done the homework at the
beginning of class. If the page is largely blank, I will not give you credit for having
done the work. If you have further questions or do not understand a concept, I expect to
see you during my office hours, or, bring it up for discussion in class if several people
have the same question.
Participation:
Since class discussions on grammar, writing, and peer review form an integral part of the
work for this course, regular attendance and active participation are essential. If you
have more than three unexcused absences, I will lower your final grade by a full grade.
For example, if you have an A but missed four times without explanation, you will receive
a B. Please let me know if you will miss class before class.
Late work and make-up policy:
Assignments will be accepted for full credit at the beginning of the class period at which
they are due. Late work will be penalized 3 points for every two days late. No make-up
exams will be given, except in the cases of serious illness, injury, or family emergency. |
