French Courses

104.02 Syllabus — French Cinema for Conversation & Composition

Textbooks ||  Course Evaluation ||  Homework ||  Compositions ||  Oral Exams ||  Performance and Attendance ||  Activities ||  Academic Misconduct ||  104.02 Schedule

FRENCH 104.02 – French Cinema for Conversation & Composition


Course Web Site: Mise en scène

104.02 Syllabus

Course Description

French 104.02 is designed to provide students with the opportunity to improve their French conversational and writing skills through discussion of a variety of topics as they are represented in French Cinema. This course is both an elementary introduction to the study of film (including the task of learning to read film in a critical and formal manner) and an opportunity for extensive practice in speaking and writing in French as well as building practical vocabulary with an emphasis on comprehension and oral/written expression. This course will examine a variety of political, historical, and social themes, as experienced in French society throughout the modern period. Strong emphasis is placed on the examination of the multiple ways in which these themes have shaped the image of modern France. Review of French grammar/vocabulary items as needed. This course is conducted in French, and all work is completed in French. (All sound films are sub-titled in English.) This course is designed for those students who possess a good understanding of French grammar and a strong interest in film.

Your final grade for the course will be assessed according to the following scale:

Departmental Grading Scale
A 93-100	B+ 88-89	C+ 78-79	D+ 68-69	E 0-64.9
A- 90-92	B 83-87	C 73-77	D 65-67
	B- 80-82	C- 70-72

Required Course Materials

 

All French 104.02 films will be available at Central Classrooms for free film screening during their regular business hours. Many of these films are also available at local libraries and video rental locations. Your instructor will also make arrangements for evening classroom screenings of the 4 outside-of-class films. Stay tuned for details concerning these screenings.

Course Goals

• Improve your knowledge of French vocabulary, grammar, and idioms.
• Screen, discuss and comment in class and in take home reaction essays in French upon four selected French films screened in class and two films screened on your own outside of class.
• Prepare and present an oral presentation (10-15 minutes) on a pre-selected and researched topic related to the films screened in class or general French cinema, history, society, etc.
• Sharpen analytical cinematic reading and interpreting skills in French.
• Learn to express your opinions and communicate in French with your instructor and the other students in the classroom.
• Improve and enhance your knowledge of multimedia technology and Web resources.

Course Evaluation
5% Devoirs
10% Présentation orale
10% Compositions (2 total – 5% each)
15% Reaction Essays (4 total)
20% Participation
30% Midterms (2 total – 15% each)
10% Oral Final Exam-Group Scene Remake Project

Devoirs
Homework assignments will include activities from the textbook, from texts introduced in class, and from additional handouts prepared by your instructor. Homework may also include Web-based research on the films screened in class. Your instructor will give you specific due dates and instructions for homework assignments. No late homework will be accepted without proper documentation.

Présentation Orale
Each student will give an individual 10-15 minute class presentation in French on an assigned topic related to one of the films, or a comparison between two films. The student should present information for 7-10 minutes, during which time your peers engage in an activity-fill-in-the-blank, short answer, true/false, multiple choice questions, etc. Then after your presentation, lead a class discussion, game (NO word searches that do not involve matching vocabulary words and definitions), or some other group activity about your topic as a 3-5 minute follow-up.

Your presentation should be interactive and involve the rest of the class. Try to give your classmates a quick, simple task to complete as they listen to your presentation. You should have at least one audio-visual aid (poster, overhead, Power Point, video clip, handout, etc.). You may use a very brief outline of no more than 30-40 key words when you give your presentation, and you cannot use extensive notes or read your presentation.

At least one class day before your present, check your outline and any materials for your presentation with your instructor during her office hours. Present your information using language appropriate to the 104-level as well as grammar and vocabulary that the class will understand. If you use a word unfamiliar to the class, write it on the board before you begin. Remember that the class will be asked questions on the exams about your topic! Please see the separate guideline handout for additional details. No rescheduling of oral presentations will be made without proper documentation. Your oral presentation will be graded on a scale of 30 points.

French 104.02 Oral Presentation Score Rubric

	Points obtained	Out of
Content & Organization: Interesting, educational, and relevant information; presented in a clear, logical, and well-organized manner; transitions used as appropriate; scene analysis advances presentation and class discussion.		5
Language & Comprehension: Comprehensible use of the French language; difficult words were clarified; energetic and motivated delivery; presenter does not strictly “read” from notes; leaves impression of having been well-rehearsed.		5
Visual Support: Effectively supports and enhances content; underlines important or essential information; facilitates student comprehension of the material; well-integrated in the presentation.		5
Student Involvement & Class Activity: Students engaged with the content during and after the presentation; class activity underlines the essential content in an effective manner; follow-up effectively led by presenter.		5
Write-Up: Summarizes content well; formal scene analysis discussion well developed and integrated; clearly illustrates and explains cinematic scene choice and articulates its relation to presentation topic and the study of French cinema.		7
Grammar (Presentation & Write-Up): Very few errors and/or typos; appropriate expression, forms, and style for French 104-level; appropriate vocabulary for French 104-level.		3
Oral Presentation Total Grade		30

Compositions
There will be two 1-1.5 page (typed, double-spaced, 400-500 word) writing assignments in French, due during Weeks 5 & 10 of the quarter.  You will screen four French films outside of class from the list on the first page, but you are to choose TWO of these films (one from each pair) on which to write your composition.  See your syllabus for the composition due dates.  Please see the separate guideline handout for additional details.  The assignment is worth 40 points.  No late compositions will be accepted without proper documentation!  Your composition will be accessed according to the following rubric.

French 104.02 Composition Scoring Rubric

	Points obtained	Out of
Content: Content/information provided is complete, interesting, and relevant to the topic at hand.		12
Organization: Information is organized in a logical and coherent manner. Transitions are used where appropriate.		9
Language: Very good command of grammar and vocabulary for this level.		12
Mechanics: Very good command of spelling and use of accent marks/punctuation for this level.		7
Composition Total Grade		40

Reaction Essays
For each full-length film screened in class (excluding the film on which you are presenting in your oral presentation and the last course film), you will write a 100-150 word reaction essay in French to be handed to your instructor at the beginning of the next class day. For this assignment, you are to engage in a shorter discussion of the technical cinematic elements employed in the portion of the film viewed in that day's class screening. (Technical cinematic elements include but are not limited to: le montage, les plans, la séquence, le champ, le cadre, les angles de prise de vues, le mouvement de la caméra, le son, les trucages, etc.) You will be required to identify important (or the most important) technical cinematic element(s) in the day’s viewing and analyze their (its) significance or importance to your critical reading or understanding of the film as seen so far. There will be a total of 4 reaction essays for the quarter, as only 1 Reaction Essay per film is required.  Please see the separate guideline handout for additional details.  No late essays will be accepted without proper documentation.  Your reaction essays will be accessed according to the following rubric.

Reaction Essay Assessment Rubric
9-10	HIGH PROFICIENCY, Excellent command of language and reactionary reading skills: well organized, clear, logical, few errors, variety of structures, correct word order, appropriate to level, thorough response
6-8	PROFICIENCY, Good command of language and reactionary reading skills: main ideas present, some errors, some variety of structures, some word-order errors, mostly appropriate to level, generally thorough response
4-5	PROGRESS TOWARD PROFICIENCY, Comprehensible expression and reactionary reading skills: attempts at organization, many errors, limited variety of structures, word-order errors, below level, partial response
1-3	NEED FOR INTERVENTION, Limited command of language and reactionary reading skills: lacks organization, significant errors, lack of variety of structures, excessive errors, well below level, insufficient response
0	UNACCEPTABLE: Inappropriate response

Midterms
There will be 2 written midterm exams.  The exams will cover material from the films, instructor handouts, peer presentations, and class discussions (including discussions following the oral presentations of other classmates).  The first midterm will cover in-class and out-of-class films addressed in the first half of the quarter.  The second midterm will cover in-class and out-of-class films addressed in the second half of the quarter.  Exams will consist of identifications, terms and definitions, short-answer essays, questions from student presentations, and longer-answer essays. Make-up exams will only be administered with proper documentation for excused absences.  It is your responsibility to notify your instructor of any excused absence on exam days as far in advance as possible.  In the event of an emergency, it is your responsibility to contact your instructor as immediately as possible.  All make-up exams must be scheduled with your instructor (and ideally taken) before you return to class.  Your best method of preparation for exams is to do the assigned readings in a responsible way, attend class regularly, and actively participate in discussions throughout the entire quarter.

Final Exam
You will have an oral final exam based on a predetermined topic.  You will select your own group for this project.  (The number of group members depends on the scene—and the number of actors in the scene—that you select.)  For this final exam project, you and your group will remake in French a 2-3 minute scene from a film screened inside or outside of class.  Your group is expected to work together, and group members are expected to share equally the work.  Students will receive a group grade for this project.  Audiovisual equipment may be borrowed from Central Classrooms Hall, and additional technological service is available from The Digital Union (located in the Science and Engineering Library).  Your instructor will supply each group with a blank VHS video cassette.  (If you chose to make a DVD, please contact your instructor asap.)  Projects are to be completed and presented during the Final Exam Session during Week 11 as scheduled in the OSU Master Schedule.  Your final exam group project will be graded on a scale of 20 points.  Please see the separate guideline handout for additional details and scoring rubric.

Participation
Regular attendance and participation in class activities are essential to be a successful language learner.  In order to progress in understanding and speaking French—as well as critically reading film—you must hear, speak, and practice it on a regular basis.  Therefore, you must prepare carefully for class by completing all assignments in advance.  You will be asked to volunteer often and participate actively.  Try to speak French at all times, even during partner and small group work.  Concentrate on using the vocabulary at hand (as well as the vocabulary aids in your course textbook) to enrich your expression.  Finally, group discussion is encouraged; arrange the desks in a semi-circle before class begins and do not feel the need to be called on before speaking.  The following scale is used to assess your performance grade:

18-20	Volunteers frequently, speaks well for level, is well prepared for class. Contributes ideas and opinions to class. Participates well in small group work. Speaks French to classmates, attends class regularly, always on time.
15-17	Volunteers occasionally, speaking needs some improvement, is not always prepared, sometimes contributes ideas to class, mostly participates in small group work. Needs to be reminded to use French with classmates, sometimes late for class or leaves early.
12-14	Speaks only when spoken to, listens passively. Uses English too often. Contributes little to group discussions/work. Does not attend class regularly. Often late to class or leaves early.
0-11	Does not participate efficiently either because of class performance or repeated unexcused absences, tardiness, or leaving class early.

You will receive a performance grade approximately once per week.  These scores will be averaged at the end of the quarter to obtain your final participation grade for the course.  As you receive each grade, try to follow any suggestions from your instructor so that you can improve your performance grades as the quarter progresses.

As a reminder, unexcused absences (i.e., without valid written documentation), tardiness, or leaving class early will result in a lower performance grade.  If you are absent from class, logically, you cannot be there to contribute to classroom discussions and activities.

E-mail
You are expected to frequently check your e-mail since this is the best way for the instructor to get in touch with the whole class. Likewise, any changes on the syllabus will be indicated on the Web and it is your responsibility to check the class Web site (Once or twice a week).

French Resources
The following channel is available on all dormitory televisions: 66 - TV5 French

You may link to each channel's Web site through the links above for their scheduling information, or link through the UNITS site.

The Crane Café is open in the Hagerty Hall World Media and Culture Center. For information please visit the World Media and Culture Center Web site. Students can access international television broadcasts in a comfortable café setting, with state-of-the-art overhead speakers for access to audio transmissions.

Please visit the Departmental Web site to learn more about French resources (films, restaurants, clubs) in this area along with links to Francophone sites in categories such as government, press, business, and culture. In addition, the Departmental site gives detailed information about studying French beyond the 100-level. Information pertaining to studying abroad can be found at the Office of International Education Web site.

Typing Accents in French
If you are required to hand in any typed assignments in French, the following Web site explains how to enter French accent marks on the computer.
This site may be printed out for ease of use. It is considered a spelling error if you do not type in accents as required.

Activities

French Club
You are encouraged to join the French Club; the group attends French films together, organizes French meals and meets regularly to have discussions. Your instructor will provide you with more information or you may contact the Department of French and Italian at 292-4938.

Café +
We encourage you throughout your academic career at OSU to participate in Café +, an inter-level French conversation table sponsored and led by FIGSA (French and Italian Graduate Student Association). Café + meets on a weekly basis and invites French speakers of all levels to get together over coffee and practice French conversational skills in a casual and friendly environment. Topics of discussion are diverse and generally follow the interests of the students in attendance. Café + meets in the Crane Café in Hagerty Hall. (Just look for the reserved tables to find the group.) This is an excellent opportunity to improve your speaking skills and enlarge your French vocabulary in a casual, real-world setting! Your instructor will provide you with this quarter's Café + meeting days and times when they are made available, or you may contact the Department of French and Italian at 292-4938.

Makeup Exams
Makeup exams are given only for emergency/extreme conditions with the proper documentation.* Students who are absent on the day of the exam for an excusable reason* should contact the instructor to make up the exam immediately following their absence. Students who know in advance that they must be absent on an exam day for an excusable reason* should make arrangements with the instructor to take the exam prior to the exam day. If a student is absent on the day of the exam for an unexcused reason, he/she will receive a zero on the exam. Exams must be made up within 3 days. If an exam is not made up by then, the instructor will not administer a makeup exam. After 3 days, the Language Program Director (wong.240@osu.edu) will determine whether a student may make up an exam.

* See Absences above

Excusable Absences
Makeup work will be permitted only when the instructor is presented with acceptable documentation for acceptable absences. It is your responsibility to notify your instructor of any excused absence as far in advance as possible. Legitimate excused absences must be accompanied by dated written documentation in the form of: an official letter or note from a doctor with contact phone number, letter on letterhead from the company/establishment of the career interview, death notice/obituary, program from funeral, official note from OSU coach/advisor, and so on. When in doubt of the kind of documentation needed, please ask your instructor.

Some examples of acceptable excuses include:
Emergency/extreme situations such as illness, family medical emergency, or death in the family
A career interview that cannot be rescheduled outside of class time
Governmental duties such as subpoenas, jury duty, and military service

Some examples of unacceptable excuses include:
Family vacations
Conflicts with work schedule (You are a student first at OSU. Instructors expect students’ class schedule/performance to take precedence over work schedules.)
Athletic/recreational activities that are not affiliated with OSU
Note from Student Health Services that indicates: The patient was not seen here during this condition

Disability Services
Students with disabilities who require accommodations for access and participation in this course must be registered with the Office for Disability Services (ODS). Please contact ODS at (614) 292-3307 or (614) 292-0901 (TDD). Students should also contact their instructor as soon as possible to explore potential accommodations.

Academic Integrity
Students enrolled in courses at The Ohio State University are expected to adhere to the highest standards of academic conduct. The instructor will be alert to any kind of inappropriate conduct in the course. Suspicion of misconduct will be handled by official rules and policies of OSU. Penalties for cheating or plagiarism may result in a failing grade in the course or expulsion from the university. The Department will abide by the decisions of the Academic Misconduct Committee.

• Submitting plagiarized work for an academic requirement. Plagiarism is the representation of another's work or ideas as one's own; it includes the unacknowledged word for word use and/or paraphrasing of another person's work, and/or the inappropriate unacknowledged use of another person's ideas.
• Copying work or otherwise turning in written work that is not original to you. Cheating in this case applies both to the copier and the person who allows his or her work to be copied.
• Copying answers directly from the answer key (as opposed to doing the assignment first and then correcting mistakes from the answer key) on workbook assignments.
• Having someone else do or write your assignments for you.
• Using a translator in any way to complete compositions, Internet presentations or other assignments.
• Having anyone other than your instructor help you with your second composition. Tutors may answer questions about assignments from the workbook or textbook, but they may not help with (home) compositions.
• Receiving or passing exam information to other students before, during or after the exam. Cheating in this case applies both to the receiver of the exam information and the person who gives the information.
• Alteration of university forms used to drop or add courses to a program, or unauthorized use of those forms including the forging of signatures.
• Use of any unauthorized aids on exams (e.g., cheat sheets, textbook, etc) is strictly prohibited.

Students are responsible for understanding what constitutes academic dishonesty. For more information on this topic, consult the Ohio State University's policy on Academic Misconduct.

All suspected cases of academic misconduct will be reported to the Committee on Academic Misconduct as required by University rules.

In its classrooms, the Department of French and Italian maintains a positive learning environment free from all harmful forms of discrimination. You are expected to adhere to this policy.

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