Course description French 206/306 is a weeklong, guided visit of Paris and the surrounding area. Students will visit museums, cathedrals, and historical sites. They will take trips to Versailles, Giverny, and other locales. Conversation and guided visits are at the early intermediate level. Prerequisite: FRE 112 or two years of high school French for FRE 206; FRE 212 or four years of high school French for FRE 306, or consent of program director for either course.

Course objectives

Our goals in French 206/306 will be:

Listening:

To move toward comprehension of authentic speech
To comprehend instructor-led discussion and questions on sites visited.


Speaking:


To expand your active vocabulary to include those words and
expressions necessary to discuss current and historical events in France.
To communicate information about the topic of discussion.
To be able to express opinions about the sites being studied.
To utilize survival communication skills.


Reading:

To expand your passive vocabulary (that is, words and expressions that you recognize when you see them, but might not be able to use actively).
To be able to read directions, street signs, menus and informational texts, extracting the main ideas.

Cultural Awareness:

To become familiar with the political history and artistic value of the sites, museums and monuments you visit in France.
To become familiar with the French monetary system, French transportation, telephone systems and the metric system.
To learn the different sections of Paris, their points of interest, character and personality.
To explore in as much depth as possible French values and modes of behavior that enable you to successfully interact with French hotel clerks, salespersons, taxi drivers, and acquaintances.

Attendance:
Attendance of all class outings is required.

Participation:
It is expected that you use French during all class outings (FRE 306 students), that you regularly contribute to class discussions, that you be willing to work as part of the group.

Handicapped Policy:
Any student in this course who has a disability that prevents the fullest expression of abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible so that we can discuss class requirements.

Academic Honesty Policy:
Cheating and plagiarism on assignments or tests are not acceptable. You will receive a grade of F for the paper that shows evidence of cheating and/or plagiarism.

Assistance:
Please come to see me any time you need help, are experiencing difficulty or want advice. If you are unable to come during office hours, please make an appointment with me.

Grading scale:

89-100=A
79-88 = B
69-78 = C
59-68 = D
below 59=F

Final Grade:
The final grade you earn will be calculated as follows:

Participation 30%
Journal 35%
Projects:

FRE 206 written project 35%
FRE 306 written project 15%
FRE 306 oral presentation 20%

You will choose one of the topics listed below; thoroughly research this topic and write a three to five page summary of your findings (word processed, double-spaced). The paper may be written in English for FRE 206 students but must be in French for FRE 306 students. Highlights of your research will be presented to the group as a whole just before we set out to visit the site or monument in question. You will need to begin your work on this paper as soon as your spring semester classes are finished because it must reach me at my office at MWSC by Monday, May 15, 2000.

Students who wish to get credit for FRE 205/305 Preparatory Work have to choose three (3) topics. We can discuss other choices than the ones below.

Choice of topics for the project:

1. Le Musée Rodin
2. Le Musée Cluny
3. Versailles
4. La Sainte-Chapelle
5. La Cathédrale de Notre Dame
6. Le Musée d'Orsay
7. Le Quartier de Montmartre
8. Le Quartier Latin
9. Le Marais
10. Monet à Giverny

Votre journal français

During your stay in France, you will keep a journal of your activities. The journal will serve two main purposes: 1) it will allow you to practice and improve your written skills on a daily basis ; 2) it will serve as a valuable memento of your experience in France.

Bring with you a spiral notebook with your name written on the inside cover. Begin your journal in Paris. You will be required to write a minimum of one page daily, at least five days a week. You may feel compelled to write more. Include descriptions of your outings, class work, interactions with French people and / or your French family, and your reactions to the cultural and linguistic differences that you are experiencing. Keep up with the entries on a daily basis so that you aren't obliged to write five entries in one evening. Always begin with the date in the French format. If you go to Annecy, you may ask your family to help you with revision of the entries before turning them in. Please write on every other line to allow for corrections. Take care to write legibly and neatly. Sloppy work will be reflected in your final grade.

Dr. Hennessy will collect the journals weekly and return them to you within two days. Each time, she will comment on the grammar, spelling, organization, and idiomatic use of French in your writing. The grade for your journal will be based on the following criteria:

1. Five pages completed for every week spent in France
2. All entries written in French, legibly and neatly on every other line
3. Writing shows effort to use appropriate structures and idiomatic expressions
4. Entries show effort to minimize spelling and grammar errors
5. Entries pertain to the student's experience in France

mardi 30 mai 2000

• installation
• sieste
• promenade dans le quartier du Marais
• la Place des Vosges
• Notre Dame
• la Sainte-Chapelle
• Montmartre et la Basilique du Sacré Coeur

mercredi 31 mai

• Versailles
• promenade dans le quartier de la Tour Eiffel
• les petits commerces de la rue Cler
• Le Louvre

jeudi 1er juin

• le musée du Moyen-Age et des Thermes de Cluny
• promenade dans le Quartier Latin
• le musée Rodin
• le musée d'Orsay

vendredi 2 juin

• le musée Marmottan
• l'Arc de Triomphe
• les Champs-Elysées
• les jardins de Claude Monet à Giverny

samedi 3 juin

• journée libre

dimanche 4 juin

• départ pour Annecy