FREN 120
Introductory French II
Summer Term 2025 |
Instructor: Staff |
Total sessions: 28 Sessions |
Office Hours: TBA |
Session Length: 145 Minutes |
Classroom: TBA |
Credits: 3 Units |
Class Length: 8 Weeks |
Language: English |
Course Overview:
This course is designed for students with basic French knowledge to further enhance their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. The course will focus on real-life communication, advanced grammar, and French cultural understanding, preparing students to confidently handle everyday situations in French-speaking environments.
Required Material:
Annie Heminway, Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French All-in-One, Premium Third Edition, McGraw Hill, 2022.
Maia Gregoire and Olivier Thievenaz, Grammaire progressive du francais. Niveau intermediare. Neue Deutsche Ausgabe, Klett Ernst /Schulbuch, 2005
Supplementary materials, including audio and video resources, will be provided via the course platform.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand and respond to authentic French texts, podcasts, and films.
2. Use past, present, and future tenses in both speaking and writing.
3. Engage in daily conversations, job interviews, and cultural discussions.
4. Gain cultural knowledge about French traditions, social norms, and professional etiquette.
Course Outline: Week 1:
Lecture 1-3 Everyday Communication in French-Speaking Countries
Lecture 1: Expanding vocabulary for daily routines
o Discuss personal habits and daily schedules
o Practice talking about hobbies and leisure activities
Lecture 2: Social interactions and making small talk
o Learn how to give compliments and express opinions
o Practice polite refusals and making excuses
Lecture 3: Booking appointments and reservations
o Practice booking a restaurant table or a doctor's appointment
o Learn key phrases for scheduling
Week 2:
Lecture 4-7: Strengthening Grammar and Sentence Structure
Lecture 4: Review of passé composé (completed past actions)
o Learn past tense with both avoir and être
o Practice talking about past experiences
Lecture 5: Introduction to imparfait (descriptive past)
o Describe childhood memories and past routines
o Practice comparing passé composé and imparfait
Lecture 6: Building complex sentences
o Use conjunctions like parce que, donc, puisque
o Practice writing short paragraphs
Lecture 7: Future tense (futur proche & futur simple)
o Express future plans and ambitions
o Practice making predictions
Assignment 1
More specific requirements (e.g., topic, formatting requirements, deadlines, etc.) will be provided in the course.
Week 3:
Lecture 8-10: Practical French for Real-Life Situations
Lecture 8: French social etiquette and customs
o Learn polite expressions and formal communication
o Practice introductions and networking
Lecture 9: French holidays and festivals
o Explore French cultural traditions
o Practice discussing holiday experiences
Lecture 10: French cinema and music
o Understand popular French films and songs
o Practice discussing favorite movies and artists
Week 4:
Lecture 11-14: Practical French for Real-Life Situations
Lecture 11: Renting an apartment in France
o Learn housing-related vocabulary
o Practice negotiating rent and reading contracts
Lecture 12: Visiting a doctor and describing symptoms
o Medical vocabulary and emergency phrases
o Practice role-play with healthcare professionals
Lecture 13: Traveling in French-speaking countries
o Learn transportation and hotel booking phrases
o Practice asking for directions
Lecture 14: Handling job interviews in French
o Practice answering interview questions
o Learn professional vocabulary
Midterm Exam: multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions (Contains topics in Lecture 1-14)
Week 5:
Lecture 15-18: Advanced Writing and Reading Practice
Lecture 15: Writing professional emails and letters
o Learn formal writing structures
o Practice writing cover letters and complaints
Lecture 16: Reading French news articles
o Understand headlines and political vocabulary
o Practice summarizing news stories
Lecture 17: Writing short essays and opinion pieces
o Practice expressing opinions on social issues
o Improve writing coherence
Lecture 18: French literature and storytelling
o Explore famous French authors
o Practice reading short stories
Week 6:
Lecture 19-21: Speaking Practice & Building Fluency
Lecture 19: Giving presentations and public speaking
o Practice giving presentations in French
o Improve pronunciation and clarity
Lecture 20: Debating social issues in French
o Learn debate structures and arguments
o Practice expressing disagreement politely
Lecture 21: French humor and slang expressions
o Learn informal French and common jokes
o Practice casual conversations with native speakers
Assignment 2
More specific requirements (e.g., topic, formatting requirements, deadlines, etc.) will be provided in the course.
Week 7:
Lecture 22-24: Mastering French in Everyday Life
Lecture 22: Navigating French Customer Service
o Learn how to effectively communicate in French when calling customer service or dealing with complaints
o Key vocabulary and phrases for resolving issues politely and efficiently
Lecture 23: French Public Services and Administrative Procedures
o Learn key vocabulary related to interacting with French public services, such as the post office, municipal services, and government agencies
o Practice how to fill out forms, request documents, and inquire about administrative processes in French
Lecture 24: Shopping and Bargaining in French
o Key phrases for returning items, asking for discounts, and handling payments in French
o Practice how to make comparisons and bargain in markets or with shopkeepers
Week 8:
Lecture 25-28: Advanced Real-Life Communication and French Cultural Insights
Lecture 25: French Technology and Digital Communication
o Learn vocabulary related to technology, such as using the internet, social media, and common tech-related expressions
o Practice discussing online transactions, emails, and digital etiquette in French
Lecture 26: French Sports and Leisure Activities
o Learn vocabulary related to popular French sports, hobbies, and outdoor activities
o Practice discussing sports events, fitness routines, and leisure time in French
Lecture 27: Managing Personal Finances in France
o Understand the basics of managing personal finances in France, including how to talk about banking, taxes, and insurance
o Learn vocabulary for opening a bank account, discussing bills, and budgeting in French
Lecture 28: Final Review
o Comprehensive review of the vocabulary, grammar, and cultural concepts from the course
o Final reflection on how learning French has shaped your understanding of French culture and communication.
Final Exam: multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions (Contains topics in All Lectures)
Grading Assessment:
Assignment 1 |
15% |
Assignment 2 |
15% |
Quizzes |
5% |
Midterm |
25% |
Final exam |
30% |
Seminar Participation |
10% |
Total |
100% |
Assignments:
Students are required to write two writing practice during the semester, each ranging from 500 to 800 words. The topics for these assignments will be based on course materials and should reflect both your understanding of the French language and its culture. Both assignments will be graded on grammar accuracy, vocabulary usage, sentence structure, coherence, and cultural understanding. Proper use of French writing conventions, including accents and punctuation, is essential. Assignments should be submitted in Microsoft Word or PDF format, and feedback will be provided to help improve future writing tasks.
Weekly Quizzes:
The weekly vocabulary quizzes will be held every Friday and will consist exclusively of multiple-choice questions designed to assess your understanding and retention of key vocabulary introduced during that week’s lectures and materials. Each quiz will take
approximately 10 minutes and will evaluate your ability to correctly identify word meanings, recognize their usage in context and connect French terms with their English equivalents. These quizzes will collectively account for 5% of your final grade, and results will be provided the following Monday to support continuous learning and improvement.
Attendance:
Students are required to attend a weekly seminar led by TA to focus on the week's topic and deepen understanding. Seminar time assigned by TA. Seminar attendance counts toward the final grade.
Exams:
The examinations in this course consist of multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions. The final exam is cumulative.
Final Evaluation:
Letter Grade |
Percentage (%) |
Letter Grade |
Percentage |
A+ |
≥95 |
C+ |
64-67 |
A |
89-94 |
C |
60-64 |
A- |
84-88 |
C- |
56-59 |
B+ |
79-83 |
D+ |
54-56 |
B |
73-78 |
D |
50-53 |
B- |
68-72 |
F |
≤50 |
General Policies:
Academic integrity
Academic integrity is the cornerstone of academia and requires students and researchers to
maintain honesty, fairness, trust and responsibility in all academic activities. It includes not only avoiding dishonest behaviors such as plagiarism, cheating, and falsifying data, but also requires taking responsibility for one's own academic actions and ensuring that all work is done
independently and accurately cites the research of others. Violations of academic integrity can result in severe academic penalties, such as zero grades, suspension or even expulsion, and can cause serious damage to an individual's reputation and future career. Upholding academic
integrity is therefore essential to promoting a fair academic environment and facilitating the authentic dissemination of knowledge.
Accessible Resources Policy
The policy ensures that all students, especially those with disabilities, are able to participate equally in school learning and activities. The school provides a wide range of accessibility resources including, but not limited to, specialized classrooms, hearing aids, Braille textbooks, assistive technology, and flexible testing arrangements. Students are required to apply to the school in advance and provide appropriate medical or psychological evaluations so that an
individualized support plan can be developed for them. This policy is designed to remove barriers in the academic environment and to ensure that every student has access to equitable learning opportunities.
Withdrawal Policy
Students may choose to withdraw from a course within a specified period of time, and may not be able to do so after the expiration date. When withdrawing from a course, students are required to fill out a withdrawal form with a reason, which will be reviewed and processed on a case-by- case basis. Withdrawal from a course may not affect the student's academic performance. If a student withdraws from a course with incomplete requirements, a “W” may be assigned instead of a grade, depending on the course.
