FREN 110
Introductory French I
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 & French |
Course Overview:
This course is designed for students with little or no prior knowledge of French, focusing on developing foundational language skills and cultural understanding. Through interactive practice and cultural exploration, students will acquire basic proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, while building confidence in everyday communication.
Required Material:
Annie Heminway, Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French All-in-One, Premium Third Edition, McGraw Hill, 2022.
Scullen, Mary Ellen, et al. Chez nous: Branché sur le monde francophone. 5th ed., Pearson, 2020.
Supplementary materials, including audio and video resources, will be made available via the course platform.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand and use familiar French phrases in routine situations.
2. Engage in basic conversational exchanges using learned vocabulary and grammar.
3. Write simple sentences and comprehend short passages in French.
4. Gain insights into French culture and societal norms.
Course Outline:
Week 1:
Lecture 1-3: Basic Communication and Cultural Awareness
Lecture 1: French pronunciation and alphabet
o Understand vowel and consonant pronunciation rules
o Practice the French alphabet and common sounds (e.g., nasal vowels)
o Introduction to phonetic challenges and tips for mastery
Lecture 2: Greetings, introductions, and polite expressions
o Introduction to phonetic challenges and tips for mastery
o Discuss cultural norms for politeness in French-speaking countries
Lecture 3: Numbers, dates, and telling time
o Count in French from 0–100
o Express dates (e.g., days of the week and months)
o Talk about time in informal and formal settings
Week 2:
Lecture 4-6: Vocabulary and Grammar Essentials
Lecture 4: Introduction to articles and nouns
o Learn definite, indefinite, and partitive articles (e.g., le, la, un, une)
o Understand gender agreement of nouns
Lecture 5: Daily life vocabulary: food and transportation
o Vocabulary related to eating out and grocery shopping
o Expressions for asking and giving directions
o Introduction to transportation phrases (e.g., train, bus, metro)
Lecture 6: Common verbs: être, avoir, aller, and faire
o Conjugation of these key verbs in the present tense
o Common expressions using être and avoir (e.g., avoir faim, être en retard)
Assignment 1
More specific requirements (e.g., topic, formatting requirements, deadlines, etc.) will be provided in the course.
Week 3:
Lecture 7-9: Everyday Expressions and Simple Conversations
Lecture 7: Basic adjectives and their agreement with nouns
o Adjective placement and agreement rules (e.g., petit chat noir)
o Build sentences combining adjectives and nouns
Lecture 8: Expressing likes, dislikes, and preferences
o Vocabulary for expressing opinions (e.g., j'aime, je n'aime pas)
o Discuss likes and dislikes about food, activities, and hobbies
Lecture 9: Basic questions: forming and responding
o Practice forming yes/no and information questions
o Common question words (qui, quoi, où, comment, etc.)
Week 4:
Lecture 10-12： Cultural and Travel Vocabulary
Lecture 10: Cultural customs: dining and social etiquette
o Explore common French dining customs and table manners
o Discuss social norms for greetings and interactions
Lecture 11: Talking about family, professions, and hobbies
o Vocabulary for family members and relationships
o East Discuss different professions using verbs like être and faire
Lecture 12: Vocabulary for shopping and travel
o Essential phrases for buying clothes, food, or souvenirs
o Practice navigating transportation systems in French-speaking areas
Midterm Exam: multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions (Contains topics in Lecture 1-12)
Week 5:
Lecture 13-16: Grammar and Case Study
Lecture 13: Describing people, places, and activities
o Use adjectives and verbs to describe physical traits and locations
o Learn useful verbs like habiter, jouer, and travailler
Lecture 14: Introductions to simple past tense usage
o Overview of the passé composé with avoir and être
o Learn how to talk about past activities or events
Lecture 15: Cultural case study: holidays and traditions in French-speaking countries
o Overview of traditional and modern French holidays
o Learn vocabulary for holiday-specific customs and activities
Lecture 16: Building sentence complexity with conjunctions
o Learn common connectors (et, mais, donc, car)
o Practice forming complex sentences with conjunctions
Assignment 2
More specific requirements (e.g., topic, formatting requirements, deadlines, etc.) will be provided in the course.
Week 6:
Lecture 17-20: Intensive Reading and Writing
Lecture 17: Reading and interpreting short French passages
o Strategies for understanding short texts (e.g., menus, signs)
o Practice reading comprehension using authentic materials
Lecture 18: Writing brief descriptions of daily routines
o Practice describing a typical day using time expressions
o Focus on using verb conjugation and vocabulary effectively
Lecture 19: Virtual role-play: ordering at a café or restaurant
o Learn vocabulary and expressions for ordering food and drinks
o Discuss dining etiquette in French-speaking countries
Lecture 20: Cultural focus: exploring landmarks and festivals
o Introduction to significant French landmarks (e.g., Eiffel Tower)
o Learn vocabulary related to travel and tourism
Week 7:
Lecture 21-24: Communicating Beyond the Basics
Lecture 21: Describing emotions and feelings
o Vocabulary for expressing emotions (e.g., heureux, triste, surpris)
o Practice using adjectives with various tenses to express states of mind
Lecture 22: Expanding sentence structures with adverbs
o Introduction to common French adverbs (e.g., toujours, parfois, bien)
o Explore how adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs
Lecture 23: Talking about health and well-being
o Vocabulary related to health (e.g., malade, fatigue, blessure)
o Practice seeking medical help and describing symptoms Lecture 24: Telling stories using the imperfect tense
o Introduction to the imperfect tense (imparfait) for describing past habitual actions
o Practice comparing passé composé and imparfait in storytelling
Week 8:
Lecture 25-28: Course Wrap-Up and Final Preparations
Lecture 25: Discussing future plans and ambitions
o Vocabulary for talking about the future (e.g., demain, ce soir, prochain)
o Practice using the futur proche (near future) to express upcoming actions
Lecture 26: Discussing climate, weather, and the environment
o Vocabulary related to weather and nature (e.g., soleil, neige, pollution)
o Practice talking about weather forecasts and seasonal activities
Lecture 27: Dealing with emergencies in French
o Learn emergency-related vocabulary (e.g., secours, incendie, volé)
o Practice dialogues for situations like accidents, medical emergencies, or theft
Lecture 28: Review and celebration: Reflecting on cultural insights and progress
o Recap all material covered in the course with focus on strengths and areas for improvement
o Celebration of achievements and cultural discovery throughout the course
Final Exam: multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions (Contains topics in All Lectures)
Grading Assessment:
Assignment 1 |
15% |
Assignment 2 |
15% |
Weekly vocabulary 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.
