Hutchinson Central Technical High School
Course Syllabus
Course Name: French I, II, III Regents
Instructor: Mr. Kunz Contact Time: 8:12-8:53 or 11:42-12:23 Phone Ext: 1537
Grading Policy
Final grades will be based on tests, quizzes, homework, projects, class work, speaking presentations and oral participation in class. Tests and projects count twice, quizzes and speaking presentations count once, homework, class work and oral participation add up to the value of two test grades.
Homework Policy
Homework can be expected every day except Friday. Homework may be written practice from the textbook, a worksheet or a writing sample in the notebook. It may also consist of a speaking practice such as the preparation of a dialogue or short oral presentation. It is also very important to stress daily review of vocabulary and grammar points.
Please note that our text books, BON VOYAGE I, II and III, are also available on CD-ROM. The advantage is that the CD-ROM versions of the books allow the students to also LISTEN to the dialogs, stories and vocabulary. Considering that listening is a major part of the exams it is crucial that students use this option for daily practice. Many of the exercises are also self-correcting. Students may choose to take home a CD-ROM of the book instead of the hard copy. In that case, please bring in a blank CD and you will receive a CD-ROM copy of the book.
The website for all books is the same: french.glencoe.com. Choose the 2005 edition for the book of your level.
The website contains additional practice and review activities as well as links to authentic French websites where students can practice their reading skills and experience authentic French culture.
Homework will be collected or checked in class. Work that is checked in class can usually not be made up except in case of an absence. In that case it has to be presented to me on the first day a student returns to school. Homework that is collected may be handed in late, however it will incur a loss of points. Again the exception is in the case of an excused absence from school.
Test Policy
Tests are given once or twice per study unit. They usually address all four skills involved in French study: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Speaking is assessed in teacher to student interview / conversation situations or with the teacher evaluating a student-to-student dialog. At times students will be asked to record themselves at home or at the library. Tests usually include a section that addresses specific grammar points and require specific knowledge, reading and listening sections which cover topics / vocabulary specific to the unit but building on previous chapters as well and a writing section which expects the student to use concepts covered in the unit.
Quiz Policy
Quizzes are given on a weekly basis. They assess specific skills currently being taught such as vocabulary, grammar points (such as verb forms), listening and reading. They may also test the review of material taught earlier in the year.
Projects
Projects may address something the whole class is working on such as a movie or a certain cultural topic. They may also cover something the student chooses after submitting a proposal to me. Papers must be word-processed including accent marks in French.
Course Outline
The goal in each course is the successful completion of its final exam. For French I it is the New York State Proficiency Exam, for French II the departmental level 2 exam and for French III it is the New York State Regents Exam in French.
At each level the skills tested are speaking, listening, reading and writing with tasks getting more involved as studies progress. In general tasks in all four skills are real life oriented.
Students will be asked to speak in situations that could occur on a trip to a foreign country or with a native speaker visiting our country. They are encouraged to use French as much as possible in class.
Listening skills will be tested through public announcements, listening to conversations or short excerpts from radio or TV. Of course the class will be conducted as much as possible in French, which will familiarize students with the spoken language.
Reading is assessed through short passages, newspaper ads and articles, announcements, brochures and other examples of text used in daily life.
Finally, writing will be tested through short notes, letters, descriptions and short essays of up to 100 words.
The topics are related to every day life and appropriate for the age of the student. Consequently the course is organized by themes such as school life, family, shopping, travel, work, health, leisure, sports and many others. They may repeat themselves in a spiraling manner over the course of the three years.
Even though grammatical accuracy is important and often crucial to the content of the message, our coursework is more directed towards proficiency, which places a stronger emphasis on the students' ability to express themselves and function in real life situations. Students will be given many opportunities to practice these skills and to apply their knowledge. Therefore students should not be afraid to make mistakes. It is the effort that counts!