French and Francophone StudiesThis course is the first semester of the elementary-level sequence designed to develop functional proficiency in the four skills and gain familiarity with French and Francophone culture. The primary emphasis is on the development of the oral-aural skills, speaking and listening. Readings on topics in French culture as well as frequent writing practice are also included in the course. As in other French courses, class will be conducted entirely in French. You will be guided through a variety of communicative activities in class which will expose you to a rich input of spoken French and lead you from structured practice to free expression. You will be given frequent opportunity to practice your newly acquired vocabulary and grammatical structures in small group and pair work which simulate real-life situations.
The course will introduce you to French and Francophone culture through authentic materials including written documents, simple articles, songs, films, videos and taped conversations between native speakers. Out-of-class homework will require practice with the online component of the textbook (MyFrenchLab) as well as regular writing practice. The course will also invite you to explore the Francophone world on the Internet.