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FACULTY OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS
FRENCH

ARTS1480

INTRODUCTORY FRENCH A

SEMESTER 1, 2010
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COURSE OUTLINE CONTENT DETAILS

School Contact Information

School Office
LOCATION: Room 258, Morven Brown Building (C20)
HOURS: Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm
WEBSITE: http://languages.arts.unsw.edu.au
EMAIL: languages@unsw.edu.au
PHONE: (02) 9385 1681
FAX: (02) 9385 2666

Mailing Address
School of Languages and Linguistics
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
UNSW Sydney NSW 2052

Course staff

Course convener: Valérie Combe-Germes

Room 271, Morven Brown Building
Telephone: 9385 2315
email: v.combegermes@unsw.edu.au
CONSULTATION: Monday 1-2, Thursday 1-2 or by
appointment.

Lecturers and tutors:

Ms Sandra Bacchi, SANDRA.BACCHI@det.nsw.edu.au
Ms Valérie Combe-Germes, contact details as above
Ms Chirata Deneve Thomsen; email: chiratadeneve@hotmail.com
Ms Guylaine Lackmy, Room 277; email: g.lackmy@unsw.edu.au
Ms Eve Nachin, Room 277; email: e.nachin@unsw.edu.au
Ms Selma Paris, Room 271; email: s.parris@unsw.edu.au
Ms Michèle Roger, Room 271; email: m.roger@unsw.edu.au

Course information

• Units of credit: 6

• 5 hours per week — Lecture 1, Monday 10-11 or Tuesday, 10-11;

Lecture 2, Tuesday 11-12 or Wednesday 10-11; and 3 hours of
language activity classes; students must attend all three tutorial hours
in the same tutorial group.

• Please check the timetable opposite the Reception, School of

Languages and Linguistics, for any changes in location and / or in
times.
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• There are 10 language activity classes.

o Tut 01: Valérie Combe-Germes, Monday 11-12 and Wednesday

11-1;

o Tut 02: Eve Nachin, Monday 11-12 and Selma Parris,

Wednesday 11-1;

o Tut 03: Valérie Combe-Germes, Monday 12-1, and Wednesday

1-3;

o Tut 04: Michèle Roger, Monday 12-1 and Selma Parris

Wednesday 1-3;

o Tut 05: Eve Nachin, Monday 1-2 and Wednesday 3-5;

o Tut 06: Guylaine Lackmy, Monday 1-2 and Wednesday 3-5;

o Tut 07: Michèle Roger, Monday 2-3 and Wednesday 11-1;

o Tut 08: Eve Nachin, Monday 2-3 and Wednesday 1-3;

o Tut 09: Guylaine Lackmy, Monday 6-7 and Wednesday 6-8;

o Tut 10: Chirata Deneve Thomsen, Monday 6-7 and Wednesday

6-8;

o Tut 11: Sandra Bacchi, Monday 6-7 and Wednesday 6-8.

• ARTS1480 Introductory French A, is specially designed for students

with NO (or almost no) previous knowledge of French. It is the first
stage in the core language sequence for French: taken together with
ARTS1481 (Semester 2), it will allow you to proceed to further study of
French in the core language courses ARTS2480 Intermediate French A
and ARTS2481 Intermediate French B.

Teaching approach

• The approach is communicative, which means that the course focuses

on the language, communicative strategies and cultural factors in daily
person-to-person interaction. The structures of the language are
presented in context, which means that grammar is learnt by inferring
the rules from the communicative situations practised orally in French.
There are also some background lectures (in English) designed to
introduce students to basic notions of grammar in the context of the
dialogues practised in class and to specific vocabulary through cultural
topics of today’s French speaking world. Apart from these lectures, the
language of communication used in the classroom is mainly French.
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• Course aims:
o To provide students with basic conversational French skills.
o To enable students to listen to and understand basic French.
o To equip students with the ability to read basic everyday French.
o To equip students with the ability to write basic French,
especially simple dialogues and letters.
o To give students an understanding of basic French grammar.
o To give students an introduction to French life and culture.

• Expected student learning outcomes

o By the end of this course, you should be able to introduce
yourself and hold a simple conversation giving and asking basic
personal details, describing people you know, talking about
everyday activities and expressing likes and dislikes. You should
be able to talk about the past and the future (Semester 2), give
and refuse permission, express opinions and indicate directions.
o You should have a vocabulary of about 2000 words, and some
basic notions of French grammar, especially about the verb
system, and some basic reading and writing skills in French.
o You should become engaged with topics which are important in
the French-speaking world.
o You should gain a better understanding of yourself and your
environment by examining the French-speaking world.

• Class activities include:

o The study and learning of dialogues on video or CD to develop
listening skills and pronunciation.
o The use of role play and group/pair activities to develop
interactive speaking skills.
o The study of grammar concepts and rules through observation
and practice of the target language.
In addition to the class activities, students are expected to do small
weekly grammar exercises and listening or writing exercises, as well as
regular private study and revision at home or multimedia area (weekly
practice and revision with the audio and video material accompanying
the course textbook + the online content of the course).

Graduate Attributes Developed

• scholarly enquiry
• disciplinary knowledge in an interdisciplinary context
• analytical and critical thinking
• research skills
• respect for diversity
• effective collaboration
• communication and presentation skills

Assessment
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Learning a language is progressive, and requires regular active practice.

Class activities and course assessment are both designed with this in mind.
Course assessment is continuous and tests all of the four basic skills:
listening, speaking, grammar and writing.
You will be assessed according to the following criteria:
• Participation in class – 20 %
o your linguistic performance in class (both quality and quantity):
learning dialogues, role plays, pair/group work, effort to speak
in French
o regular completion of homework, preparation and revision,
including on-line exercises in the Blackboard course module,
vocabulary or grammar exercises / quizzes, participation to
written discussions,etc.

• Class Tests – 40 %
o Week 4: Vocabulary and Grammar Test – 10 %
o Week 7: Writing Test — 10 %
o Week 10: Listening and Reading Test — 10 %
o Week 13: Speaking test — 10 %
• Formal Final Examinations – 40 % (Grammar, Vocabulary, Listening,
Reading and Writing)
Students should also be aware that the final result is subject to
statistical scaling.

Course Program
A table of lecture and practical class topics for each week, together with
homework and preparations, is available as a separate document. This
document is available on the course website.

Resources for students

The set texts are:
VERSION ORIGINALE, Méthode de français, Livre de l’élève, Difusión
fle (sold with CD and DVD).
VERSION ORIGINALE, Méthode de français, accompanying exercise
book, Difusión fle.

These textbooks should be available from the UNSW Bookshop.

You should also think about acquiring a good dictionary. If you intend to do a
major in French, we recommend that you buy a large bilingual (French-
English/English-French) dictionary. You should buy the biggest dictionary you
can afford: a pocket-size or concise dictionary will quickly prove inadequate.
Many students also like to have a grammar reference book. The following
recommended books are available from the Bookshop:
Dictionnaire du Français langue étrangère Niveau 1, Larousse
Collins Robert French-English/English-French Dictionary, Collins
Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary, Oxford
COFFMAN M., French Grammar, McGraw-Hill
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For students who wish to revise English grammar, the following book is also
recommended:
MORTON J., English grammar for students of French, Olivia & Hill
(available at the Bookshop and in the Closed Reserve section of the
Library)

Additional materials will be provided on the course website.

Assignments
For the full School Protocol on Assignment Submission & Return, see also
http://languages.arts.unsw.edu.au/media/File/LLAssignment_protocol.pdf

Methods of Submission
Assignments must be submitted, unless otherwise specified by the course
convenor, either electronically via WebCT Vista/Blackboard or in-person via
the School Assignment Box. The course convenor is to advise his or her
students of the method of submission appropriate to his or her particular
course.
Where students are required to hand in an assignment in person, they are not
permitted to submit it electronically.

Electronic Submission of Assignments

Students enrolled in a course that requires electronic submission of
assignments must do so through the Turnitin box on WebCT Vista/Blackboard
while observing the following protocols:
• An electronically submitted assignment must be prepared in Microsoft
Word, WordPerfect, RTF, or plain text format, using a minimum of 12-
point Times New Roman and one-and-half or double line spacing.
• All files submitted must be named following the convention below:
Surname_GivenName_CourseCode_AssignmentNumber.doc
• Students are only entitled to submit an assignment once. Additional or
subsequent submissions will not be accepted.
• An electronic School Assignment Coversheet must be inserted before
the first page of the assignment, with the declaration ticked and dated.
It can be downloaded from
http://languages.arts.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/

In-person Submission of Assignments

Assignments which are submitted to the School Assignment Box must have a
properly completed School Assessment Coversheet, with the declaration
signed and dated by hand. It can be downloaded from
http://languages.arts.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/
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It is individual students’ responsibility to make a backup copy of the

assignment prior to submission and retain it.

Submission Deadline
Regardless of the method of submission used, assignments must be
submitted before 4:00pm on the due date. Assignments received after this
time will be marked as having been received late.
Late Submission of Assignments
Late assignments will attract a penalty. Of the total mark, 3% will be deducted
each day for the first week, with Saturday and Sunday counting as two days,
and 10% each week thereafter.
The penalty may not apply where students are able to provide documentary
evidence of illness or serious misadventure. See Special Consideration
below.
Time pressure resulting from undertaking assignments for other courses does
not constitute an acceptable excuse for lateness.

Assignment Return

Assignments submitted via WebCT/blackboard

Once marked, electronically submitted assignments are uploaded by your
lecturer or tutor on WebCT/Blackboard, where you will be able to view them.
Electronically submitted assignments will not be returned by any other means.

Assignments submitted via the School Assignment Box

By Mail
Assignments submitted via the School Assignment Box will be returned only if
you attach a stamped, self-addressed A4-size envelope (or larger) to your
assignment at the time of submission.
• In determining the postage required for your assignment, the Postage
Assessment Calculator, available on the Australia Post webpage
below, may be useful.
http://www1.auspost.com.au/pac/
• The School Office is unable to provide envelopes for students.
In-person
Alternatively, School academic staff may return assignments in person. To
collect an assignment, you are required to be its owner/author. For this
reason, please remember to bring your student ID card with you.
Disposal of Uncollected Assignments
School academic staff and the School Office reserve the right to dispose of
any assignments that are not collected in the manner specified above either:
• At or after the conclusion of the semester following the semester in
which the relevant course is taught (e.g., an assignment for a Summer
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Term 2010 course will be disposed of at or after the conclusion of

Semester 1 2010); or
• On or after the date that your lecturer or tutor has specified.

Attendance
Students are expected to be regular and punctual in attendance at all classes
in the courses in which they are enrolled. Explanations of absences from
classes or requests for permission to be absent from classes should be
discussed with the teacher and where applicable accompanied by a medical
certificate. If students attend less than 80% of their possible classes they
may be refused final assessment.

Academic honesty and plagiarism

What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is the presentation of the thoughts or work of another as one’s
own.* Examples include:
• Direct duplication of the thoughts or work of another, including by
copying material, ideas or concepts from a book, article, report or other
written document (whether published or unpublished), composition,
artwork, design, drawing, circuitry, computer program or software, web
site, Internet, other electronic resource, or another person’s
assignment without appropriate acknowledgement;
• Paraphrasing another person’s work with very minor changes keeping
the meaning, form and/or progression of ideas of the original;
• Piecing together sections of the work of others into a new whole;
• Presenting an assessment item as independent work when it has been
produced in whole or part in collusion with other people, for example,
another student or a tutor; and
• Claiming credit for a proportion a work contributed to a group
assessment item that is greater than that actually contributed.†
For the purposes of this policy, submitting an assessment item that has
already been submitted for academic credit elsewhere may be considered
plagiarism.
Knowingly permitting your work to be copied by another student may also be
considered to be plagiarism.
Note that an assessment item produced in oral, not written, form, or involving
live presentation, may similarly contain plagiarised material.
The inclusion of the thoughts or work of another with attribution appropriate to
the academic discipline does not amount to plagiarism.

*
Based on that proposed to the University of Newcastle by the St James
Ethics Centre. Used with kind permission from the University of Newcastle.
†
Adapted with kind permission from the University of Melbourne.
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The Learning Centre website is main repository for resources for staff and
students on plagiarism and academic honesty. These resources can be
located via:
www.lc.unsw.edu.au/plagiarism
The Learning Centre also provides substantial educational written materials,
workshops, and tutorials to aid students, for example, in:
• Correct referencing practices;
• Paraphrasing, summarising, essay writing, and time management;
• Appropriate use of, and attribution for, a range of materials including
text, images, formulae and concepts.
Individual assistance is available on request from The Learning Centre.
Students are also reminded that careful time management is an important part
of study and one of the identified causes of plagiarism is poor time
management. Students should allow sufficient time for research, drafting, and
the proper referencing of sources in preparing all assessment items.

Course Evaluation and Development

Courses are periodically reviewed and students’ feedback is used to improve
them. Feedback is gathered using various means, including UNSW’s Course
and Teaching Evaluation and Improvement (CATEI) Process.

Examination materials
It is students’ responsibility to bring pens, erasers, and/or pens that are
required for examinations conducted outside the formal examination period.
The formal examination period runs from Friday, 11 June through Monday, 28
June in Semester 1 (Provisional) and from Friday, 29 October through
Tuesday, 16 November in Semester 2 (Provisional).
Students are advised that all answers must be written in ink, while pencils and
erasers may be needed in the case of a multiple choice examination.
Other examination materials, such as examination booklets, are provided by
the School.

myUNSW
myUNSW is the single online access point for UNSW services and
information, integrating online services for applicants, commencing & current
students and UNSW staff. myUNSW is a great resource for further information
not listed in this course outline. To visit myUNSW, please visit the link below:
https://my.unsw.edu.au/portal/dt?desktop.suid=uid=anonymousActive,ou=Peo
ple,dc=unsw,dc=edu,dc=au
For an A to Z guide on student services and related information, please visit:
https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/atoz/ABC.html
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Occupational Health and Safety

UNSW's Occupational Health and Safety Policy requires each person to work
safely and responsibly, in order to avoid personal injury and to protect the
safety of others.
For all matters relating to Occupational Health, Safety and environment, see
https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/atoz/OccupationalHealth.html
• Students must report any hazards or incidents and any injuries or
illnesses acquired during the course of their study, especially if it
results in their being unable to pursue their studies for a continuous
period of 7 or more days. The relevant reporting forms are available in
all school offices and are accessible on the web. Download reporting
forms here.
• The Occupational Health, Safety and Environment section in the Risk
Management Unit organises and participates in orientation and training
courses for students throughout the year via the schools. Students are
encouraged to attend these sessions. Undergraduate and
postgraduate student representatives are nominated for the school
OHS committees and level 1 OHS Committee.
• Students working at night on campus are advised to use the Unibeat
service arranged by phoning Security on Tel: +61 2 9385 6000 to
accompany them safely to the car park areas. They should be familiar
with the procedures to follow in the event of an emergency, and should
know the location of emergency exits, fire-fighting equipment, first-aid
cabinets and telephones.
• All emergencies are to be reported to Security on Tel: +61 2 9385
6666. Students should also know the telephone number of their
Building First Aid Officer, the University Health Service Tel: +61 2 9385
5425 and their supervisor’s contact telephone number for emergency
purposes. They should co-operate fully in the conduct of any building
evacuation drill which is carried out in the school within which they are
working and should be aware of any special instructions which might
be relevant in the event of an accident involving their project. Students
may only work after-hours in accordance with school policy.
• All students have obligations as ‘persons’ under Sections 21, 24 & 25
of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 and OHS Regulation
2001. It is essential students read their legal obligations, which can be
found at the following website: www.austlii.edu.au under NSW Acts
and Consolidated regulations.

Special Consideration
In cases where illness or other circumstances produce repeated or sustained
absence, students should apply for Special Consideration as soon as
possible. Forms are available from Student Central on the ground floor of the
Chancellery (opposite the Library) or online at the link below. Applications on
the grounds of illness must be filled in by a medical practitioner. Further
information is available at:
https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/atoz/SpecialConsideration.html
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Student Equity and Diversity

Students who have a disability that requires some adjustment in their learning
and teaching environment are encouraged to discuss their study needs with
the course convener prior to, or at the commencement of the course, or with
the Student Equity Officers (Disability) in the Student Equity and Diversity Unit
(9385 4734). Information for students with disabilities is available at:
http://www.studentequity.unsw.edu.au/
Issues to be discussed may include access to materials, signers or note-
takers, the provision of services and additional examination and assessment
arrangements. Early notification is essential to enable any necessary
adjustments to be made.