FREN151(S117)FrenchforBeginners1

Dashboard Subject FREN151_S117 SubjectInformation Awelcomeletterfromthesubjectcoordinator

Awelcomeletterfromthesubjectcoordinator

Bonjour!
WelcometoFREN151.
ThiscourseaimstobuildupanelementaryknowledgeofFrenchboththroughthepracticeofgrammarandthefourskillsneededto
becomeacompetentuserofalanguage:reading,writing,speakingandlistening.NopriorknowledgeofFrenchispresumed.
TheteachingofFREN151occursmainlyviaweeklylectures(1hour/week)andtutorials(3hours/week):
lecturesbegininweek1onTues28thFebruary,16.3017.30AM(lecturehall107inbuilding67)
tutorialsbegininweek1(seeSubjectTimetablewebsitefortimes).AlltutorialsareheldintheuniversitysLanguageCentre(room
G102,onthegroundfloorofbuilding19).
Whenenrollingintutorialsonline,studentsshouldchooseanAtutorialandaBtutorial(thoughAmustcomebeforeBintheweek).
StudentsarestronglyencouragedtoenrolintutesthatareondifferentdaysthreehoursofFrenchinonegomayproveratherheavy
goingandresearchhasshownthatmoreislearntwhenalanguageispractisedregularly(overseveraldaysinaweek).
Intheteachingoftutorials,Iwillbeaccompaniedbytwoextremelywellqualified,highlyexperiencedandprofessionaltutors:Dr.Susan
Yatesand[entertutor'sname].Allthreeofuswilltrytosupportyouasbestwecan,andwillbehappytoansweranyquestionsyoumay
haveabouttheFrenchlanguageorthecourse.
Ifyouneedtoswitchtutorials,youshouldfirstattempttodothisonlineviaLHATutorialSwapbeforeattemptingtocontactthesubject
coordinatorortutor.
Inadditiontoyourusualtutes,thereisanadditionalhourofPASS(PeerAssistedStudySession)heldatXdifferenttimeseachweek.
ThisistaughtbyaseniorstudentinFrenchwhowillhelpyoutogettogripswiththecorecontentofthecourseaswellassomeofthe
trickierpointsinthelanguage.Toparticipateinthesesessions,youshouldenrolintheminthesamewaythatyouenrolintutes(via
SOLS).
ThewebsitededicatedtoFREN151canbefoundonMoodle,theuniversitysvirtuallearningenvironment.Thissitecomplementsthe
prescribedtextbooks,inthatitallowsyoutodownloadpowerpointsandresourcesusedinlecturesandtutorials,tocompletesomeofthe
assessments,andtoaccessvideorecordingsofweeklylecturesviatheuniversityslecturecapturesystem,Echo360.Tologinto
Moodle,typethefollowingwebaddressintoyourbrowser:http://www.uow.edu.au/student/index.htmlandenteryourUoWusernameand
passwordonthelefthandsideofthepage.YoushouldfindthatyouhaveFREN151(S117)FrenchforBeginners1amongstyourlistof
courses.Clickonthistoaccessthesite.YouwillthenbetakentotheFREN151homepage,whichhasatiledinterfacewithrectanglesor
tilesrelatingtoSubjectInformation,Assessmentandteachingcontentinweeks111(thiscontentwillberolledoutweekbyweek).
FromtimetotimeimportantinformationmaybepostedontheFREN151MoodlesiteorsenttoyouviayourUoWemailaccountyou
shouldthereforeensureyouconsultbothoftheseonaregularbasis.Mostoftheessentialinformationaboutthecourse(concerning
courseobjectives,assessments,theweeklyteachingschedule,etc)canbefoundinthedownloadablepdfdocumentFREN151Subject
OutlineavailableintheSubjectInformationsectionofMoodle.Youshouldreadthisdocumentbeforedoinganythingelseand
preferablyinadvanceoftutorials.
Youshouldbynowhavepurchasedtheprescribedmaterials,whichareasfollows:

Denyer,Garmendia&LionsOlivieri,VersionOriginale1:mthodedefranais,livredellve(Paris:Maisondeslangues,2009).
CoffmanCrocker,MaryE.,FrenchGrammar.SchaumsOutlines,6thedition(Sydney:McGrawHill,2013),availablefromtheUni
shopR.R.P.$28.95.
Youwillneedtopurchasethesebookspriortotutorialsstartinginweek2sincetheyandtheresourcesprovidedonMoodlewillform
thebasisofyourstudiesinthissubject.Bytheendofthesemester,wewillhavecovereduptochapter4ofVersionOriginale1and,in
yourfinalexam,youwillbetestedmainlyonthecontentofthesechapters.
Therearefiveassessmentsinthissubject:assessment1consistsofthreegrammarquizzes.Assessment2consistsoftwoparts:(i)a
readingcomprehensionquizand(ii)acreativewritingtask.Assessment3evaluatesyourcontinuedparticipationintheonline
discussionforumonMoodle.Assessment4isanoralassessmentandhasthreeparts:(i)regularhurdletasks(i.e.taskssetthroughout
thesemesterthanmustbecompletedtobeadmittedtothefinaloralexam(ii)anoraltest(conductedinpairsintutorials)and(iii)anoral
comprehensionquizcompletedonline.Assessment5isthefinalwrittenexaminthesubject.
Pleasetakeagoodlookattheassessmentsummarybelowandnotedownthedeadlinesinyourdiary:

Assignment

Weight

Duedate
QUIZ1duedate:17March2017(endofweek3)

Assessment1:
GrammarMinitests

QUIZ2duedate:31March2017(endofweek5)
30%

QUIZ3duedate:28April2017(beginningofweek8)

AllthreeassessmentstaketheformofaMoodlequizandaresubmittedonline.
PART1,ReadingComprehension(10%)duedate:14April2017,4pm(endofweek7)
PART2,CreativeWritingtask(10%)duedate:14April2017,4pm(endofweek7)

Assessment2:
Reading/Writing

20%

TheReadingComprehensionquiztakestheformaMoodlequizandissubmitted
online.TheCreativeWritingtaskmustbewordprocessedandsubmittedtoLHA
Central(building19).

Assessment3:
OnlineForum
Participation

10%

Studentsforumcontributionsassessedfromweek211.SeetheAssessmentsectionof
Moodleforfurtherdetails.
PART1,Oralhurdletasks(tasksseteveryfewweekswhichmustbecompletedtobe
admittedtothefinaloralexam)

Assessment4:
OralAssessment

PART2,OralTest(12%):tobeheldintutorialsinweek12
20%

PART3,OralComprehensionQuiz(8%)duedate:26May2017(endofweek12)

OralTestwillbeassessedinpairsbyyourtutor.OralComprehensionQuiztakesthe
formofaMoodlequizandissubmittedonline.

Assessment5:
FinalWrittenExam

Week13.
20%

ExamwilltaketheformofasupervisedMoodlequiztestingbothvocabularyand
grammar.

AllassignmentmarksshouldbeaccessibleviatheGradeslinkontherighthandsideoftheMoodlesite.Marksdisplayedhereare
expressedasapercentage.Laterinthesemester,weightedmarkswillbepostedonSMPcentral,withyouraggregatemarkforthe
subjectappearingthereoncetheexamperiodisover.Inlinewithuniversitypolicy,threeweeksareallocatedforthemarkingof
assignmentsautomatedMoodlequizzeswillselfmark,thoughresultsandfeedbackareonlyavailableafterthedeadlinehaspassed
andallstudents(includingthosewithacademicconsiderationoraspecialadjustment)havecompletedthequiz.
Beginningthestudyofanewlanguagewillinevitablyseemlikesomethingofanadventure,bothintriguingandsomewhatdaunting.Itis
amorepleasurableexperiencewhenyoudevoteyourselftothelanguageinregularsessions(andavoidcrammingjustbeforetheend
ofsemesterexam).Youthereforeneedtomotivateyourselftoworkindependentlyandpractisethelanguageasoftenasyoucan.The
FrenchToolboxsectionoftheMoodlesiteprovidesmanyinvaluableresourcesandlinkstowebpages,whichwillhelpyoutomake

considerableheadwayinthesubject.Asaguide,a6creditsubjectlikethisoneisroughlyequivalentto150learninghours,i.e.a
minimumof12.5hoursofstudyperweek.Ifyouarepressedfortimeasaresultofworkcommitments,youshouldtrytostudyinshortbut
frequentsessions.
IfyouhaveanyquestionsrelatingtoFREN151,pleasedonothesitatetocontactme.Thebestwaytodothisisviaemail
(klem@uow.edu.au)thoughyoucanalsocometospeaktomeinpersonduringmyconsultationhours(inserttimes).Pleasenotethat
emailenquiriesaregenerallyansweredwithin2448hourshowever,whenthevolumeofenquiriesand/oroverallworkloadis
particularlyhigh,thismaytakesomewhatlonger.
Allthatremainsformetodonowistowishyoubonnechance(goodluck)!IwishyouallthebestinyourstudiesandIlookforwardto
workingwithyou.

Biencordialement,

KlemJames
(FREN151UnitCoordinator)