Professor Binita Mehta

Office: Founders G-26B

Office Hours: M, R, 1-3 p.m. W, 10-11 a.m., 2-3 p.m

Phone: (914) 323-5407 (on campus dial x5407)

Email: mehtab@mville.edu.

Website: www.mville.edu/french

 

Course Description

 

FRN 3003 is designed for students who wish to improve their oral, reading, writing, and comprehension skills in French.  In addition to an advanced grammar review, the course will also expose students to French literature and literary history and culture from the Middle Ages through the eighteenth-century. In addition we will read one play, Molière’s L’Ecole des femmes, in its entirety.

 

Texts (available in the Bookstore)

Hirsch, Bette and Chantal Thompson.  Moments littéraires: An Anthology for Intermediate French

Reprise: A Complete Review of Grammar, Communication, and Culture with Answer Key and Audiocassettes

Molière. L’Ecole des femmes. Paris: Petits Larousse Classiques,

A good bilingual dictionary.

 

Course Objectives

 

FRN 3003 is designed for students who have had two years of French in college, or three to four years of French in high school.

 

The goal of FRN 3003 to add to your foundation in French, helping you to improve your ability to understand what you hear, to communicate orally, and to read and analyze and write about French literature.  Conducted in French, the course will strengthen your knowledge of the French language, expose you to French literature, and broaden your cultural knowledge by situating the texts in the historical and cultural climate in which they were created. The grammar concepts reviewed this semester include the present tense of verbs, articles and nouns, adjectives and adverbs, the comparative and superlative, interrogative adverbs and pronouns, negatives, the use of all three past tenses together - passé compose, imparfait, and plus-que-parfait, passé simple, expressions of time such as depuis, il y a, etc., the present participle, and the uses of the infinitive.

 

Course Schedule

FRN 3003 meets three days a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from August 28 through December 15, 2006

 

Homework

Students are expected to do the readings, grammar exercises, and other activities as assigned.

 

Class Participation

The class participation grade will be based on attending class and active involvement in class activities.  This implies good preparation and demonstration of interest in the material, the instructor’s comments and the contributions of your fellow students.  Active participation in class and, therefore, regular attendance is required. More than three absences without an official excuse will automatically lower your grade. 

 

Compositions, Quizzes, and Final Exam

Students will be expected to write three short essays ranging from a half a page to 3-4 pages, take three quizzes and a midterm exam.

 

Electronic Mail

Most of your probably already have a computer and have access to the campus network. Take advantage of the opportunity to communicate freely in French with your classmates or me.  The French departmental website, http://www.mville.edu/french also has some useful links to French and francophone websites including French newspapers and magazines.

 

For French events in NYC the Tri-State Area

http://frenchculture.org/events/newyork  --French events in NYC and the Tri-State area

www.fiaf.org -- French Institute/Alliance Française of New York

http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/french/Mbase.html - NYU, Maison Française

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/french/maison/   Columbia University, Maison Française

http://www.mri.gouv.qc.ca/usa/en/new_york/affaires_publiques/publications.asp - Quebec Update, newsletter of the Délégation Général du Québec

www.bam.org - Brooklyn Academy of Music

 

Grades

Quizzes: 30%

Compositions: 30%

Midterm: 20%

Homework and Class Participation: 20%

 

Academic Integrity:
Manhattanville College’s policies regarding Academic Integrity are located in the Student Handbook and Code of Community Conduct at http://www.mville.edu/campusnet/Student%20Handbook.pdf. 

Any violation of these policies that constitutes a major violation of the Code of Academic Integrity will result in failure of the course and referral to the Academic Dean for disciplinary action. Any minor violation will result in a significantly reduced grade on the assignment.


Schedule of Assignments: (This schedule is subject to change)

Week 1

Monday, August 28: Introduction; chapitre préliminaire (stratégies de lire et d’écrire)

Wednesday, August 30: Moments littéraires (ML), chap. 1 “Le Moyen Age,” Marie de France, Le Lai du Laustic; chap. 29, Reprise,

Thursday, August 31: Le Lai du Laustic, - chap.30, Reprise

 

Week 2

Monday, Sept. 4: Labor Day – pas de classe

Wednesday, Sept. 6: ML, chap. 1 La farce du Cuvier; chap. 1, Reprise

Thursday, Sept. 7: ML, chap. 1 La farce; chap. 2, Reprise

 

Week 3

Monday, Sept. 11: ML, Charles d’Orléans, “Le Printemps”; chap. 13, Reprise

Wednesday, Sept.13: ML, “Le Printemps”; chap. 13, Reprise

Thursday, Sept. 14: ML, Synthèse; chap. 13, Reprise

 

Week 4

Monday, Sept. 18: Quiz 1

Wednesday, Sept. 20:  ML, chap. 2 “Le Seizième siecle,” Rédaction I; chap 15, Reprise

Thursday, Sept. 21: ML, chap. 2, François Rabelais, Gargantua; Louise Labé, “Je vis, je meurs”; chap 15, Reprise

 

Week 5

Monday, Sept. 25: ML, chap. 2 Joachim du Bellay, “Heureux comme Ulysse a fait un beau voyage” et Pierre Ronsard, “Ode à Cassandre”; chap. 15, Reprise

Wednesday, Sept. 27: ML, chap. 2, Montaigne, “De L’Amitié”; chap. 15, Reprise

Thursday, Sept. 28: ML, chap. 2, Montaigne, “De L’Amitié”; chap. 16, Reprise

 

Week 6

Monday, Oct 2: ML, chap. 2, Synthèse; chap. 16, Reprise

Wednesday, Oct. 4: ML, chap. 3, “Le Dix-septième siècle;” chap. 17, Reprise

Thursday, Oct. 5: ML, chap. 3, François de la Rochefoucauld, Les Maximes; chap. 17, Reprise

 

Week 7

Monday, Oct 9: Columbus Day- pas de classe

Tuesday, Oct. 10: (Monday classes meet): ML, chap. 3, René Descartes, Discours de la méthode; chap. 17 Reprise

Wednesday, Oct. 11: ML, chap. 3, René Descartes, Discours de la méthode; chap. 17 Reprise

Thursday, Oct. 12: ML, chap. 3, Blaise Pascal, Les Pensées; chap. 17, Reprise

 

Week 8

Monday, Oct. 16: ML, chap. 3, Mme de Sévigné, Lettres de Mme. Sévigné; chap. 17, Reprise

Wednesday, Oct. 18: ML, chap. 3, Mme de Sévigné, Lettres de Mme. Sévigné; chap. 17, Reprise

Thursday, Oct. 19: Midterm Exam

 

Week 9

Monday, Oct. 23: ML, chap. 2, Jean de la Fontaine, “La Cigale et la Fourmi”, “Le Loup et l’Agneau”; Rédaction II; chap. 3, Reprise

Wednesday, Oct. 25: Molière, L’Ecole des Femmes; chap. 3, Reprise

Thursday, Oct. 26: Molière, L’Ecole des Femmes; chap. 21, Reprise

 

Week 10

Monday, Oct. 30: Molière, L’Ecole des Femmes; chap. 6, Reprise

Wednesday, Nov 1: Molière, L’Ecole des Femmes; chap. 6, Reprise

Thursday, Nov. 2:  Molière, L’Ecole des Femmes; chap. 6, Reprise

 

Week 11

Monday, Nov 6: Molière, L’Ecole des Femmes; chap. 7, Reprise

Wednesday, Nov. 8: Molière, L’Ecole des Femmes; chap. 7,Reprise

Thursday, Nov. 9: Molière, L’Ecole des Femmes; chap. 7. Reprise

 

Week 12

Monday, Nov. 13:  ML, chap. 4, “Le dix-huitième siècle” Montesquieu, Lettres persanes; Rédaction III; chap. 8, Reprise

Wednesday, Nov. 15:  ML, chap. 4, Lettres persanes; chap. 8, Reprise

Thursday, Nov. 16: Quiz 2

 

Week 13

Monday, Nov. 20: ML, chap. 4, L’Histoire d’un bon bramin; chap. 10, Reprise

Wednesday, Nov. 22: ML, chap. 4, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, L’Emile ou l’Education; chap. 11, Reprise

 Thursday, Nov. 23:  Thanksgiving, pas de classe

 

Week 14

Monday, Nov. 27:  ML, chap. 4, Marivaux, Le Jeu de l’amour et du hasard; chap. 12, Reprise

Wednesday, Nov. 29: ML, chap. 4, Marivaux, Le Jeu de l’amour et du hasard; chap. 12, Reprise

Thursday, Nov. 30:  ML, chap. 4, Synthèse; chap. 12, Reprise

 

Week 15

Monday, Dec. 4: Film, Ridicule

Wednesday, Dec. 6: Film Ridicule

Thursday, Dec. 7: Film: Ridicule

 

Week 16

Monday, Dec. 11: Révision

Wednesday, Dec 13: Quiz 3