Participation: This part of the grade includes attendance and active participation in all in-class activities, discussions, exercises, etc.
Full active participation in class merits the 5 points that attendance /participation assignments are worth. However, behaviors that diminish the class learning experience (for example, arriving late, leaving early, paying attention to your phone rather than class, doing other homework, talking to other students while I am presenting material, etc), can lower the day's participation grade. Absence = 0/5. Participation points cannot be made up.
Homework: There will be one to three written assignments or recorded vocabulary or verb forms due during an average week, usually due by class on the due date. In addition, you will want to spend time on memorization several times weekly. Memorizing spelling, vocabulary and verb or adjective forms is vital to success in learning a language.
Written or oral photo journals: These journals, due almost weekly on Wednesdays, will give students practice expressing themselves about everyday life, and topics of interest to them. Journals consist of photos and sentences describing or narrating what is pictured. These journals should be polished; use of a dictionary is recommended, as they will be graded for accuracy. 3/4 of journals will be written and every few weeks, they will be presented orally to the class, thus practicing the presentation mode of speaking to peers.
Written Exams /Examens (4): Exams are on paper and in class.
Exams cover the grammar, vocabulary, videos, culture and any other topics covered in class and for homework. Exams include exercises that demonstrate students’ memorization of forms and also their ability to write and understand written (and sometimes spoken) French. See Calendar for dates; there is one exam at the end of each Unit. Students are expected to take the exams with the class on the day they are scheduled on the calendar. I reserve the right to postpone a test one or two days, in discussion with the class, if I feel we have not had sufficient time to cover the material, and in this case, I will allow make-ups because I have altered the calendar. If you are ill and cannot make it to class on a test day, email me
leahy@suu.edu before class, and I will allow a make-up.
Quizzes / Interros (12, I drop three grades) Quizzes are like tests, but they cover a smaller amount of material. Quizzes may cover grammar, vocabulary, videos, culture and any other topics covered in class and for homework. They will include exercises that demonstrate students’ memorization of forms and also their ability to write and understand written French. Quizzes are meant to inspire and promote memorization. I always announce quiz topics and make practice quizzes available. See Calendar for dates. Quizzes are conducted in class via the Canvas quiz function. I will drop the lowest two quiz grades. Because there are 2 dropped grades built into the grading system, quizzes missed for any reason will earn zeros and be the grades I drop. I reserve the right to sometimes administer quizzes in class and on paper.
Oral Exams (2) This part of the grade comprises an oral mid-term and an oral final exam completed one-on-one with the professor. See calendar for dates. Oral exams will be an extension of in-class activities; general topics will be announced ahead of time so students can prepare. The oral exams also require students to demonstrate knowledge of verb forms which they have memorized and pronounce, and the pronunciation of selections from a vocabulary list. Completing suggested exercises during Workshops, such as practicing pronunciation and conjugating verbs, as well as chatting with the tutor on chapter themes, are additional ideal ways to be successful when taking oral exams.
Tutor-lead workshops: (with Oscar in GC104). Part drill session, part pronunciation practice, part basic conversation on current class topics, these tutor-lead workshops which will include other students from your French 2010 class are to help you become more comfortable speaking and so that basic French exchanges become automated. The workshops will start in the second or third full week of classes and for full credit, you should attend (for 20 minutes per session) nine times in all. At least four of your workshops should be completed and recorded before fall break. Extra workshops are a source of extra credit; 1 extra workshop = one extra point on a test. No more than 3 workshops total can be completed during the last two weeks of the semester. No more than 5 extra credit points (added to test scores) can be earned by workshops.