Janvier/Mars (Étape Préliminaire; Chapitre 1; Part of Chapitre 2)

Up to the Mid-Term Exam

--Write out Workbook p. 5 III A, B (to practice copying accent marks)

--Write two short paragraphs (in English!) on the following:
1) What are three or four ideas you have about France and the French?
2) What are three or four things that excite and perhaps scare you about learning French or any foreign language?

--Be prepared to answer some questions about the links found on the syllabus page, Prof. Talarico's home page, and the lab page. You need to start making bookmarks of these pages. The purpose of this exercise is to allow you to become familiar with the various resources at your disposal and their content.  For the first few sessions of the course, you will be clicking all over the place (my pages, the lab pages, outside sites, etc.).  If you get confused, that is part of the exercise!  You need to become familiar with all these resources.

--Finish up all the written and listening exercises from the workbook PDF file. 

-- We began to look at the French in Action series, Orientation lesson. Watch the video again. The website where you create your password is learner.org. Type out (double spaced!) the answers (in English) to the questions from the PDF link ("Orientation") 

--Chapitre I: Textbook:
1) Listen to text CD (the student CD that came with your textbook) tracks 1-3.
2) Practice pronouncing foods p. 12 (remember that all vocabulary is recorded for you on the lab website for French).
3) Read and study the Structure pp. 15-16
4) Write out p. 16, D to reinforce what was done in class.

Get your Quia accounts set up. See instructions below, in yellow.

(1)  Information regarding oral recordings: 

Practice Recording (in English) due by Monday, February 14:

It is strongly suggested that you upload your recordings before the due date, so that any problems can be resolved.  The practice recording is in English, to get you familiar with using the embedded recorder and posting your recordings.  Written instructions for uploading recordings to the Modern Languages Forum page have been distributed.  There is a brief summary here.   I suggest that you do this practice recording from the lab so that someone can help you if you are having trouble. You may, of course, do all your exercises in the lab, but you can also eventually do them from home if that is easier for you.
After practicing (without doing any recording), record the exercises and then check your recording.  Go to the French Forum page through the link on the Modern Languages Media Center page: http://www.ml.csi.cuny.edu/lab/.  Accept all certificates, exceptions, etc. 
When you are at the "French Forum" page, you will see a screen that says "Welcome to the Forum" and you will scroll down to the section number for your class and instructor.  Click on it.  Go to 'Practice Exercise"where you will find a message with instructions.  Remember to type in your full name to identify yourself and your recording.  Except for the practice exercise, all recordings will be graded. 

(2)  Information about Quia exercises:  The first exercises (for the Étape préliminaire are due on February 11).

Quia exercises:  Exercises for the Étape préliminaire are due.  This is a review of the xerox handout you received and will give you practice manipulating Quia.  The website is on the registration instruction sheet given to you by your instructor. The website is:  http://books.quia.com.

This series of exercises is a review of the xerox handout you received in class and will give you practice manipulating Quia.  The website is on the registration instructions given to you by your instructor.  This registration sheet contains the "Course Code" you need to match up with the "Book Key" you either purchased online or that came with a new textbook. You need BOTH numbers to set up your account.  Quia exercises are found at http://books.quia.com.  (See further information in the yellow box, below.)

Important note: When you go to the Quia exercises, all the due dates for the individual chapter parts are given.  The sections are called "Étapes" (Première étape, deuxième étape, troisième étape). They follow what we are covering in class.  In the other sections at the end of each chapter there are listening exercises (called Point d'arrivée and Travail de fin de chapitre).  These exercises are usually due at the end of each chapter and the due dates for each part are indicated.  You must do each chapter part by the due date assigned, otherwise you will not receive the feedback you need and your exercises will come up as "late" in the results page.  Assignments that are completed as "late" will be so marked by your instructor and will lower your overall homework grade.

Textbook exercises to write out:
--p. 16 E 1-8
--p. 18 F, G, H

Write out the conjugations of the following verbs, using the subject pronouns Je, Tu, Nous, Vous: parler, voyager, écouter, habiter, étudier, fermer

Study the Note Grammaticale p. 17 and the Structure p. 19.

Textbook exercises to write out:
--p. 20 J
--p. 25 F, G
Make sure that you have completed all the exercises from the textbook assigned so far (from the previous two class sessions).

To learn something about the complex uses of "Tu" and "Vous," read the article, May I Call You 'Tu?' on the lab's supplementary readings page.

Listen to text of conversations p. 22 on CD

Remember that the "Practice English Recording" is due to be posted on the French Forum pages.  See yellow box, above.

QUIZ: Verb conjugations (second half of the class period).

Textbook exercises to write out:
p. 28: K, L

Based on the new verbs/expressions on p. 27 of your textbook, write out 10 sentences using these new expressions. At least three sentences must be in the negative and you need to vary the subject pronouns. Example: Marc aime bien la bière. Mireille et Chantal n'aiment pas du tout les frites. (No, you may NOT repeat these examples in your sentences!)

Write out the full conjugation of the verb PRÉFÉRER five times, to practice the change in accent marks.

Listen to CD for pp. 29-30. Remember that the vocabulary in BOLD print is required!

French in Action: Watch the video for the second lesson, Planning and Anticipating I and do the written exercise on the PDF link ("Planning and Anticipating I")  

Wednesday, Feb. 23

Classes follow a Monday Schedule!

Composition about your friends on the French Resource Page: trois_amis.pdf. Follow the instrutions carefully.

Study, practice the pronunciation, and write out the conjugation of the verb ÊTRE.

Textbook written exercises:
p. 32 E, F
p. 33 G
p. 35 J, K

Oral quiz (OWL) to be taken in the lab.  There will be a brief practice quiz so that you can see how the software works.  After the practice test, you will take the quiz.   It will test your ability to read the names of foods and drinks. 

1) Textbook written exercises:
p. 36 L; p. 37 M

3) French in Action "Planning and Anticipating II, III." Xerox copies of the listening exercises and video exercises were distributed in class. If you were absent, extra copies are in the lab.

The grades for your OWL exam can now be accessed.  Remember to listen to any corrections when you log in to your exam.  Instructions on how to access your grades are on my home page or by clicking on the link.

All Tuyau Prononciation exercises for Chapter 1 must be recorded and uploaded to the French Forum pages. The text of the exercises is found on pages 18-19, 26, and 33 of your textbook.  You must practice the pronunciation before uploading your recordings.  The pronunciation is found on your student CD.

Rosetta Stone exercises for Chapter 1 to be completed in the lab.  Exercises in the Rosetta Stone that correspond to each chapter of Allons-y! can be found on the French Grammar Review pages.  It is a PDF file that you can download.

Chapter Quiz (long) for Étape préliminaire and Chapter 1. Review all your homework, self-correcting exercises, Quia exercises, and homework, along with exercises done in class.   Note:  Your Quia exercises for the remainder of Chapter 1 are due on Thursday.  That is the last day to complete them.  Doing them ahead of the quiz will greatly improve your passing the quiz!  Here are two supplementary exercises that you can do for practice:  for the première étape;  for the deuxième étape.

Textbook: After the quiz, we will begin Chapter 2, where you wll learn to talk about your possessions (and the possessions of others) and getting someone to repeat what you have not heard or understood. (For more details on what you will be learning in this chapter, look at the link on the Objectives page.

To prepare for this , look at the vocabulary presented on pp. 48-50 and practice the pronunciation (from the Lexique recorded on the lab pages) as well as the dialogues. In order to talk about what you have, you need the verb AVOIR. It's an irregular verb. The conjugation is on p. 53. Write out the conjugation five times (or until you know it automatically). Then write out the sentences on p. 53, D for practice. We'll worry about the pronunciation in class!

--Write out Textbook exercises:
1) p. 50 A
2) pp. 51-52 B
3) p. 52 C
4) p. 53 D

II Finish up French in Action exercises for lessons 3 and 4. They will be reviewed in class.

III. Go to the French online bookstore and multimedia center, La FNAC (http://www.fnac.com) to check out the variety of high-tech devices available. What were you able to understand about the information given for iPods, iPhones, computers, etc? Compare the prices. The Euro (€) is equal to approximately (UGH...) $1.40. Amazon has a website in French as well: check out amazon.fr (http://amazon.fr) and compare the prices with la FNAC. Be prepared to answer some questions about the websites in class.

Oral quiz #2 in the lab:  This quiz will test your ability to pronounce words that are masculine/feminine and to pronounce verb endings.

Textbook exercises to write out:
p. 53 E; p. 55 H
Read and study Structure pp. 56-57 and write out p. 57 K

Friday, March 11

How to Pronounce French Correctly recording due to be uploaded to the French Forum pages: Unit 2

Quia exercises for Chapitre 2, Première partie due

--The exercises on possessive adjectives we did in class should be reviewed, corrected, or, if you were absent, completed. If you do not have a copy of the exercises, a copy is available at possessive adjectives exercises.These exercises are an introduction to the possessive adjectives using the first and second person pronouns only.

Textbook exercises to write out: p. 60: A, B, C

--Study Structure p. 62, asking information questions. Write out textbook page 62 G, H

New VERB alert: The verb FAIRE, p. 64. Write out the conjugation until you know it. Write 10 sentences using the verb faire and the expressions that use it (e.g. faire un voyage, faire du ski, faire du tennis, faire du sport, etc.). Make sure that at least three of your sentences are in the NEGATIVE and that at least three other sentences talk about what you (or others) like or prefer to do. Then write out exercise K, p. 64.

Mid-Term Examination Parts:
Your exam will consist of the following parts:
Listening Comprehension:
Écoutez et distinguez
Écoutez: Féminin/masculin, singulier/pluriel
Répondez aux questions
La réponse correcte
OWL oral exam in the lab. You will be asked to answer five questions that you will hear.  You will not see the questions written out.

Written Exercises:
Quelle est la question?
Il y a / Voilà / Être / Avoir
Professions et nationalités
Les possessifs
Les articles
Les verbes
Culture
Composition (autoportrait)

At the end of the hour we will go to the lab for the OWL section of the Mid-Term Exam.

Quia exercises for Chapitre 2, Deuxième partie due

To help review for the mid-term, do the exercises for Chapter 1, Première étape and Deuxième étape

MID-TERM EXAMINATION

The exam will take place from 10:10 am-11:10am. We will begin the oral comprehension parts promptly at 10:10!
When we are finished with the exam, we will continue with Chapter 2. (This means that you cannot get up and leave.)

Write out exercise p. 65 M
Read pages 66-67:  "La famille de Michel Kerguézec"