Academic Catalogs

FREN A285H: Intermediate French 2 Honors

Course Outline of Record
Item Value
Curriculum Committee Approval Date 10/20/2021
Top Code 110200 - French
Units 4 Total Units 
Hours 72 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 72)
Total Outside of Class Hours 0
Course Credit Status Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee No
Basic Skills Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable No
Grading Policy Standard Letter (S), 
  • Pass/No Pass (B)
Associate Arts Local General Education (GE)
  • OC Humanities - AA (OC1)

Course Description

Continuation of FREN A280, with further refinement of language skills at the intermediate level and investigation of cultures related to the French language in preparation for higher level specialized work. Enrollment Limitation: FREN A285; students who complete FREN A285H may not enroll in or receive credit for FREN A285. PREREQUISITE: FREN A280, FREN A280H, or 4 years of high school French with a grade of C or better. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

  1. Demonstrate listening comprehension in the French language at the high intermediate level.
  2. Express themselves orally in the French language at the high intermediate level.
  3. Demonstrate reading comprehension in the French language at the high intermediate level.
  4. Express themselves in writing in the French language at the high intermediate level.
  5. Demonstrate a better understanding and appreciation of the cultures related to the French language by comparing and contrasting them with the students’ own culture(s).

Course Objectives

  • 1. Comprehend high-intermediate-level spoken French.
  • 2. Produce high-intermediate-level spoken French.
  • 3. Read and understand high-intermediate-level French.
  • 4. Express more advanced ideas and opinions in high-intermediate-level written French.
  • 5. Acquire high-intermediate-level French vocabulary.
  • 6. Understand and use high-intermediate-level French grammatical structures.
  • 7. Recognize the more important cultural aspects of living in the French-speaking worlds.
  • 8. Use technologies such as the Internet, online workbooks and multimedia to enhance learning.
  • 9. Value the process of language learning.

Lecture Content

Intermediate level ability to communicate (speak, read, comprehend, write) in the French-speaking environment.  Language competency includes student ability to carry on a conversation, answer questions and ask questions in culturally-appropriate ways.  Content areas will include current events, media, politics, values, history and traditions, social issues, customs, etc., with increased awareness of cultural concerns, norms and values, and culturally specific customs and events. Topic 1 Identity; nouns; reading on names Topic 2 Personality; adjectives; reading:  Elle est Elle Topic 3 Studies; present; reading:  Le Cancre Topic 3 Professions; business vocabulary; reading:  Working Mothers Topic 5 Passing time; expressions; reading:  Le Pont Mirabeau Topic 6 Exercise; faire expressions; reading:  Variations Topic 7 Good form; health expressions; reading:  Le Petit Prince Topic 8 Food; imperfect; readings on wine and restaurants Topic 9 Love; reflexive; reading by Albert Camus Topic 10 Children; passe compose; reading by Jean-Paul Sartre Topic 11 The French woman; adverbs; interview with Simone de Beauvoir Topic 12 French country and people; comparative; readings on geography Topic 13 Paris; futur proche; reading by Georges Duhamel Topic 14 Provinces; superlative; reading on Bretagne Topic 15 Film; possessives; interview with Girard Depardieu Topic 16 Nature, pollution; prepositions, readings on the environment Topic 17 Canada and Louisiana; participle present; reading:  La Fayette

Method(s) of Instruction

  • Lecture (02)

Instructional Techniques

Second level competency will be further developed through the learning of expressions to be used in speaking, reading and writing about everyday life, such as school, family, health, professions, travel, current events, politics, social activities and customs, social issues, culture, history, and literature.

Reading Assignments

As assigned from text and other materials (approximately 3 hours per week).

Writing Assignments

Writing assignments (approximately 3 hours per week) are used at every step through the semester to practice grammatical structures and vocabulary being learned.

Out-of-class Assignments

The students will complete listening, speaking, extensive readings, writing exercises from the textbook, the workbook, and other online or offline supplementary materials. The assignments include not only short response type exercise, but also reading comprehension, more complex essays, as well as more complex activities and preparation of oral presentations. The students are also required to finish various culture-related exercises, including creation of PowerPoint slides based on online research. (approximately 3 hours/week)

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Emphasis on using learned material in correct and creative ways.  Evaluation of oral and written ability through home preparation, lab, class (individual and group) activities, oral interviews, tests, and final exam.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Writing assignments are used at every step through the semester to exercise the structural, vocabulary, and expressive skills being learned.

Eligible Disciplines

Foreign languages: Masters degree in the language being taught OR bachelors degree in the language being taught AND masters degree in another language or linguistics OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Valette, Jean-Paul and Rebecca Valette. A Votre Tour, 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, 2007

Other Resources

1. Other materials provided by the teacher.