SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS

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FRE 440L191: French for Current Affairs                                                         Claire Keith

                        Tuesday:           (online)                                                  Spring 2009

                        Thursday:             2:00 - 3:15 PM

 

OFFICE HOURS:    Monday:  2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

                     Thursday:  1:00 AM - 2:00 PM

                              Friday:         2:00PM – 3:00PM

                                                                                 and by appointment

TELEPHONE:  Office: ext 2267

                   Home: (845) 679 71 40

E.mail:    claire.keith@marist.edu

Marist French Webpage: www.mlc.la.marist.edu (select French, and course as needed)

              Please note that our workplan is posted and updated on this site, and must be consulted for every class session.

 

Required texts:

-          Selected texts as distributed in class, as ell as some online resources.

-          Online French-English dictionary at www.wordreference.com

-          A French reference grammar of your choice.  FOR GRAMMAR REFERENCE ON LINE:  http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/gr/

-          Online Google Translator at http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en

 

 

Objectives of the course:

Our main objective is to develop reading skills to meet the difficult language of the modern French press and of professional publications.  Substantial linguistic changes have taken place over the past decade in the printed media, reflecting a parallel evolution in spoken discourse, which has attracted the worried attention of French linguists.  We will apply the precise methodology of a translation course to identify these syntactical and lexical challenges and to study the extend to which they can be attributed to the influence of English as an international language.  Computerized translation, with its imperfect results, will be used as a foundation to develop our editing skills.  It is expected that substantial and systematic vocabulary acquisition will take place in the various specialized fields from which our readings will be selected.

 

Outcomes assessments

-          At the end of the course, you must understand and be able to describe in professional linguistic terms the most common obstacles presented by a difficult contemporary French text: lexical (slang, neologisms, onomatopoeias, puns, idiomatic constructions, etc), syntactical (omission of verbs, disturbance of word order through stylistic license. Etc)., cultural (reference, implied knowledge).  For the final exam, you will be presented  with a long, unidentified text and will be asked to (a) extract the general substance and key points; (b) identify and circle in the text specific examples of the challenges listed above;  (c) translate selected passages.  The second part of the examination will test your vocabulary knowledge and understanding of specific syntax challenges between English and French.

 

Given the cumulative nature of the skills developed in this course, the final examination will carry 40% pf the final grade;  class participation, preparation and quizzes will represent the remaining 60%.

 

 

Attendance:

The fine points of translation and comparative analysis supporting the work in this course can only be addressed effectively in the classroom: regular attendance at our Thursday session is essential in order to complete the assignments meaningfully.  More than two undocumented absences will result in an automatic lowering of the final grade.

 

 

BON SEMESTRE!