LF 213 - Spring 2012 - Queensborough Community College

QCC COURSE ASSESSMENT FORM
Fall 2011
Date: May 31, 2012
Department: Foreign Languages and Literatures
Course: LF 213
Curriculum or Curricula: LA
PART I. STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
For Part I, attach the summary report (Tables 1-4) from the QCC Course Objectives Form.
TABLE 1. EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT
LF-213 is the first part of the intermediate sequence of foreign language study (a requirement for a successful
transfer to the junior year of a baccalaureate program). It is a foundation course required for (AA) degree in
Liberal Arts and Sciences, Fine Arts, and Business Transfer.
TABLE 2. CURRICULAR OBJECTIVES
Note: Include in this table curriculum-specific objectives that meet Educational Goals 1 and 2:
Curricular objectives addressed by this course:
N/A
TABLE 3. GENERAL EDUCATION OBJECTIVES
General educational objectives addressed by this course: Select from preceding list.
Gen Ed
(1) Communicate effectively through reading, writing, listening and speaking.
objective’s
(2) Use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to
ID number
make informed decisions.
from list (110)
TABLE 4: COURSE OBJECTIVES AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Course objectives
-accomplish complex
communicative tasks
- read and understand complex
texts
-discuss various cultural events
in French-speaking countries
Learning outcomes
Students will be able to:
 describe, compare, explain, express an opinion or wish, or give
advice
 identify the main idea and supporting points of complex texts
 talk about their studies, work, leisure activities, and plans for the
future
 describe or narrate events in the present and in the past
 compare people and places
 talk about current events in French-speaking countries such as
young people, telecommunications, life styles, cuisine, eating and
shopping habits, and the media.
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PART II. ASSIGNMENT DESIGN: ALIGNING OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS
For the assessment project, you will be designing one course assignment, which will address at least one general
educational objective, one curricular objective (if applicable), and one or more of the course objectives. Please
identify these in the following table:
TABLE 5: OBJECTIVES ADDRESSED IN ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENT
Course Objective(s) selected for assessment: (select from Table 4)
1. Provide information in French on topics such young people, telecommunications, life styles, cuisine,
eating and shopping habits, and the media
2. Demonstrate ability to accomplish communicative tasks such as comparing and contrasting people’s
customs and beliefs, narrating in the present and past, describing events, people and objects in the past,
analyzing past and present cultural practices, and talking about artistic expressions.
Curricular Objective(s) selected for assessment: (select from Table 2)
N/A
General educational objectives addressed by this course: Select from preceding list.
1. Communicate effectively through reading, writing, listening and speaking.
2. Use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to make informed
decisions
In the first row of Table 6 that follows, describe the assignment that has been designed for this project. In writing
the description, keep in mind the course objective(s), curricular objective(s) and the general education objective(s)
identified above,
The assignment should be conceived as an instructional unit to be completed in one class session (such as a lab) or
over several class sessions. Since any one assignment is actually a complex activity, it is likely to require that
students demonstrate several types of knowledge and/or thinking processes.
Also in Table 6, please
a) identify the three to four most important student learning outcomes (1-4) you expect from this assignment
b) describe the types of activities (a – d) students will be involved with for the assignment, and
c) list the type(s) of assessment tool(s) (A-D) you plan to use to evaluate each of the student outcomes.
(Classroom assessment tools may include paper and pencil tests, performance assessments, oral questions,
portfolios, and other options.)
Note: Copies of the actual assignments (written as they will be presented to the students) should be gathered
in an Assessment Portfolio for this course.
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TABLE 6: ASSIGNMENT, OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS
Briefly describe the assignment that will be assessed:
This project will assess students’ overall abilities.
Conversational abilities
Students’ conversational abilities will be assessed by engaging them in role-play activities where both they and
the instructor play a specific role. Students may play the role of…
- a person looking for a job at the Alliance Française in NYC,
- a person talking with his/her best friend after participating in a study abroad program in France or
- a student answering an ad and looking for a place to live.
(See Appendix 1 for a description of the oral exam)
Written abilities
Their listening, reading and writing abilities as well as their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary will be
assessed by a comprehensive final exam. See below for a description of the final exam.
Listening comprehension abilities will be evaluated by asking the students to listen to…
- a series of personalized questions
- a passage in French (which is three voice messages left by three different people)
Students will be then asked to complete a true or false section and a multiple-choice section.
Reading abilities will be evaluated by asking the students to read two passages: one about the Versailles
castle in France, and the other regarding children education in Tahiti. Students will be then asked to answer
true/false questions in one instance, and multiple choice questions in the other.
Vocabulary knowledge will be assessed by asking the students to complete a fill-in the blank exercise on the
following lexical themes…
- social problems (unemployment, poverty, criminality…)
- technology (computers, TV, and phones)
- food, shopping, departmental stores versus and small neighborhood stores
- news, press, and media publications (daily newspapers, magazines, weekly newspapers, monthly
newspapers, literary or scientific magazines, comic books…)
Grammar accuracy will be assessed by asking the students to complete various sections (fill in the blanks and
exercises based on vignettes). Students are asked to use the correct form of…
- past tense (present perfect)
- imperfect
- difference between present perfect and imperfect
- superlatives
Writing abilities will be assessed by asking the students to describe their recent trip to France. They are
encouraged to talk about what they have learned there, about the French culture, and include…
- cuisine, shopping, stores, and malls
- housing and housing conditions
- life, sport, and leisure of young people
- French TV and telecommunications.
Desired student learning
outcomes for the assignment
(Students will…)
List in parentheses the
Curricular Objective(s) and/or
Briefly describe the range of
activities student will engage
in for this assignment.
Listening comprehension: listen
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What assessment tools will be used to
measure how well students have met
each learning outcome? (Note: a single
assessment tool may be used to measure
multiple learning outcomes; some learning
General Education Objective(s)
(1-10) associated with these
desired learning outcomes for
the assignment.
to one passage and a series of
personalized questions followed
by multiple choice and
true/false answers.
Gen-Ed objective
(1) Communicate effectively
through reading, writing,
listening and speaking.
Reading activity: read two
passages followed by multiple
choice and true/false answers.
(2) Use analytical reasoning to
identify issues or problems and
evaluate evidence in order to
make informed decisions.
Curricular objectives
N/A
Vocabulary activity: complete
various fill in the blank
exercises.
Grammar activities: complete
various sections with verbs and
superlative structures.
Writing activities: write a
composition about a recent trip
to France.
Speaking abilities. Students will
engage in a role-play activity
with his/her instructor. The
activity is designed so that it
can be completed in 7-10
minutes interaction, students
will select at random one of
three situations (see detailed
description above).
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outcomes may be measured using multiple
assessment tools.)
Students will be asked to listen to two
conversations and answer questions.
Students will be asked to read two
paragraphs and answer questions.
Students will be asked to provide the
correct vocabulary in various exercises.
Students will be asked to provide sentences
using the correct verb morphology and
mode.
Students will be asked to describe in
writing a recent trip that they had in France.
Oral interview. Role-play activity: Students
will be asked to complete a task where they
need to look for a job at the Alliance
Française in NYC
- talk with their best friend after
participating in a study abroad program in
France or
- answer an ad and look for a place to live.
They will be assessed using the rubric for
oral assessment designed by the department
(See appendix 2 for a detailed description)
PART III. ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (RUBRICS)
Before the assignment is given, prepare a description of the standards by which students’ performance will be
measured. This could be a checklist, a descriptive holistic scale, or another form. The rubric (or a version of it) may
be given to the students with the assignment so they will know what the instructor’s expectations are for this
assignment.
Please note that while individual student performance is being measured, the assessment project is collecting
performance data ONLY for the student groups as a whole.
TABLE 7: ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (RUBRICS)
Brief description of assignment: (Copy from Table 6 above)
Conversational abilities
This project will assess students’ speaking abilities at a intermediate low level as described in ACTFL 2006
guidelines. Their conversational abilities will be assessed by engaging them in role-play activities where both
they and the instructor play a specific role.
Students may play the role of…
- a person looking for a job at the Alliance Française in NYC
- a person talking with his/her best friend after participating in a study abroad program in France or
- a student answering an ad and looking for a place to live.
Written abilities
Their listening, reading and writing abilities as well as their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary will be
assessed by a comprehensive final exam. See below for a description of the final exam.
Listening comprehension abilities will be evaluated by asking the students to listen to…
- a series of personalized questions
- a passage in French (which is three voice messages left by three different people)
Students will be then asked to complete a true or false section and a multiple-choice section.
Reading abilities will be evaluated by asking the students to read two passages: one about the Versailles
castle in France, and the other regarding children education in Tahiti. Students will be then asked to answer
true/false questions in one instance, and multiple choice questions in the other.
Vocabulary knowledge will be assessed by asking the students to complete a fill-in the blank exercise on the
following lexical themes…
- social problems (unemployment, poverty, criminality…)
- technology (computers, TV, and phones)
- food, shopping, departmental stores versus and small neighborhood stores
- news, press, and media publications (daily newspapers, magazines, weekly newspapers, monthly
newspapers, literary or scientific magazines, comic books…)
Grammar accuracy will be assessed by asking the students to complete various sections (fill in the blanks and
exercises based on vignettes). Students are asked to use the correct form of…
- past tense (present perfect)
- imperfect
- difference between present perfect and imperfect
- superlatives
Writing abilities will be assessed by asking the students to describe their recent trip to France. They are
encouraged to talk about what they have learned there, about the French culture, and include…
- cuisine, shopping, stores, and malls
- housing and housing conditions
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- life, sport, and leisure of young people
- French TV and telecommunications.
Desired student learning
outcomes from the
assignment: (Copy from
Column 1, Table 6 above;
include Curricular and /or
General Education Objectives
addressed)
Assessment measures for
each learning outcome:
(Copy from Column 3,Table 6
above)
Students will be asked to listen
to two conversations and
answer questions.
Gen-Ed objectives
(1) Communicate effectively
through reading, writing,
listening and speaking.
Students will be asked to read
two paragraphs and answer
questions.
2) Use analytical reasoning
to identify issues or problems
and evaluate evidence in order
to make informed decisions.
Curricular objectives
N/A
Students will be asked to
provide the correct vocabulary
in various exercises.
Students will be asked to
provide sentences using the
correct verb morphology and
mode.
Students will be asked to
describe in writing a recent trip
that they had in France.
Oral interview. Role-play
activity: Students will be asked
to complete a task where they
need to look for a job at the
Alliance Française in NYC
- talk with their best friend
after participating in a study
abroad program in France or
- answer an ad and look for a
place to live. They will be
assessed using the rubric for
oral assessment designed by
the department (See appendix
2 for a detailed description)
Standards for student performance:
The parameters for measuring students’
speaking abilities will be to determine
whether:
(i) they understand the questions being asked
by the interlocutor and they respond without
probing,
(ii) they speak continuously with few pauses
or stumbling,
(iii) they are understood by the interlocutor by
using the correct intonation and pronunciation,
(iv) they speak with some degree of fluidity,
(v) they use correctly the required
grammatical structures and
(vi) they use the appropriate vocabulary
Students’ listening comprehension ability will
be determined by calculating their accuracy
rates in providing the correct answers to the
questions asked. 75 per cent of them are
expected to meet the course standards (80%
accuracy rate).
Students’ reading comprehension ability will
be determined by calculating their accuracy
rates in providing the correct answers to the
questions asked. 75 per cent of them are
expected to meet the course standard (80%
accuracy rate).
Students’ vocabulary knowledge will be
determined by calculating the accuracy rates
in providing the correct words or phrases in a
given situation. 75 per cent of them are
expected to meet the course standard (80%
accuracy rate).
Students’ grammar knowledge will be
determined by calculating their accuracy rates
in providing the correct forms or structures. 75
per cent of them are expected to meet the
course standards (80% accuracy rate).
The parameters used to measure students’
writing abilities will be to determine whether:
(i) they will provide all the information they
have been asked,
(ii) their writing displays a vocabulary
appropriate to their proficiency level,
(iii)
they show an adequate control of the
syntactic structures for a French beginning
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level class,
(iv)their sentences are fully developed, even
though sporadically connected.
75% of the students tested are anticipated to
meet the course’s expectations as described in
the attached rubric.
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PART IV. ASSESSMENT RESULTS
TABLE 8: SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS
Use the following table to report the student results on the assessment. If you prefer, you may report outcomes
using the rubric(s), or other graphical representation. Include a comparison of the outcomes you expected (from
Table 7, Column 3) with the actual results. NOTE: A number of the pilot assessments did not include expected
success rates so there is no comparison of expected and actual outcomes in some of the examples below. However,
projecting outcomes is an important part of the assessment process; comparison between expected and actual
outcomes helps set benchmarks for student performance.
TABLE 8: SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS
Desired student learning outcomes:
(Copy from, Column 1,Table 6 above;
include Curricular and/or General
Education Objectives addressed)
Gen-Ed objectives
Communicate effectively through
reading, writing, listening and
speaking.
Student achievement: Describe the group achievement of each
desired outcome and the knowledge and cognitive processes
demonstrated.
See Table 9
Curricular objectives
N/A
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TABLE 9. EVALUATION AND RESULTING ACTION PLAN
In the table below, or in a separate attachment, interpret and evaluate the assessment results, and describe the
actions to be taken as a result of the assessment. In the evaluation of achievement, take into account student
success in demonstrating the types of knowledge and the cognitive processes identified in the Course
Objectives.
A. Analysis and interpretation of assessment results:
1. Speaking task. Oral interview:
12 students completed the speaking task in French, and their performance was rated according to five parameters:
listening comprehension, fluidity, pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. Student performance was scored using
the scoring rubric (Appendix II).
The results are as follows:
Table 1
Average Score in Each Category
Listening
comprehension
Range
Listening
Comprehension
4
Fluidity
Pronunciation
Vocabulary
Grammar
Total
4
4
4
4
20
Average score
3.7
3.7
3.9
2.1
3.5
16.9
# of students
12
12
12
12
12
12
The total points a student could achieve (adding up all five parameters, each worth a maximum of four points) was
20. The scale agreed upon beforehand by the Assessment Committee defined the following ranges: 0-5 points=
student performance does not meet expectations; 6 – 10 points= student performance almost meets expectations; 1115 points= student performance meets expectations; 16-20= student performance exceeds expectations.
The results for percentage of students in each category are as follows:
Table 2
Percentage of Students in Each Proficiency Level
Range
# of students
Percentage
Does not meet
expectations 0-5
0
0%
Almost meets
expectations 6-10
0
0%
Meets expectations
11-15
4
33.33%
The overall student performance shows that all students (100%) met or exceeded expectations.
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Exceed expectations
16-20
8
66.66%
2. Written Final Examination
The data of 12 students who completed the written final exam in French was gathered. Their performance was
rated according to five categories: listening comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, reading and writing.
The results are as follows:
Table 3
SCORING SHEET- LF General Performance in E ach Category
Listening
Vocabulary
Grammar
Reading
Writing
Total
Range
0-16
0-16
0-36
0-16
0-16
0-100
Score
15.5
10.4
28.3
13.7
11.6
79.5
# of
Students
12
12
12
12
12
12
The average score achieved was 79.5%
The total points a student could achieve (adding up all five categories) was 100. The scale agreed upon beforehand
by the Assessment Committee defined the following ranges: 0-60 points= student performance does not meet
expectations; 61–73 points= student performance almost meets expectations; 74-89 points= student performance
meets expectations; 90-100= student performance exceeds expectations.
Table 4
OVERALL. Student performance …
Does not meet
Almost meets
expectations
expectations
0-60
61-73
Meets
expectations
74-89
Exceeds
expectations
90-100
# 0f Students
2
2
5
3
Percentage
16.66%
16.66%
41.66%
25%
Range
The overall student performance shows that only 66% of students met or exceeded expectations.
The results for percentage of students in each category are as follows:
Table 5
LISTENING. Student performance …
Range
# of Students
Does not meet
expectations 06
0
Almost meets
expectations 6.59.5
0
Meets
expectations
10-13.5
2
Exceeds
expectations 1416
10
Percentage
0
0
16.7
83.3
Table 6
VOCABULARY. Student performance …
Range
# of Students
Does not meet
expectations 06
4
Almost meets
expectations 6.59.5
6
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Meets
expectations
10-13.5
0
Exceeds
expectations 1416
2
Table 7
Percentage
33.3
50
0
16.7
GRAMMAR. Student performance …
Does not meet Almost meets
Meets
expectations
expectations
expectations
0-16
16.5-22.5
23-30.5
Exceeds
expectations
31-36
# of Students
1
5
3
3
Percentage
8.3
41.7
25
25
Range
Table 8
READING. Student performance …
Does not meet Almost meets
Meets
expectations 0- expectations 6.5expectations
6
9.5
10-13.5
Exceeds
expectations 1416
# of Students
0
4
3
5
Percentage
0
33.3
25
41.7
Range
For rating student performance the writing the scoring rubric was used (Appendix IV).
Table 9
WRITING. Student performance …
Does not meet Almost meets
expectations 0- expectations 6.56
9.5
Meets
expectations
10-13.5
Exceeds
expectations 1416
# of Students
3
4
3
2
Percentage
25
33.3
25
16.7
Range
B. Evaluation of the assessment process:
What do the results suggest about how well the assignment and the assessment process worked both to help
students learn and to show what they have learned?
Speaking test:
The results of the oral interview: all students (100%) met or exceeded expectations. This is a very positive result.
Written test:
In the final written exam the overall performance results show the following percentages of students who met or
exceeded expectations in the different categories:
- 100 % in listening,
- 16.7 % in vocabulary,
- 50 % in grammar ,
- 66.7 % in reading comprehension,
- 41 % in writing.
B2) Evaluation of the assessment
A formal evaluation of the assessment tools and assessment process has not been conducted, but informal reactions
from students were positive overall. The majority of students seemed to have taken the speaking task assessment
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seriously, and they seemed to have studied for it, even practicing with the tutors at the SLC. Faculty gave of their
personal time to be able to complete the student oral assessments.
The results obtained seem to indicate that the assessment tools used and the assessment process undertaken has
been effective in determining our students’ strengths and weaknesses.
C. Resulting action plan:
Based on A and B, what changes, if any, do you anticipate making?
The average achieved in the oral interview was satisfactory. However, the averages in other categories show
weaknesses in…
- vocabulary (speaking test)
- vocabulary, grammar and writing (written test)
This observation should be taken into consideration in our teaching in order to improve these results and students’
performance.
Conclusion and Action Plan
The acquisition scenario among the foreign languages evaluated (Italian, Spanish and French) lacks uniformity. As
Table 1 shows, in the three languages, the number of students reaching the proficiency levels set up for an
intermediate language course (LX213) ranges from 100% (Italian) to 67% (French), and 38% (Spanish). Members
of the committee seem to have diverging opinions on the assessment tools and on the scoring scale used to achieve
these results. Therefore, the committee will reconvene to discuss at length on the actions to take, the significance
of the results, and the re-evaluation of the assessment tools and the scoring scales used.
Table 1
LX213 Percentage of Students in Each Proficieny Level (except oral)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Italian
Spanish
French
0
35
17
Almost meets expectations (61‐73)
0
27
17
Meets expectations (74‐89)
62
27
42
Exceeds expectations (90‐100)
38
11
25
Does not meet expectations (0‐60)
In fact, as shown in Table 2, the average score of Spanish students was 68.1% vs. 79.5% (French) and 85.3%
(Italian), indicating that their overall performance was significantly below the course expectations (74 to 89).
Interestingly, such discrepancies were also noticed in a previous assessment of beginners II during the academic
year 2010-2011.
Table 2
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Spanish students scored lower than the Italian and French learners, even though all three language groups reported
some weaknesses in the Vocabulary, Grammar and Writing areas. In other words, they showed a general lack of
grammatical accuracy and poor assimilation of the vocabulary which has affected the quality of their written
production.
Table 3
Table 3 indicates the average score in each category: listening, vocabulary, grammar, reading and writing.
Table 4
Table 3 indicates the average score in the overall oral assessment.
The results in the oral assessment do not show the same discrepancies as in the overall written seen above.
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In the oral assessment none of the students was in the “does not meet expectation” category (compared to 35% in
the written assessment, see above). Aside from that, only 17 percent performed below the “Meets expectations
level.” As Table 5 shows, students in all three languages performed better than in the written assessment. It
shows that 83% of the students of Spanish met expectations, which is 8% above the 75 percent which is normally
expected, while all students of Italian and students of French met or exceeded the expectations.
Table 5
Despite the performance above the expected 75 percent of all students of the three languages, a closer look at the
data reveals that there are divergences among the three language groups in all areas (see Table 6 below). For
instance, the three groups of learners did not report visible difficulty in understanding the instructor, and using the
target language with appropriate speed and pronunciation. However, similarly to the written test, their use of the
vocabulary and their grammatical accuracy was not as native-like. The most affected were the Spanish learners
followed by the French ones.
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In Table 6 below the results of French in the oral assessment are not consistent with the results in the written
assessment, especially in the vocabulary and grammar results. The students of French exceed the performance of
students of Italian in the oral grammar category, which was not the case in the written assessment. In the
vocabulary area, the students of French performed worse in the oral assessment than the students of Spanish, but in
the written assessment they had exceeded the performance of the students of Spanish.
Table 6
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
LX213 Oral Assessment
Average Score in Each Category
Listening
Fluidity
Pronunciation
Vocabulary
Grammar
4
4
4
4
4
Italian
3.6
3.6
3.6
3.1
3.1
Spanish
3.5
3
3.2
2.7
2.6
French
3.7
3.7
3.9
2.1
3.5
Maximum score
In sum, data collected shows that, although students tend to do better in the oral task, they seem to encounter
greater difficulties in properly acquiring the necessary lexical and syntactic expertise of the target language. The
weaknesses in the oral assessment show that vocabulary and grammar needs improvement and in the written
assessment the same two areas need more emphasis as well as writing. This situation needs to be addressed and
discussed with all faculty members, and some changes in our teaching and assessment strategies need to be
introduced. Students will continue to be encouraged to attend the College Learning Center where their acquisition
problems may be individually addressed by the tutors. Furthermore, the educational staff of the Foreign Language
Department should continue working with CETL (the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning) to find
more effective ways to tackle and solve this problem.
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APPENDIX I
SITUATIONS FOR ORAL ASSESSMENT IN FRENCH 213– FALL 2011
Oral assessment





It is a conversation between teacher and student (about 10 minutes)
Student selects AT RANDOM one of three situations (see following pages)
Student should answer with complete sentences. English is not allowed.
Listening comprehension, fluidity, pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar will be evaluated
For top results:
a. Listening comprehension: understand the questions and respond easily without probing
b. Fluidity: speak continuously with few pauses or stumbling
c. Pronunciation: pronounce properly
d. Vocabulary: use the appropriate vocabulary. Don’t repeat the same words
e. Grammar: use the necessary grammatical structures correctly
Study guide:
Practice the following situations and questions:
a. in class
b. with your classmates outside the classroom
c. with a tutor at the Student Learning Center in the Library Building (L-125)
d. with your French-speaking friends
When practicing, always KEEP IN MIND the skills you will be tested on (see attached rubric)
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SITUATION 1. UN(E) COLOCATAIRE
You are looking for a roommate and student from France (played by your instructor) answers your ad. (S)he just
moved to NY from France for a year at QCC. (S)he has several questions for you. This is an informal conversation
(use « tu »).
-
Greet each other and exchange names
Give personal information to warm-up
Start the conversation with questions and answers, and finally…
Wrap-up and goodbyes
Questions possibles:
A. Parle-moi de ton quartier.
1. Tu habites dans quel quartier?
2. Qu’est-ce que tu aimes dans ton quartier? Pourquoi ?
3. Qu’est-ce que tu n’aimes pas dans ton quartier? Pourquoi ?
4. Ton quartier est près du métro ? du train ? du bus ? de la fac ?
5. Quels sont les problèmes sociaux de ton quartier ?
6. Qu’est-ce que tu penses de ces problèmes ?
7. Quelle sorte de logements y a-t-il dans ton quartier ? Y a-t-il des HLM ? Peux-tu me les décrire ?
8. Qu’est-ce que tu penses des logements collectifs ?
9. Tu habitais où avant ? Cela te plaisait ? Pourquoi ?
10. Pourquoi est-ce que tu as changé de quartier?
B.
Décris-moi ton immeuble ou ta maison.
11. Tu peux me parler des locataires de ton immeuble ?
12. Quelle sorte de personnes habitent un immeuble comme le tien ?
13. Penses-tu que les conditions de logement y soient satisfaisantes ? Pourquoi ?
14. La surface moyenne d’un appartement te semble petite, normale ou grande ici?
C. Parle-moi de ton appartement.
15. Tu peux me décrire ton appartement et tes colocataires? Ils sont sympas ?
16. Qu’est-ce que tu fais avec eux ?
17. Quel type de problèmes avez-vous?
18. Tu peux me décrire une situation de conflit que tu as vécue avec eux ? Comment est-ce que vous avez
résolu le conflit ?
19. Dans quel appartement habitais-tu avant ? Cela te plaisait ? Pourquoi ?
20. Pourquoi est-ce que tu as changé d’appartement?
D. Qu’est-ce que tu penses de la banlieue de NY? Qu’est-ce que tu penses de Manhattan?
21. Qu’est-ce que tu aimes dans la banlieue ? Qu’est-ce que tu n’aimes pas dans la banlieue ? Pourquoi ?
22. Qu’est-ce que tu aimes dans la ville ? Qu’est-ce que tu n’aimes pas dans la ville ? Pourquoi ?
23. Tu préfères la campagne ou la ville ? Pourquoi ?
E. Tu peux me décrire ta routine typique ?
24. Quelle est ta routine? Qu’est-ce que tu fais pendant la journée ?
25. Tu te réveilles à quelle heure le matin ? Tu te couches à quelle heure le soir ?
26. Habites-tu seul(e) ou avec ta famille ou un(e) camarade de chambre ?
27. Tu fais la cuisine? Quand ? Qu’est-ce que tu sais préparer ?
28. Tu sors ? Quand ? Avec qui ? Tu vas où ?
29. Qui fait le ménage ? et quand ?
30. Quels cours suis-tu à la fac?
G. Tu as des questions pour moi, n’est-ce pas ?
17(25)
SITUATION 2: AU CAFÉ
You meet with a friend of yours (played by your instructor) at the coffee shop. You just got back to the US after two
years spent in France within a study abroad program. Your friend asks you questions about your experience
abroad. What would you say, and how would you answer his/her questions? This is an informal conversation (use
« tu »).
-
Greet each other
Share your memories
Festivities and traditions
Wrap up and goodbyes
Questions possibles:
A. Alors, ton expérience en France? Cela s’est bien passé ? Qu’est-ce que tu peux me raconter ?
1. Où étais-tu en France ?
2. Tu y es resté(e) combien de temps?
3. Pourquoi as-tu choisi cette ville ?
4. Quelles autres villes as-tu visitées ? Pourquoi ?
5. Quand es-tu retourné(e) aux États-Unis ?
6. Qu’est-ce que tu as aimé le plus dans la ville où tu as habité en France ? Pourquoi ?
7. Qu’est-ce que tu n’as pas aimé ? Pourquoi ?
8. Qu’est-ce que tu as appris de la culture française quand tu étais en France?
9. Qu’est-ce que tu savais déjà de la culture française ?
10. Parle-moi des aspects culturels de la France et des Français que tu as observés.
11. De quelles célébrations, traditions, et fêtes te souviens-tu et as-tu célébrées en France ?
B. Parle-moi de ta routine quotidienne en France.
1. Qu’est-ce que tu faisais pendant la journée ?
2. Tu te réveillais à quelle heure le matin ?
3. Tu te couchais à quelle heure le soir?
4. Tu faisais la cuisine? Quand ? Qu’est-ce que tu préparais ?
5. Tu sortais ? Quand ? Avec qui ? Où allais-tu ?
6. Quels jours de la semaine allais-tu à la fac ?
C. Parle-moi de l’université où tu as étudié.
1. Où as-tu étudié ?
2. Qu’est-ce que tu y as étudié ?
3. Quels cours as-tu suivis ?
4. T’es-tu fait des copains ? Comment tes camarades étaient-ils ?
5. Qu’est-ce que tu as aimé le plus à l’université? Pourquoi ?
6. Qu’est-ce que tu n’as pas aimé à l’université? Pourquoi ?
D. Parle-moi de ton quartier à Paris ou dans la ville où tu habitais.
1. Tu habitais dans quel quartier ?
2. Qu’est-ce que tu aimais dans ton quartier ? Pourquoi ?
3. Qu’est-ce que tu n’aimais pas dans ton quartier ? Pourquoi ?
4. Ton quartier était près du métro ? du train ? du bus ? de la fac ?
5. Quels étaient les problèmes sociaux de ton quartier ?
6. Qu’est-ce que tu penses de ces problèmes ?
7. Y avait-il des HLM dans ton quartier ? Tu peux me les décrire ?
E. Parle-moi de ton appartement à Paris ou dans la ville où tu habitais.
1. Tu peux me décrire ton appartement ?
2. Parle-moi de tes colocataires.
18(25)
3.
4.
5.
Qu’est-ce que tu faisais avec eux ?
Quel type de problèmes aviez-vous?
Tu peux me décrire une situation de conflit que tu as vécue avec eux ? Comment est-ce que vous avez
résolu ce conflit?
F. Parle-moi de la nourriture en France.
1. Où allais-tu faire les courses?
2. Qu’est-ce que tu achetais ?
3. Quels étaient tes restos favoris ? Pourquoi ?
4. Quels étaient tes plats favoris ? Pourquoi ?
5. Tu préférais les grandes surfaces ou les petites surfaces ? Pourquoi ?
6. Quels sont les petits commerces que tu avais l’habitude de fréquenter ? Pourquoi ?
7. Tu aimais les grands magasins ? Pourquoi ?
8. Quel était ton hypermarché préféré ? Pourquoi ?
9. Quel était ton épicerie préférée ? Pourquoi ?
10. Où achetais-tu les fruits et les légumes ? Pourquoi ?
Tu as des questions pour moi, n’est-ce pas ? Qu’est-ce que tu veux savoir ?
19(25)
SITUATION 3: ENTRETIEN A L’ALLIANCE FRANCAISE A NY
You have applied for a job at the Alliance Française in NY, the French Institute in NY whose mission is to create and
offer New Yorkers innovative and unique programs in education and the arts that promote the French culture. The
director of the Alliance Française (played by your instructor) invited you for an interview. (S)he wants to know
about your background and your knowledge of the French culture. What would you say, and how would you answer
his/her questions. This is a formal conversation (use « vous »).
-
Greet each other and exchange names
Give personal information
Reasons to work with the Alliance Française in NY
Questions about the language and the culture
Wrap-up and goodbyes
Questions possibles:
A. Voulez-vous me parler de vous?
1. D’où êtes-vous ?
2. Quelles langues parlez-vous ?
3. Où est-ce que vous avez appris le français ?
4. Pendant combien d’années avez-vous étudié le français ?
5. Quels diplômes avez-vous reçus ? Quand ? De quelles institutions avez-vous reçu vos diplômes?
6. Dans quels pays avez-vous vécu ? Pendant combien de temps ?
7. Dans quels pays francophones avez-vous vécu ? Pendant combien de temps?
8. Cela a été une expérience positive ? Pourquoi ? Qu’est-ce que vous avez fait là-bas ?
9. Quelles sont vos expériences professionnelles ?
10. Pourquoi avez-vous posé votre candidature pour ce poste à l’Alliance Française ?
B. Qu’est-ce que vous savez de la culture française en général ?
1. Qu’est-ce que vous aimez le plus de la culture française, des Français et de la France? Pourquoi ?
2. Qu’est-ce que vous n’aimez pas trop de la culture française, des Français et de la France? Pourquoi ?
3. Quels aspects de la culture française vous semblent particulièrement intéressants ? Pourquoi ?
C. Qu’est-ce que vous savez du commerce et de la consommation en France et en Europe ?
1. Qu’est-ce que vous savez de la zone euro ? Qu’est-ce que vous pensez d’une monnaie commune en
Europe? Quels sont les avantages ? Quels sont les désavantages? Quels sont les pays qui utilisent l’euro ?
Quels sont les nouveaux pays membres de l’Union Européenne ?
2. Qu’est-ce que vous savez des petites et des grandes surfaces ? Pouvez-vous citer un exemple de petites et
de grandes surfaces en France et ici aux États-Unis?
3. Quelle est l’importance historique de Carrefour ?
4. Quels sont les avantages et désavantages des petits commerces de proximité ?
5. Qu’est-ce que vous savez de l’histoire des grands magasins ? Pouvez-vous donner un exemple de grand
magasin en France et dans votre pays ?
6. Préférez-vous les petites ou les grandes surfaces ? Pourquoi ?
7. Qu’est-ce que vous achetez et où ?
D. Qu’est-ce que vous savez de la situation du logement en France?
1. Quels problèmes sont liés aux conditions de logement en ville en France, et dont les Français se plaignent?
2. Quelles sortes de logements se trouvent dans les cités de banlieue en France ? Qui habitent ce type de
logement ? Quels problèmes sociaux sont souvent liés aux cités de banlieue ?
3. Qu’est-ce que vous pensez de ces problèmes ?
E. Qu’est-ce que vous savez du sport collectif et individuel en France?
1. Quel pourcentage de Français pratique un sport ? Pourquoi ?
2. Les Français préfèrent-ils les sports individuels ou collectifs ? Expliquez.
20(25)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Quels sports attirent les femmes en France ?
Quels sports se pratiquent dans la rue en France ?
Quels sont les sports les plus chers en France?
Quelle es une différence entre la France et les États-Unis à propos des sports et des activités sportives ? Et
une analogie entre la France et les États-Unis?
Vous-même pratiquez-vous un sport ? Lequel ? Quand ? Avec qui ?
F. Qu’est-ce que vous savez de la télévision française ?
1. Qu’est-ce que vous savez de la télévision française ?
2. Combien de chaînes gratuites de télé y a-t-il en France ?
3. Combien de chaînes payantes de télé y a-t-il en France ?
4. Qu’est-ce que vous savez de la chaîne Canal + ?
G. Qu’est-ce que vous savez de la bande dessinée ?
1. Depuis combien de temps y a-t-il des B.D. ?
2. Quels types d’artistes collaborent à la création des B.D.?
3. Donnez des exemples de genres de B.D.
4. Lisez-vous des B.D. ? Pourquoi ? Lesquelles ?
Vous avez des questions pour moi?
21(25)
APPENDIX II
Speaking Task - Holistic Rubric
Performance
exceeds
expectations
Listening
comprehension
Student fully
understands the
examiner’s
questions, without
probing
Fluidity
Pronunciation
Vocabulary
Grammar
Speech
continuous with
few pauses or
stumbling.
Cohesive
devices
appropriate for
this level are
frequently used
4 points
Excellent
pronunciation
Student fully
addresses the
information
requested and
provides
additional details
using rich
vocabulary
Perfect control
of the syntactic
structures and
grammar
required.
(Accuracy level
90% - 100%)
4 points
4 points
Performance
meets
expectations
Performance
almost meets
expectations
4 points
Student fully
understands the
examiner’s
questions, but
needs occasional
probing
3 points
Student
understands less
than 60% of the
examiner’s
questions after
probing
Continuous
speech with
some pauses and
stumbling.
Cohesive
devices are
sporadically
used
3 points
Speech choppy
and/or slow with
frequent pauses.
Rare use of
cohesive devices
4 points
Good
pronunciation
with a few
imperfections
3 points
Satisfactory
pronunciation
Student
addresses the
information
requested
without
providing
additional details
using adequate
vocabulary
3 points
Adequate
control of the
syntactic
structures. Some
grammatical
errors
(Accuracy level
79% - 89%)
3 points
Student
addresses less
than 60% of the
examiner’s
questions using
inadequate
vocabulary
Emerging
control of the
syntactic
structures.
Several
grammatical
errors
(Accuracy level
61% - 78%)
2 points
2 points
2 points
Performance
does not meet
expectations
2 points
Student
understands less
than 40% of the
questions even
after probing
Speech halting
and uneven with
long pauses
2 points
Unsatisfactory
pronunciation
1 point
1 point
1 point
Student
addresses less
than 40% of the
examiner’s
questions using
inaccurate
vocabulary.
1 point
22(25)
Minimal control
of the syntactic
structures.
Numerous
grammatical
errors
(Accuracy level
0%- 60%)
1point
APPENDIX III: Scoring scales
Grammar task (Range: 0 to 36)
GRAMMARSECTION ACCURATE USE OF THE GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURES
LEARNED IN THE COURSE
Performance exceeds
expectations
More than 90% completion of the task
(31 – 36 points)
Performance meets
expectations
Between 74% and 89% completion of the task
(23 – 30.5 points)
Performance almost
meets expectations
Between 61% and 73% completion of the task
(16.5- 22.5 points)
Performance does not
meet expectations
Between 0% to 60% completion of the task
(0 – 16 points)
Vocabulary task (Range: 0 to 16)
VOCABULARY ACCURATE AND ADEQUATE USE OF THE VOCABULARY
SECTION
LEARNED IN THE COURSE
Performance
exceeds
expectations
More than 90% completion of the task
(14 – 16 points)
Performance
meets
expectations
Between 74% and 89% completion of the task
(10-13.5 points)
Performance
almost meets
expectations
Between 61% and 73% completion of the task
(6.5-9.5 points)
Performance
does not meet
expectations
Between 0% to 60% completion of the task
(0- 6 points)
23(25)
Listening task (Range: 0 to 16)
LISTENING
SECTION
UNDERSTAND RELATIVELY COMPLEX MESSAGES RELATED TO
THE TOPICS COVERED IN THE COURSE
Performance
exceeds
More than 90% completion of the task
expectations (14 – 16 points)
Performance Between 74% and 89% completion of the task
meets
(10- 13.5 points)
expectations
Performance
almost
meets
expectations
Performance
does not
meet
expectations
Between 61% and 73% completion of the task
(6.5 – 9.5 points)
Between 0% to 60% completion of the task
(0 to 6points)
Reading task Holistic Rubric (Range: 0 to 16)
READING
SECTION
UNDERSTAND RELATIVELY COMPLEX MESSAGES
RELATED TO THE TOPICS COVERED IN THE COURSE
Performance
exceeds
More than 90% completion of the task
expectations (14– 16 points)
Performance Between 74% and 89% completion of the task
meets
(10- 13.5 points)
expectations
Performance Between 61% and 73% completion of the task
almost
(6.5 – 9.5 points)
meets
expectations
Performance Between 0% to 60% completion of the task
does not
(0 to 6 points)
meet
expectations
24(25)
APPENDIX IV
Writing Task Holistic Rubric
Task Completion
Exceeds
expectations
Meets expectations
Almost meets
expectations
Does not meet
expectations
Superior completion
of the task. Student
fully addresses the
information
requested, and
provides additional
details
4 POINTS
Completion of task.
Student fully
addresses the
information
provided, but does
not provide
additional details
3 POINTS
Level of
Discourse
Sentences are fully
developed and
interconnected with
cohesive devices
appropriate for this
level
Vocab.
Grammar
Rich use of
vocabulary
Perfect control of the
syntactic structures
required. (Accuracy
level 90% - 100%)
4 POINTS
Sentences are fully
developed. Cohesive
devices are
sporadically used
4 POINTS
Adequate and
accurate use of
vocabulary
4 POINTS
3 POINTS
Adequate control of
the syntactic
structures. Some
grammatical errors
(Accuracy level 79%
- 89%)
3 POINTS
3 POINTS
Partial completion of
task. Student
completes no more
than 60% of the
information
requested
Sentences are
somewhat complete.
Rare use of cohesive
devices
Somewhat
inadequate and/or
inaccurate use of
vocabulary
2 POINTS
Minimal completion
of task. Student
completes less than
40% of the
information
requested.
2 POINTS
Sentences are mostly
incomplete. No use
of cohesive devices
2 POINTS
Inadequate and/or
inaccurate use of
vocabulary
Emerging control of
the syntactic
structures Several
grammatical errors
(Accuracy level 61%
- 78%)
2 POINTS
Minimal control of
the syntactic
structures.
Numerous
grammatical errors
(Accuracy level 0%60%)
1 POINT
1 POINT
1 POINT
25(25)
1 POINT