Attendance and Tardiness policy:
-As the class meets only 30 times during the entire semester, attendance is of the utmost importance. Consequently, no more than three absences can be accepted. Every absence after the third will result in a penalty of –1 pts in the final grade. The instructor can excuse some absences if the proper documents are provided to him. The instructor reserves the right to excuse an absence or not.
-As tardiness is disruptive to the class, if you are tardy more than twice, the third time will be considered an absence and will affect your grade accordingly. This policy applies to any additional tardiness (3 is one absence, 6 two absences and so on).  

All written assignments as specified by your instructor prior to class, must be completed and turned in on the date indicated on the syllabus. The instructor may otherwise refuse late work.

Compositions: There are only four compositions in FRE 2200. Some of them will be done in class, others at home. In each case, they will have to be corrected and resubmitted. The instructor will give you a grade each time, and the final grade for each composition, will take into account both grades and its average.

FRE 2200. Grading Scale

FRE 2200 COMPOSITIONS

FORMAT:

Compositions should be approximately 250 words in length, that is, one typed page, double-spaced. If you write out your compositions in longhand, skip every other line to leave room for corrections.  If you use a computer, make sure to save a copy of your document on a diskette (not on your hard-drive). Avoid sending your compositions by internet. You should hand-deliver your composition on time to your instructor. 

CONTENT:

Your compositions should represent your own work; they are subject to the University Honor Code. Plagiarism will be prosecuted. If questions about your work arise, ask your instructor in class, or during office hours.

Do the assignment as indicated. You will be evaluated on your ability to grasp the cultural, situational, or grammatical problems presented therein.

Don’t try to write the great Franco-American novel. Try to strike a balance between originality and grammatical control.  Reread yourself, and check that the verbs used are not too common, such as être, faire, avoir, il y a, etc….Your instructor will help you polish your vocabulary.

Use what you know: Compositions should prompt you to review (and be autonomous). Try to express yourself by using correctly the French structures and vocabulary you have studied so far, rather than trying to translate idiomatic English.

I notice that many students write their first draft in English. That is a mistake to start this way, and it will show in your prose and be hard to remove.  Immediately start your draft in French, and try an outline, first.

THE WRITING PROCESS:

Start early! Not the night before your composition is due. Give yourself plenty of time to think, compose and correct.

Try to think and write in French, from the beginning. If you must use a dictionary, use a good one, with examples of usage in context. If you find a word or expression in an English to French dictionary, verify its meaning (s) in the French to English side, or better, check a French-French dictionary (e.g. Le petit Robert). The Library Reference Room has several good dictionaries.

Proofread! Your instructor assumes you have eliminated ‘silly mistakes’ which always occur in a rough draft. Any remaining errors of this type will be graded as inexcusable sloppiness or serious lacks in comprehension. Use the following checklist to help you prepare your final draft:

Are all words spelled correctly? Are accents placed properly?  
Is the gender of every noun correct? Do adjectives agree with nouns?  
Do the verbs agree with their subjects? Correct tense and form?  
Compound tenses: correct auxiliary? checked past participle agreement?