Course Syllabus

Jump to Today

FREN 103 - Winter 2024

Click here to download a copy of the syllabus.

Below is a video that introduces you to the syllabus:

Below is a video that presents the course on Canvas:

Instructor information

Dr Romain Chareyron (he/him/his)

Office 422
Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies
College of Arts and Sciences
University of Saskatchewan
9, Campus Drive
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A5

Email: You can contact me via email: roc104@usask.ca and I will reply to you within 24 hours (except for holiday and weekends).

Zoom: Students can schedule a virtual appointment with me. Students can send me an email and let me know when they would like to talk to me, and I will send them a link for a Zoom meeting. 

Come and talk to me after class or send me an email and I will be happy to arrange a meeting time that accommodates both of our schedules, either in person or via Zoom.

Registrer on the "Blink Learning" platform

The digital version of the textbook "Odyssée" is available on the platform "Blink Learning". Click on the link below to access a short tutorial that provides you with all the necessary information to set up your account.

 Tutorial for USask FREN103 Students - Blink Learning - Winter 2024.mp4

To access our class on "Blink Learning", once you have created your profile on the platform, enter the code CL66874996

English Grammar for Students of French

By clicking here, you can access information that can help you have a better understanding of specific grammar concepts (such as "What is a noun?"; "What is gender?") through a series of comparisons between English and French grammar.

Diversity and Inclusion Statement

It is my intent that students from all diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit.

Our goal as a learning community is to create a safe environment that fosters open and honest dialogue. We are all expected to contribute to creating a respectful, welcoming, and inclusive environment. 

As a community, we reject all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including but not limited to those based on age, colour, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, and veteran status. Faculty and students are expected to commit to creating an environment that facilitates inquiry and self-expression, while also demonstrating diligence in understanding how others’ viewpoints may be different from their own.

As learners of French, you will come to realize that it is still a heavily gendered language that greatly relies on the binary concept of gender ("masculine" vs. "feminine"). Therefore, some of you who may be non-binary in gender might sometimes find it challenging to adhere to some of the rules that will be discussed in this course. However, as you will also come to realize, being able to grasp and master this concept is essential for your learning of the French language, as the question of gender continues to impact most aspects of the language.

For those of you who are interested in learning more about French language and its relationship to gender, you can access an article from Forbes that offers valuable insights into the French language.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism occurs when you accidentally or purposefully do any of the following in an assignment:

(1) Use someone else’s words either verbatim or almost verbatim without attribution;

(2) Use someone else’s evidence, line of thinking, idea, without attribution;

(3) Turn in someone else’s work as your own, as in copying a peer’s paper or purchasing a readymade paper.

Penalties for plagiarism may be any of the following, depending on the seriousness of the offense:

(1) A failing grade on the assignment with no make-up opportunity;

(2) Notification of the Dean.

Acceptable and unacceptable use of AI and online translation tools in this course

download-2.pngThe use of generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT; Dall-e; etc.) or online translation tools (e.g. DeepL; Google Translate; etc.) is permitted in this course for the following activities:

(a) Brainstorming and refining your ideas;

(b) Finding information on your topic;

(c) Checking grammar, spelling and style.

images.pngThe use of generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT; Dall-e; etc.) or online translation tools (e.g. DeepL; Google Translate; etc.) is not permitted in this course for the following activities:

(a) Generating text to post on the weekly forums;

(b) Writing a draft of a writing assignment;

(c) Writing entire sentences, paragraphs or papers to complete any of the required assignments.

You are responsible for the information you submit based on an AI query (for instance, that it does not violate intellectual property laws, or contain misinformation or unethical content.

Your use of AI tools must be properly documented and cited in order to stay within university policies on academic integrity. Any assignment that is found to have use degenerative AI tools in unauthorized ways is subject to any of the penalties mentioned above in case of plagiarism, depending on the severity of the offense.

When in doubt about permitted usage, please ask your instructor for clarification.

download-2.png All the written work you will do during the semester must be your own and must reflect your progress with the language.

  • Therefore, you are not supposed to use grammar that has not been studied in class (i.e. any other tenses than the present and "futur proche"). 
  • You are also supposed to use mainly the vocabulary learned in class, although it is possible to look up new words that you deem necessary for the completion of an assignment (make sure you check the gender of the word and ensure that you make all the necessary agreements).
  • One of the goals of this course is to provide you with the necessary knowledge to write simple, grammatically and syntactically correct sentences. Therefore, long and complex sentences devoid or any mistakes will not be accepted.

Generally speaking, if there is a suspicion that a student used generative AI tools to complete an assignment, they will receive a '0' the first time. If this occurs more than once, they will be reported to the Dean.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due