Why do participation and attendance matter in French courses?

Participation and attendance matter in French classes at UVa for three basic reasons. The first has to do with the purpose of the courses themselves: we have designed French courses to build communicative competence in French. In other words, students should not only be able to understand and recognize and think through linguistic features (in reading passages, on objective and fill-in-the blank tests), but they should also, and more importantly, be able to use the language in real-life contexts (conversing, writing).

Compare learning a language to developing athletic skills or playing a musical instrument. A swim team may gain a great deal by studying physiology and nutrition, and by watching videotapes of swimmers with good techniques. But regular practice is absolutely essential to improving performance. Likewise, a pianist may gain a great deal from studying music theory, but without individual and guided practice, performance suffers.

The classroom is generally the only place for students to perform guided practice using French as they balance a busy schedule here at UVa. This is why we offer small classes, rather than large lectures in French. This is also why the homework load is low compared to that of lecture courses. If we were to lower expectations for participation in theses 3-4 credit courses, we would have to supplement the course with several hours of documented and supervised lab work each week, outside of class, and additional reading and writing assignments.

The second reason has to do with maintaining the continuity and quality of the class. One day's lesson builds on the next, and often in-class activities carry over several days. Students who are absent when a group presents a dialogue or completes a group writing project, place an added burden on the students who attend that day.

This leads to the third reason: responsibility. Having to be on time, meet deadlines, and take responsibility for commitments are probably the most "real-world" tasks demanded of you at the University. Students owe it to their peers, their teachers, and themselves to take responsibility for the time commitments they have agreed to by signing up for a course.

In the interest fairness, the French department has developed some clear, and rather generous attendance (link) and participation policies:

a participation self-evaluation form (link)

a policy to drop lowest quiz

a buddy system

What is Participation?

Participation includes attendance, evidence of preparation for the day's class, attention to fellow students and the instructor, and contribution to in-class activities. Your instructor may evaluate your participation according to your performance in a number of activities, including (but not restricted to):

Quality and quantity of French used in discussion
Role-plays and skits
Contribution to small-group work
Performance on brief, announced "mini-quizzes"
In-class writing
Oral presentations (individual, and group)
Attention to and constructive interaction with others students and the instructor
Overall contribution to the classroom atmosphere

Policies and etiquette:

Read carefully the departmental attendance policy (link) printed on your syllabus and posted on the web.

As the policy states, absences for illness are excused. No doctor's excuse is required, however a few rules of common sense and courtesy do apply. Read on.

Don't be a no-show. If you get sick or have a family emergency, handle it as you would any appointment you need to cancel, any work day you have to miss. Call or E-mail your TA before the class begins. If you are in a hurry, have a friend do this for you. Do not disappear without a word and then ask/expect your instructor to excuse or accommodate you.

Designate a classroom "buddy" who will let you know what you missed. The most unimpressive question you can ask any teacher is, "Did I miss anything important?" The answer is always "yes." To make a good impression-don't ask! Instead, take it upon yourself to come back to class having already gotten notes and handouts from your buddy.

Athletes and students who must attend other university-sponsored events in conflict with class time: give your instructor an official list of the classes you have to miss for games, performances, etc. early in the semester, during week one if possible. These are excused, but only if the instructor is notified well ahead of time.

Lengthy absences due to extenuating circumstances must be handled case-by-case. Students who must miss many class session due to family emergency, a prolonged illness, etc., should have their association Dean contact all instructors, asking them to make special accommodations. Again, do not disappear, and do not ask for special accommodations after the fact. Because so much practice and learning takes place in class, students who must miss a great deal of class may have a great deal of trouble making up missed work. Talk to your instructor, your association dean to see if it makes sense to withdraw from the course and start over at a better time.

Arriving late for class: Everyone is late for class once or twice. When your time comes, enter the room quietly. If you say, "Excusez-moi, je suis en retard," your teacher will be so impressed s/he might forget to be disturbed by the interruption. Nonetheless, your teacher will keep track of these late arrivals, and three of them will add up to one absence. If you have a previous class scheduled so far away that it difficult to arrive on time for French, please inform your instructor, who will try to help you work out a plan for arriving on time as often as possible.

Cheryl Krueger
Professor of French
University of Virginia