university assignment in french

• Free Resources
• 1-800-567-9619
• Subscribe to the blog Thank you! Please check your inbox for your confirmation email. You must click the link in the email to verify your request.
• Explore Archive
• Explore Language & Culture Blogs

French Academic Vocabulary Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Feb 5, 2018 in Vocabulary

Last week , we went over the French university system and how it is similar and differs from university systems in the US and Europe. Today, we’ll focus more on the vocabulary that you can expect to use if you do find yourself studying abroad in France.

Courtesy of Pixabay.

As we discussed last year, there are different kinds of French universities. Generally, the word you would use for university would be l’université,  although if you attend a public university in France you would call it  la fac  (which is short for  la faculté ). Like in the United States, the academic year is split into two different semesters, or semestres . ( Comme aux Etats-Unis, le calendrier universitaire est divisé en deux semestres .)

In order to enroll in college, students in France need to pass le baccalauréat,  also known as  le bac.  (Recently, French officials have declared some sweeping reforms to the bac in France to mixed responses; you can read more about it—in French, of course!— here .)  Le bac is similar to A-levels in Britain, or to the SAT in the US.

It is somewhat common in France for students to begin their university studies without graduating with their  license degree. This is because, at least for  la fac , there are no entrance examinations; however, classes get progressively harder and students have to keep up with those in their class, otherwise they can’t proceed. You might hear people referring to their education level as  bac +3  or  bac +2 , which refers to the years of study they finished after passing  le baccalauréat.

Like  au lycée , in college grades are typically issued on a 20-point scale, with 10 being the passing grade. It is—somewhat notoriously—difficult to get grades above 15 or so in the French grading system. This is largely cultural, as students who have studied in both the United States and France state that French professors are less likely to mark their assignments with near perfect grades than their American counterparts. From 12 points and more, students receive a  mention , or a special distinction, for their assignment: assez bien for 12-13.99 points, bien for 14-15.99, and très bien for grades above 16. Very few university students will get an overall  mention  of  très bien , and this distinction is typically reserved for at most the top 3% of students.

Here’s some more vocabulary to help you through the French academic setting:

Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.

About the Author: Elizabeth Schmermund

Bonjour tout le monde! I'm a freelance writer, doctoral student, mom, and Francophile. I'm excited to share some of my experiences living in France, as well as the cultural nuances that I've learned being married to a Frenchman, with all of you. To find out more about me, feel free to check out my website at http://www.imaginistwriter.com. A la prochaine!

• Library Catalogue

Resources for academic writing in French

On this page, 1. purpose of this document, 2. orthographe et typographie, 3. grammaire, 4. structure de texte: vocabulaire, 5. comment construire une dissertation en français.

• 6. Outil utile : comment faire les caractères français sur n'importe quel clavier ?
• 7. Où trouver de l'aide en français ?
• 8. S'immerger d'avantage dans le français

This document offers resources to students writing in French at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It has been inspired by the recurring questions and issues encountered during consultations with students and it includes:

• Grammatical and vocabulary help
• Advice on dissertation structure and dissertation writing
• A useful tip on how to easily type special French characters on any keyboard
• Suggestions as to where students can find additional help
• Ideas on where to meet French speakers and how to get exposed to the language to improve fluency

Note: The information presented is valid as of December 2016. The rest of this information is written in French since it is intended for people with at least a basic understanding of the language.

This material is also available as a printable  pdf  and as a stand-alone website  .

2.1.1 Majuscules

2.1.1.1 Noms et adjectifs de nationalité

En anglais, les noms et adjectifs se rapportant aux langues et aux pays prennent toujours des majuscules :

I am French I speak French The French are always on strike

Ce n'est pas le cas en français.

Les adjectifs ne prennent jamais de majuscule en français. Donc: adjectifs de nationalité ou se rapportant aux langues → pas de majuscule

Je suis française La langue française

Pour les noms, il ne faut pas de majuscule lorsque l'on parle des langues. Les langues → pas de majuscule

Je parle français Le français et l'anglais

Ceci dit, lorsque l'on parle de personnes, il faut la majuscule. Les habitants d'un pays → majuscule

Les Français sont tout le temps en grève

2.1.1.2 Jours de la semaine et mois

En anglais, les jours de la semaine et les mois prennent des majuscules. Mais pas en français :

Le lundi et le mardi Le jeudi 3 mars ​Tous les dimanches de novembre

2.1.2 Ponctuation

Contrairement à l'anglais, il faut un espace avant les deux points, le point d'interrogation et le point d'exclamation :

Tu viens ? Ah non !

Les guillemets sont différents et il faut un espace entre les guillemets et le texte :

Il lui dit : « d'accord »

Note : un éditeur de texte (par exemple MS Word ou OpenOffice Writer) corrigera tout cela automatiquement si vous le mettez en français.

2.1.3 « et » et la virgule

L'usage d'une virgule avec « et » est différent en français et en anglais :

En anglais, il faut une virgule avant « and » dans une énumération qui comprend plus de deux éléments : French, English, and Spanish

En français, il n'y a pas de virgule avant « et » : Le français, l'anglais et l'espagnol

Mettre un mot au féminin peut aider à trouver sa terminaison :

chat  →  chatte ouvert →  ouverte ​remis  →  remise

3.1.1 Définition

Voix active : le sujet fait l'action

Voix passive : le sujet subit l'action et le complément d'agent (introduit par « par ») fait l'action

Le complément d'agent fait l'action (voix active) :  Notre équipe a réalisé une étude

L'action est faite PAR le complément d'agent (voix passive) :  Une étude a été réalisée PAR notre équipe

3.1.2 Formation

La voix passive se construit avec  l'auxilaire être + le participe passé du verbe .

Attention donc à ne pas confondre un temps simple à la voix passive avec un temps composé.

Par exemple, il ne faut pas confondre un verbe au présent de la voix passive avec un passé composé :

Le lapin est mangé par le loup (Présent de la voix passive. Cela équivaut à : le loup mange le lapin - maintenant)

Le lapin a mangé la salade (Passé composé de la voix active. Le lapin a mangé la salade hier)

3.1.3 Écrivez à l'actif !

Pendant longtemps, il a été d'usage d'utiliser la voix passive dans les travaux académiques, probablement par modestie. Cette habitude est tombée en désuétude, mais malheureusement les étudiants continuent trop souvent à écrire au passif, rendant les textes tortueux et le style inutilement lourd. Je vous encourage vivement à utiliser la voix active :

• la construction est beaucoup plus directe
• il est maintenant d'usage d'annoncer clairement et sans détour que nous sommes l'auteur d'un travail

3.2.1 Les adjectifs

Les adjectifs s'accordent en genre et en nombre avec le nom auquel ils se rapportent

3.2.2 Les participes passés

• Avec l'auxiliaire être Les participes passés s'accordent en genre et en nombre avec le sujet
• Avec l'auxiliaire avoir Les participes passés s'accordent en genre et en nombre avec le complément d'objet direct, si celui-ci est placé avant le verbe​
• Sinon, ils sont  invariables En aucun cas, ils ne s'accordent avec le sujet

Pas de panique, c'est en fait simple :

Auxiliaire être

Il est tombé Ils sont tombés ​Elles sont tombées

Auxiliaire avoir - COD  après  le verbe

Il a pris un verre Il a pris une pomme Il a pris des pommes

Auxiliaire avoir - COD  avant  le verbe

Il l'a pris (=le verre) Il l'a prise (=la pomme) Il les a prises (=les pommes)

[[ collapse start " 3.3 « Nous » et « on » "]]

« On », techniquement, est un équivalent de l'anglais « it »

On dit souvent que...

Mais dans le langage courant, il est utilisé à la place de « nous »

On y va (=nous y allons) On arrive ! (=nous arrivons !)

Ceci est cependant à éviter à l'écrit, à moins que l'on veuille donner au texte une connotation familière.

3.4.1 Forme

3.4.1.1 Définis

le chat/les chats the cat/the cats

3.4.1.2 Indéfinis

un chat/des chats a cat/cats

3.4.2 Usage

3.4.2.1 Définis

On sait exactement de quel individu/chose il s'agit. On pourrait le montrer du doigt. Le nom est défini

Le chat de mon voisin (Ceci suppose que mon voisin n'a qu'un chat et que, du coup, on sait exactement de quel chat il s'agit)

La Terre est ronde (Il n'y en a qu'une, donc on sait de laquelle il s'agit)

La lune (On suppose qu'il s'agit de notre lune, celle qui tourne autour de la terre, et que donc on sait de laquelle il s'agit)

3.4.2.2 Indéfinis

On ne sait pas de quel individu/chose il s'agit. Le nom est indéfini

J'ai vu un chat noir ce matin (On ne sait pas de quel chat noir il s'agit. L'information "noir" ne suffit pas à définir l'individu particulier dont il est question)

Un chat de mon voisin (Ici, cela suppose que mon voisin a plusieurs chats et du coup, on ne sait pas de quel individu il est question. Comparer ceci avec l'exemple précédant)

Une lune (Ici, on fait référence à un satellite naturel, par exemple une lune de Saturne. On ne sait donc pas de quelle lune il s'agit)

C'est en fait très similaire à l'anglais. Réfléchissez à ce que vous diriez en anglais

• Invariables
• Généralement formés à partir d'adjectifs + « ment »

grand  → grandement

4.1.1 Commencer

Premièrement D’abord Tout d'abord Au début Pour commencer

4.1.2 Continuer

Chronologiquement : 

Deuxièmement ​Ensuite Puis Après

En ajoutant : 

De plus ​Ajoutons que En outre Par ailleurs ​Aussi Egalement

4.1.3 Finir

Enfin ​Finalement Pour finir Pour terminer Pour conclure En conclusion

4.2.1 Similarités

De la même manière De la même façon ​Similairement

4.2.2 Différences

En revanche Au contraire ​Alors que ​Pourtant D'autre part ​D'un autre côté Par ailleurs

Du coup En conséquence Par conséquent Il en résulte que De ce fait Donc Ainsi C'est pourquoi

Veuillez noter que ceci ne représente que mon opinion personnelle. Les consignes que vous recevez de vos professeurs sont sans aucun doute plus importantes que les conseils que je présente ici. Si vous avez des doutes, la meilleure chose à faire est toujours de discuter avec le professeur afin d'éliminer toute confusion quant à ses attentes. Il se peut que votre professeur ait une vision différente de la mienne sur la structure d'une dissertation. Il n'y a, de toute façon, aucune règle absolue et ceci ne représente qu'une façon, parmi beaucoup d'autres, de construire un plan.

Ne vous embarquez pas dans l'écriture avant d'avoir un plan! Si vous vous lancez dans l'écriture en aveugle, vous allez perdre énormément de temps à rédiger des choses qui ne fonctionneront probablement pas et que vous devrez réécrire. Assurez vous d'avoir un plan solide avant de commencer à rédiger des phrases. Pour construire ce squelette, des tirets avec vos idées suffisent.

Pour structurer votre plan, imaginez un sablier :

L'introduction , en bleu dans le sablier, commence large et se réduit petit à petit.

Elle peut se construire en trois sous-parties :

• Une introduction du thème qui se veut très ouverte. Vous voulez intéresser un public large. Si vous commencez directement sur le sujet étroit et spécifique de votre dissertation, peu de gens n'auront envie de la lire vu que peu de gens ont un intérêt pour un sujet très pointu.
• Dans une deuxième sous-partie, vous emmenez le lecteur peu à peu vers le sujet de votre dissertation. La problématique se resserre.
• Finalement, dans une troisième partie, vous présentez votre plan. Après avoir lu cette sous-partie, le lecteur doit savoir ce qui l'attend.

Le corps de votre dissertation , en orange dans le sablier, reste ciblé sur votre sujet.

Il comporte deux à quatre parties (souvent trois). C'est là que vous présentez votre analyse. Chaque partie représentant un aspect ou un point différent.

La conclusion , en vert dans le sablier, commence étroite et s'élargit peu à peu.

Vous ne voulez pas laisser le lecteur avec cette vue très pointue d'un sujet. Vous voulez élargir vers une problématique plus large. Là aussi, trois sous-parties est assez classique :

• Une première sous-partie qui conclut votre dissertation,
• Un élargissement de la problématique,
• Une troisième sous-partie peut comporter des questions laissées ouvertes.

Vous avez votre plan et vous en êtes content. Maintenant, il est temps de commencer à rédiger… mais dans quel ordre ? La question peut vous surprendre vu que la plupart des gens commencent… par l'introduction. Erreur ! L'introduction est probablement la partie la plus difficile à écrire. Il est beaucoup plus facile de commencer par le corps de la dissertation car c'est vraiment votre sujet. A partir de là, vous pourrez assez facilement écrire la conclusion. Et finalement, à la fin, après avoir passé tout ce temps avec votre dissertation, vous serez en bien meilleure position pour attaquer cette fameuse introduction qui est si difficile.

Séparez les grandes parties (introduction, corps de la dissertation et conclusion) en sautant une ligne. Les différentes parties du corps central de votre dissertation peuvent aussi être séparées par une ligne blanche.   Chaque partie et sous-partie commence typiquement par un alinéa (« indent » en anglais). De cette façon, le lecteur peut, avant même de commencer à lire, voir la structure de votre dissertation.

Les deux à quatre parties du corps de votre dissertation doivent être équilibrées : vous ne voulez pas avoir une partie de plusieurs pages et une autre de quelques lignes. Si tel est le cas, essayez de structurer vos idées différemment en fusionnant certaines parties entre elles ou en revisitant votre plan.

Il est classique de lier les différentes parties ou sous-parties les unes avec les autres grâce à des phrases de transition qui mettent en évidence la cohésion logique de l'ensemble. Vous ne voulez pas que votre essai ressemble à une juxtaposition d'idées sans rapport les unes avec les autres.

En français, comme en anglais, il est important de citer vos sources. Le site de la bibliothèque de SFU a de nombreuses ressources sur le format à suivre : Citation guide: APA .

6. Outil utile : comment faire les caractères français sur n'importe quel clavier ?

La méthode la plus simple est d'utiliser le clavier international américain. Je n'explique pas ici comment l'activer car cela dépend de votre système d'exploitation (OS), mais les instructions sont très simples et disponibles partout sur internet. Une fois activé, le clavier international transforme :

7. Où trouver de l'aide en français ?

Le Student Learning Commons  (SLC) offre depuis l'année dernière deux services pour les étudiants écrivant en français :

• des consultations particulières hebdomadaires
• des ateliers

7.1.1 Consultations particulières

Des consultations particulières hebdomadaires sont disponibles. Prenez rendez-vous sur le site du Student Learning Commons : Academic writing resources . 

7.1.2 Ateliers

Des ateliers d'écriture en français sont organisés régulièrement. Regardez le programme sur le site du Student Learning Commons: Writing workshops .

Si vous avez des suggestions de nouveaux ateliers d'écriture en français qui vous seraient utiles, n'hésitez pas à nous en faire part en écrivant à l'adresse mail [email protected] 

7.2.1 Dictionnaires

7.2.1.1 Français

• Du  Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales , le meilleur dictionnaire de français en ligne ! Une ressource vraiment excellente.

7.2.1.2 Français/anglais

• WordReference.com

7.2.2 Conjugaison

• Le Conjugueur  : un bon site de conjugaison 

7.2.3 Plagiat

Toutes les règles que vous avez apprises sur le plagiat dans vos travaux en anglais s'appliquent également en français. Le plagiat est un sujet sérieux que SFU traite avec beaucoup d'attention et si vous n'êtes pas sûrs des règles, je vous encourage vivement à vous familiariser avec elles en lisant les sites suivants. Pour SFU, l'ignorance n'est pas une excuse….

• Voir également: Plagiarism tutorial (SFU Library, anglais)
• Academic honesty

8. S'immerger d'avantage dans le français

8.1.1 meetup français.

• Vancouver French Langage Meetup

8.1.2 Le Centre Culturel Francophone de Vancouver

• Le Centre Culturel Francophone de Vancouver  

8.2.1 Histoire et culture

• Radio Canada : Aujourd'hui l'histoire
• France Culture : Les nuits de France Culture

8.2.2 Infos (« Informations » en France ou « Nouvelles » au Canada)

• France Inter : Le journal de 18h
• Radio Canada : Midi info  

8.2.3 Sciences et technologie

• France Culture : La marche des sciences
• Radio Canada : Les années lumières

8.3.1 Théâtre en français

Théâtre la Seizième

8.3.2 Internet

Nombreuses options pour voir des films, apprendre de nouveaux mots, améliorer sa prononciation, apprendre à conjuguer…

8.3.3 Films

De nombreux films français sont disponibles gratuitement dans les bibliothèques publiques et de SFU :

• SFU Library movie collection . See  How do I find books written in French, Chinese, and other languages? for help narrowing your search to French-language materials.
• Vancouver Public Library
• Burnaby Public Library

This guide was created by Marie-Hélène Burle, December 2016.

Welcome to the world of a French-loving, American couple

How to Write a Stellar Mémoire (French Master’s Thesis)

Pursuing graduate studies in France entails mastering all sorts of assignments, but perhaps none as daunting as the notorious mémoire , or master’s thesis. Writing and defending a master’s thesis is the cornerstone of many, though not all, French graduate degrees, making it a rite of passage for degree-seeking students in France. As part of my French master’s degree in Droit Public parcours Intégration Européenne et Gouvernance Globale , I was required to take on the infamous mémoire alongside my regular coursework during the final year of my studies.

Since I’m an international student at the Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne , I had to contend not only with the base-level difficulties of putting together a master’s thesis, but also with the reality of writing fully in my second language and following the unforgiving methodology and writing norms of French law school to a tee. Needless to say, my year-long research project entailed late nights spent reading, countless trips to the library, typing until my fingers were sore, and shedding a few more tears than I’d like to admit!

My master’s thesis experience wasn’t all bad, of course. I genuinely enjoyed learning everything I could about my topic, discussing my progress with my classmates, refining my French-language skills , and presenting a piece of work that reflected my academic rigor. To my delight, at the end of my defense, the jury awarded me an 18/20 for my mémoire , entitled Associer les inégalités sociales et le changement climatique : Une étude comparative des contextes et approches aux États-Unis et dans l’Union européenne . The jury highlighted the following assets of my work:

• Qualité de recherche (Research quality)
• Qualité rédactionnelle (Writing quality)
• Qualité de français (French-language quality)
• Problématique innovante (Innovative research question)
• Posture épistémologique intéressant (Interesting epistemological posture)
• Bon cadrage théorique (Good theoretical framework)
• Limitations justifiées (Justified limitations)
• Structure impeccable (Impeccable structure)

Managing to receive the highest honors on my mémoire as an American studying law in France was no easy feat. Throughout the lengthy process of crafting my master’s thesis and defense, I discovered what worked well for me and what held me back – that’s why, in this post, I’m sharing my expert tips to help you write an outstanding French master’s thesis.

Honor Your Interests

Completing a mémoire takes months of daily research, reading, and writing, so you can imagine how painful the whole operation can become if your topic doesn’t inspire you! For a certain amount of time, your master’s thesis content will likely be all you can think about as you attempt to find and consume every piece of relevant literature ever written about it. To avoid misery and increase your motivation, you need to reflect upon the subjects within your degree field that excite you, the themes you’d be delighted to learn more about, and the concepts you truly want to call yourself an expert in come the day of your defense.

• My research topic combined my enthusiasm for the themes of public policy and governance, social justice issues, environmental protection, the United States, and the European Union.

Favor Innovation

The goal of producing a master’s thesis is not to reiterate the conclusions that other researchers have already drawn, but to pull from existing knowledge in order to demonstrate something new. To elevate your mémoire and impress your jury, innovation is indispensable. Creating a research question that hasn’t already been exhaustively answered will also prevent you from simply regurgitating what you read and will allow you to write a master’s thesis that relies on the important work of those before you, but is, ultimately, entirely your own.

• In my case, the concept of linking social inequality and climate change is relatively new on the whole. Moreover, my comparison of the United States’ and the European Union’s approaches for dealing with this phenomenon is something that hadn’t been done before.

Survey Your Sources

Because a finished mémoire is the culmination of in-depth research and analysis, you’ll need to choose a topic that you can thoroughly explore. For example, if your desired subject is too cutting-edge, you may struggle to find sufficient existing material upon which to build your master’s thesis. If essential documents that you need to read are confidential, located far away, or otherwise inaccessible, you won’t be able to use them for your work. It is therefore essential to consider whether adequate sources are available before you set your heart on a specific theme.

• When finalizing my topic, I ensured that the sources I would need to study were either located online, at my university , or in libraries near me.

Create a Timeline

You know that you should start working on your master’s thesis at the beginning of the school year , and that you need to have it finished by the end, but what happens between those two events is much less clear! With the help of a trusted professor or independently, you should make a realistic schedule with self-imposed deadlines to help you conceptualize the amount of work that needs to be done by each date. Your timeline should include targets for things like finalizing your research question, gathering sources for your bibliography, writing the various sections of the manuscript, submitting your mémoire for review, and preparing for your defense.

• Using a holistic timeline helped me to know when I was on track, when I could take breaks, and when I needed to speed things along. It also enabled me to beat procrastination, as delaying tasks for too long would have thrown me completely off schedule.

Chat About Your Research

While a master’s thesis is definitely an individual project, you shouldn’t keep your thoughts and questions to yourself! Your professors, classmates, friends, and family are all valuable resources as you go through the mémoire process. Speaking with your professors (who have already successfully completed challenging research projects) and with your classmates (who are currently working on their own mémoires ) about things like methodological difficulties and research hardships can lead to helpful problem solving and sincere moral support. Moreover, explaining your research to friends and family (who are likely unfamiliar with your subject) will help you gauge how well you understand it yourself and how clearly you’re able to express your ideas.

• I personally checked in regularly with my classmates who always offered useful words of advice and encouragement. I also talked with my significant other, Jalen , frequently to get his feedback on my work.

Choose the Right Advisor

Selecting a directeur·rice de mémoire , or master’s thesis advisor, isn’t a decision to make lightly. To find the perfect fit, you need to be familiar with your potential advisors and know your own preferences very well. For example, asking a professor whose specialty has nothing to do with your research question is likely to be as uninteresting for them as it is unhelpful to you. Furthermore, if you’re a student who likes frequent and detailed feedback, choosing a professor with a tightly-packed schedule might not be the best idea. Take the time to weigh your options carefully before asking a professor to become your advisor.

• I made sure to pick an advisor who was familiar with the broad strokes of my topic and had a hands-off attitude so that I could work autonomously and at my own pace.

Write Meticulously

The quality of the content of your master’s thesis is crucial, but so is the quality of your writing. The most brilliant of ideas will still fall flat if your text is riddled with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Attempting to avoid all language blunders is especially vital when you’re writing in your second language – and even more so in a country like France where such mistakes are not looked upon kindly. If your manuscript is hard to understand, readers won’t be able to appreciate your analysis. Additionally, it’s tough for readers to take a piece of work seriously if they’re constantly distracted by careless errors. Try to compose every sentence with care in order to avoid these pitfalls.

• When writing my mémoire , I never hesitated to look up a word, phrase, or grammar rule when I was even the tiniest bit uncertain. I also double-checked for errors that I commonly make, like accidentally including a serial comma when I’m writing in French.

Perfect Your Formatting

You shouldn’t organize your master’s thesis like you would a novel, an essay, or a report. Depending on your field of study and your degree program’s requirements, you’ll likely have specific norms to apply and rules to follow for structuring your mémoire . Your acknowledgements, dedication, abstract, abbreviations, table of contents, references, and appendices can’t be placed just anywhere! You should also ensure that your work is pleasing to the eye, with an appropriate cover page, sensible headings, proper font sizes and line spacing, logical page breaks, and accurate citations. These details are what make the difference between a good master’s thesis and a great one.

• In French law school, for example, writing to a detailed, hierarchical outline, known as a plan , is often an absolute must. As such, the final version of my master’s thesis manuscript consists of an introduction, two chapters with three sections and eight sub-sections each, and a conclusion.

Prepare Your Defense

When you’re finally done writing your master’s thesis, it can be tempting to put it completely out of your mind. But once you conquer this first step, you still have one more challenge to tackle: your soutenance , or master’s thesis defense. To pass your defense, you need to do more than just prepare to present your research and findings to the jury. A quality presentation will also include explaining the reason you chose your topic, the sources you used, the problems you faced , the limitations of your work, any updates on your subject since you finished writing, and future research possibilities. Don’t forget to reread your mémoire with a critical eye to anticipate the jury’s critiques in advance. Going the extra mile to prepare your defense to the best of your ability is a recipe for triumph.

• I prepared for my defense one week in advance, and it consisted of a 20-minute presentation, a 25-minute question and answer session, and a 10-minute jury deliberation.

Take Your Work Seriously

It’s no secret that some degree programs are more rigorous than others, just as it’s true that some students take their studies more seriously than others. However, if you decide that writing a solid master’s thesis demonstrating your academic talents and integrity isn’t worth your time because you know that your program will accept work of lower calibre, you’ve effectively proven your degree to be a second-rate credential and yourself to be a substandard student. Would you rather throw together a mediocre mémoire that you’ll stuff away the moment it’s over, or compose a meaningful piece of work representing the best of your capacities that you’ll be excited to share with others for years to come? Taking your work seriously won’t steer you wrong, especially when it comes to an assignment as noteworthy as a master’s thesis.

• I know that my decision to do my absolute best played a large role in the jury’s attribution of my final grade, and I’m proud of myself for having done so.

Everyone’s master’s thesis journey is unique, but implementing these tips will put you on a path to success. Is writing a French mémoire in your future? Have you ever carried out a significant research project? Do you want to know more about my experience? Let me know in a comment!

Share this:

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

You Aren't Doomed to Become an English Teacher in France

How to Run a Successful Blog: Our Techniques for Consistently Posting Content Every Week

You may also like.

Studying in France as Americans: Fun Local Events and Laser Focus

How to Renew a French Student Visa Online: Our Personal Experiences

Studying in France as Americans: Errands, Opulence, and High Temps

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Write an essay in French

Beyond the fact that writing an essay in French can be a good practice to improve your writing, you may also be asked to write one during your schooling. So, it is important to study the topic of French essay writing and get some useful tips..

» Tips and tricks for your French essay » The structure of a French essay » Sample French Essay

Tips and tricks for your French essay

When writing a French essay for school, you should always use a structured approach and good French skills to present your arguments in a focused way. Beyond French skills, there are also important formal requirements for a successful French essay. We will come back to this in detail later. First, you will find some useful tips and tricks that will help you write more compelling and better French essays in the future.

• Have a clear thesis and structure
• Do sufficient research and use reliable sources
• Use examples and arguments to support your thesis
• Avoid plagiarism and cite correctly
• Always check structure, grammar and spelling

When you write your essay at school or university, you need to make sure that the general structure of your essay, the presentation of the arguments and, above all, your French language skills play a role in the mark you will get. This is why you should definitely take a closer look at the structure of an essay as well as the most important grammar rules and formulations for French essays.

The structure of a French essay

In an essay, you deal at length and in detail with a usually given topic. When you write an essay in French, you must follow a certain structure. Below we show you what this structure looks like and give you some tips for writing the most important parts of your essay.

The Introduction

The introduction prepares the main body of your essay. You think of a meaningful title for your essay, you describe your thesis or your question, you give general information on the subject and you prepare your argument by giving an overview of your most important arguments.

Below are examples and phrases that you can use to write the introduction to your essay in French.

The title should be meaningful, concise and reflect the content of the essay.

Introductory paragraph

The first paragraph of your French essay should briefly introduce the topic and engage the reader. Here are some examples to help you write your essay:

Proposal or question

The central proposition or question of your French essay should be a clear and concise definition of the purpose of the essay. Use these examples to get a clearer idea of ​​how to write theses in French:

Overview of Arguments and Structure

At the end of your introduction, describe the structure of the main part of your essay (your outline) and outline your argument. Here are some French expressions that will certainly help you write your essay:

The body of your essay

The main part of your French essay deals with the given topic in detail. The subject is studied from all angles. The main body of your essay follows a thread of argument and discusses in detail the main arguments of your thesis previously made in the introduction.

In the body of the text, you should discuss the subject of your essay in clear and concise language. To achieve this, we give you some wording aids as well as vocabulary and phrases that you can use to write your essay in French.

Formulation tools:

French vocabulary for essays.

In the conclusion of your French essay, you address the thesis of your essay, summarize the main points of your discussion in the main body, and draw a conclusion. On the basis of the arguments and the resulting conclusions, you formulate in the conclusion of your dissertation final thoughts and suggestions for the future. It is important that you do not add new information or new arguments. This should only be done in the body of your text.

Here are some wording guides to help you write your essay in French:

Sample French Essay

Les avantages des voyages linguistiques

Malgré les difficultés potentielles, les voyages linguistiques offrent aux apprenants une occasion unique d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, ce qui en fait un investissement précieux pour leur développement personnel et académique.

Les séjours linguistiques sont des voyages organisés dans le but d'améliorer les compétences linguistiques des participants. Ces voyages peuvent se dérouler dans le pays ou à l'étranger et durer d'un week-end à plusieurs semaines. L'un des principaux avantages des séjours linguistiques est l'immersion. Entourés de locuteurs natifs, les apprenants sont contraints de pratiquer et d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques dans des situations réelles.Il s'agit d'une méthode d'apprentissage beaucoup plus efficace que le simple fait d'étudier une langue dans une salle de classe.

Un autre avantage des séjours linguistiques est l'expérience culturelle. Voyager dans un nouveau pays permet aux apprenants de découvrir de nouvelles coutumes, traditions et modes de vie, et de se familiariser avec l'histoire et la culture du pays. Cela enrichit non seulement l'expérience d'apprentissage de la langue, mais contribue également à élargir les horizons et à accroître la sensibilisation culturelle.

Cependant, les séjours linguistiques peuvent également présenter des inconvénients. Par exemple, le coût du voyage et de l'hébergement peut être élevé, en particulier pour les séjours de longue durée. En outre, les apprenants peuvent être confrontés à la barrière de la langue ou à un choc culturel, ce qui peut être difficile à surmonter. Le coût et les difficultés potentielles des séjours linguistiques peuvent sembler décourageants, mais ils offrent des avantages précieux en termes d'épanouissement personnel et scolaire.

Les compétences linguistiques et les connaissances culturelles acquises peuvent déboucher sur de nouvelles opportunités d'emploi et améliorer la communication dans un cadre professionnel. Les bourses et les aides financières rendent les séjours linguistiques plus accessibles. Le fait d'être confronté à une barrière linguistique ou à un choc culturel peut également être l'occasion d'un développement personnel. Ces avantages l'emportent largement sur les inconvénients et font des séjours linguistiques un investissement qui en vaut la peine.

En conclusion, malgré les difficultés potentielles, les séjours linguistiques offrent aux apprenants une occasion unique d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, ce qui en fait un investissement précieux pour le développement personnel et académique. Qu'il s'agisse d'un débutant ou d'un apprenant avancé, un voyage linguistique est une expérience à ne pas manquer.

Improve your writing style in French

Learn French with us. We will help you improve your writing skills.

Improve your French with Sprachcaffe

A Year abroad for high school students

Spend a unique school year abroad

Online French courses

Learn French from the comfort of your own home with an online course

Learn French on a language trip

Learn French in a French-speaking country

5 tips on writing better university assignments

Lecturer in Student Learning and Communication Development, University of Sydney

Disclosure statement

Alexandra Garcia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Sydney provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

View all partners

University life comes with its share of challenges. One of these is writing longer assignments that require higher information, communication and critical thinking skills than what you might have been used to in high school. Here are five tips to help you get ahead.

1. Use all available sources of information

Beyond instructions and deadlines, lecturers make available an increasing number of resources. But students often overlook these.

For example, to understand how your assignment will be graded, you can examine the rubric . This is a chart indicating what you need to do to obtain a high distinction, a credit or a pass, as well as the course objectives – also known as “learning outcomes”.

Other resources include lecture recordings, reading lists, sample assignments and discussion boards. All this information is usually put together in an online platform called a learning management system (LMS). Examples include Blackboard , Moodle , Canvas and iLearn . Research shows students who use their LMS more frequently tend to obtain higher final grades.

If after scrolling through your LMS you still have questions about your assignment, you can check your lecturer’s consultation hours.

2. Take referencing seriously

Plagiarism – using somebody else’s words or ideas without attribution – is a serious offence at university. It is a form of cheating.

In many cases, though, students are unaware they have cheated. They are simply not familiar with referencing styles – such as APA , Harvard , Vancouver , Chicago , etc – or lack the skills to put the information from their sources into their own words.

To avoid making this mistake, you may approach your university’s library, which is likely to offer face-to-face workshops or online resources on referencing. Academic support units may also help with paraphrasing.

You can also use referencing management software, such as EndNote or Mendeley . You can then store your sources, retrieve citations and create reference lists with only a few clicks. For undergraduate students, Zotero has been recommended as it seems to be more user-friendly.

Using this kind of software will certainly save you time searching for and formatting references. However, you still need to become familiar with the citation style in your discipline and revise the formatting accordingly.

3. Plan before you write

If you were to build a house, you wouldn’t start by laying bricks at random. You’d start with a blueprint. Likewise, writing an academic paper requires careful planning: you need to decide the number of sections, their organisation, and the information and sources you will include in each.

Research shows students who prepare detailed outlines produce higher-quality texts. Planning will not only help you get better grades, but will also reduce the time you spend staring blankly at the screen thinking about what to write next.

During the planning stage, using programs like OneNote from Microsoft Office or Outline for Mac can make the task easier as they allow you to organise information in tabs. These bits of information can be easily rearranged for later drafting. Navigating through the tabs is also easier than scrolling through a long Word file.

4. Choose the right words

Which of these sentences is more appropriate for an assignment?

a. “This paper talks about why the planet is getting hotter”, or b. “This paper examines the causes of climate change”.

The written language used at university is more formal and technical than the language you normally use in social media or while chatting with your friends. Academic words tend to be longer and their meaning is also more precise. “Climate change” implies more than just the planet “getting hotter”.

To find the right words, you can use SkELL , which shows you the words that appear more frequently, with your search entry categorised grammatically. For example, if you enter “paper”, it will tell you it is often the subject of verbs such as “present”, “describe”, “examine” and “discuss”.

Another option is the Writefull app, which does a similar job without having to use an online browser.

5. Edit and proofread

If you’re typing the last paragraph of the assignment ten minutes before the deadline, you will be missing a very important step in the writing process: editing and proofreading your text. A 2018 study found a group of university students did significantly better in a test after incorporating the process of planning, drafting and editing in their writing.

You probably already know to check the spelling of a word if it appears underlined in red. You may even use a grammar checker such as Grammarly . However, no software to date can detect every error and it is not uncommon to be given inaccurate suggestions.

So, in addition to your choice of proofreader, you need to improve and expand your grammar knowledge. Check with the academic support services at your university if they offer any relevant courses.

Written communication is a skill that requires effort and dedication. That’s why universities are investing in support services – face-to-face workshops, individual consultations, and online courses – to help students in this process. You can also take advantage of a wide range of web-based resources such as spell checkers, vocabulary tools and referencing software – many of them free.

Improving your written communication will help you succeed at university and beyond.

• College assignments
• University study
• Writing tips
• Essay writing
• Student assessment

Casual Facilitator: GERRIC Student Programs - Arts, Design and Architecture

Senior Lecturer, Digital Advertising

Service Delivery Fleet Coordinator

Manager, Centre Policy and Translation

Newsletter and Deputy Social Media Producer

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

French Homework Help: 10 Essential Resources

Do you ever find yourself mentally screaming, “ Au secours!” (Help!) while struggling to complete your French homework?

When you need someone to step in to make the murkiness of your French assignments a little clearer, this guide has got you covered. Check out our 10 best online resources to get French homework help quickly.

1. Bescherelle

2. larousse, 3. bonpatron, 4. alloprof, 5. verbling, 6. 24houranswers, 7. wordreference, 8. french language stack exchange, 9. tex’s french grammar, 10. le conjugueur, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Summary: Well known grammar and conjugation help source

If you’ve ever attended an in-person French class, there’s a good chance you’ve already seen or heard of this first resource. Bescherelle is better known for its written counterpart, a guide to hundreds of verbs in the French language, but you don’t have to run to the bookstore just yet. Bescherelle is also available online!

Bescherelle   conjugates almost every verb imaginable into any tense imaginable. That means that you can look up any verb and find it in all verb tenses and participles . Additionally, you can get the verb conjugations in both the active and passive voice: an excellent resource for when you’re completing upper-level French papers that require you to write impersonally.

Further, when you search for a verb, you can find out whether it’s regular or irregular and you’ll even see other verbs that are conjugated with the same verb ending pattern.

In addition to the conjugator, the Bescherelle website includes  dictées (dictations) for you to practice your listening and writing skills, quizzes about verbs and their tenses as well as other grammar points such as nouns and adjectives. If you’re feeling energized, Bescherelle also has a selection of French-learning games .

Summary: Accurate and nuanced word definitions

Larousse is a famous French dictionary that’s also available online. That means you can search any French word you’d like and get an in-depth look at its meaning, not just a one-word translation that may miss the meaning entirely (I’m looking at you, Google Translate!).

The dictionary itself offers many resources for French learners and for French homework help. First, Larousse has a monolingual French edition so you can look up words and see their definitions in French. Larousse also has bilingual editions for many other languages. Larousse can translate words into English, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese and Arabic from French and vice versa.

In addition to its dictionaries,  Larousse offers a verb conjugator similar to that of Bescherelle. While it’s not as in-depth as Bescherelle’s, it gets the job done for quick searches of common conjugations. Further,  Larousse has an awesome encyclopedia to be used for French essays or other projects .

Finally, Larousse offers forums for people to post questions, which can be helpful if you’ve got a specific question about your French homework (more on getting those answered below).

Summary: Accurate online grammar and spell checker

For those who need a complete revision of French written compositions and not just simple word look-ups and verb conjugations,  BonPatron  is the holy grail! BonPatron  is an online French grammar and spell checker extraordinaire!

Let’s say you’ve been tasked with writing a paragraph or essay for your French course. You’ve looked up all the words you didn’t know and verified all the conjugations, and to be honest, you’re feeling pretty good about it.

But wait! Before you hand your work in, you should make sure everything is correct. Simply paste your French written work into the BonPatron  checker, and the service will find all your spelling and grammar errors for free. It’ll even give you necessary corrections as well as a small explanation for any mistakes you’ve made.

But it gets better: if the grammatical explanations don’t clarify the error for you,  BonPatron  also offers short tutorials on different aspects of French grammar.

Summary: Text and telephone connection to French Canadian speakers

Our first resource for personalized homework help is called  Alloprof,  a website from Québec that offers students a wealth of resources.

On  Alloprof , there are two services where students can connect directly with French educators to get answers to their questions or access personalized French homework help.

The first is called t exto  (text message) , a service where students can text their questions and receive text message answers. The second service is called  téléphonique  (by telephone) , where students can call in their questions and receive one-on-one, over-the-phone support.

Both services are available Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. That’s great because those are prime homework hours, but it can also force you to plan ahead (no last-minute homework help right before your morning class!).

Alloprof has a handful of other fun, independent practice tools , too.

You can access interactive exercises to help you review and practice grammar and vocabulary skills. Topics range from French grammatical explanations to history, science and mathematics.  Alloprof  also has a virtual library where students can access texts as well as a forum for students to communicate with other French learners.

This is perfect for asking informal French questions and getting answers from peers who may be studying the same material.

Summary: Excellent place to find good tutors and teachers

Verbling is a service that connects French learners to French teachers and tutors all around the world . If you’re stumped on your homework and need an expert to identify the learning block, Verbling is a super handy resource. Simply log on and pick a tutor that you like best.

All the language teachers are native speakers. You’ll find a short summary of the tutor’s specialities and get a feel for who they are personally. You can also access ratings from previous students so you can find the best educator to meet your needs. Verbling displays tutors’ rates right upfront so you know how much you’d be paying.

Verbling even uses its own virtual “classroom” set-up , where you can upload files and notes alongside a video chat. That’s perfect for quickly showing your tutor the class materials you’re having trouble with, or sharing your work so they can give you feedback.

Summary: Emergency help any time of the day or night

Like Verbling, 24houranswers connects French learners with tutors and teachers all around the world. 24houranswers has homework help for many subjects, but for French homework help, it focuses on the language at the college level , and as their name suggests, they’re available 24 hours a day .

Many of the tutors and teachers from 24houranswers are actual college professors or other education professionals . Their services include online face-to-face tutoring as well as written solutions. For example, you can submit a written assignment and receive feedback on the assignment—just be careful to leave enough turnaround time for your tutor, so you don’t hand in an assignment late.

In addition to their in-person support, you can browse their online library of previously solved French homework questions to see if your question has already been asked and answered.

Summary: Excellent dictionary and active online forums

WordReference is like your friendly online language buddy that’s perfect for French homework help.

It’s not just your regular dictionary–it’s like a language wizard that gives you not only translations but also cool explanations , real-life examples and even a forum where you can chat with others about tricky words.

So, when you’re scratching your head over that French assignment, WordReference and the many who are active on its message boards could provide the help you need.

Summary: Online forum where you can ask other learners questions

French Language Stack Exchange is like a cozy virtual cafe where French enthusiasts gather.

Imagine you’re stuck on a tricky French homework question—instead of feeling lost, you can pop into this online spot and ask for help. It’s not just a Q&A— it’s like having a group of friends who love French as much as you do.

They share tips, tricks and their own experiences, making those confusing parts of French class feel way less daunting. So, next time you’re puzzled, French Language Stack Exchange is the friendly table where answers and insights flow like great conversation. 

Summary: Easy to understand grammar lessons

Tex’s French Grammar is your friendly language mentor, ready to unravel the mysteries of French homework. Think of it as having a patient teacher who breaks down grammar rules into bite-sized pieces that make sense.

It’s not about dry lessons—it’s like having a conversation with someone who gets you. Tex’s Grammar doesn’t just throw rules at you—it explains why they matter and gives you examples that light up the “aha” moments. So, when French assignments seem like a puzzle, Tex’s French Grammar steps in to help you put the pieces together and ace that homework. 

Summary: Excellent and reliable verb conjugation charts

This site by popular French language newspaper  Le Figaro  is a great online resource for French students who are looking for help with verb conjugations.

It’s a super accurate conjugation tool that allows you to conjugate verbs in various tenses, moods and persons. It’s particularly useful for students who are working on grammar exercises or assignments that involve verb conjugations. You can enter a verb and see its conjugation presented in a clear and organized format.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Try FluentU for FREE!

Your call for help has been answered! Go forth and finish that French homework (with help, of course)!

FluentU has a wide variety of great content, like interviews, documentary excerpts and web series, as you can see here:

FluentU brings native French videos with reach. With interactive captions, you can tap on any word to see an image, definition and useful examples.

For example, if you tap on the word "crois," you'll see this:

Practice and reinforce all the vocabulary you've learned in a given video with learn mode. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning, and play the mini-games found in our dynamic flashcards, like "fill in the blank."

All throughout, FluentU tracks the vocabulary that you’re learning and uses this information to give you a totally personalized experience. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

French for Reading and Translation

• All upcoming dates
• August 28, 2024
• January 15, 2025
• May 14, 2025
• August 27, 2025

Upcoming dates (4)

Aug. 28–Dec. 11 All participants must be registered by Sept. 4, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. CT

Register through: September 04, 2024

All times shown in central time.

Group-paced Learn more about class formats.

$475; Graduate students $375

Cancellation Policy

• Cancel before the course opens: and receive a full refund minus a $25 administrative fee.
• Cancel up to 4 business days after the course opens, and receive an 80% refund minus a $25 administrative fee. No refunds after 4 business days.

Jan. 15–April 30 All participants must be registered by Jan. 22 at 11:59 p.m. CT

Register through: January 22, 2025

• Cancel before the course opens: receive a full refund minus a $25 administrative fee.

Event Dates/Times:

• 5/14/2025 12 a.m.–11:59 p.m. Central Time
• 8/27/2025 12 a.m.–11:59 p.m. Central Time

Register through: May 21, 2025

Aug. 27–Dec. 10 All participants must be registered by Sept. 3 at 11:59 p.m. CT

Register through: September 03, 2025

Gain the basic skills you need to read and translate French texts to English. Learn fundamental French grammar and vocabulary while translating texts from disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. This course is excellent preparation for a French graduate-level reading knowledge exam.

While no prior knowledge of the language is required, familiarity with common grammar terminology in English is highly recommended. Basic to high-intermediate French speakers can use the course to review essential grammar, build vocabulary and increase accuracy in translation. The higher the level French you have, the more you will gain from this course.

Using Celia Brickman's  A Short Course in Reading French (purchase required) , the course will introduce scholars to important grammatical concepts, reading strategies and important vocabulary for scholarly reading. Textbook available from various vendors.

With the aim of preserving the essence and integrity of the original text, you will become proficient at understanding, critically analyzing and accurately translating from French to English.

This course is open to all. You do not have to be a UW–Madison student to register. The graduate student fee is applicable to graduate students from any institution.

Note:  You will not be able to view the course on your Canvas Dashboard or access the materials until the course start date.

Course Overview

This course will give you systematic approaches to analyzing French text and the tools with which you can expand your understanding. Using texts from various disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, you learn the fundamentals of French grammar, how to use a dictionary and how to decipher the meaning of a text. You will learn how knowing certain grammar points, knowing how sentence structures work and knowing essential vocabulary words will give you the keys to understanding French.

How the course works

There are no video lectures or synchronous class meetings; the course material is text-based. On Wednesdays, new units will be posted. Most units are divided into two main parts: the study assignment (textbook) and the  written assignment  (selected translation practice). Several units also have quizzes and/or practice exercises for reinforcement. You will work at your own pace on the week's textbook assignments, quizzes and translations. These will be due on Monday of the following week. Your instructor will give you feedback before the new unit(s) are posted the following Wednesday.

Course objectives

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Read and understand, with the help of a dictionary, scholarly texts pertinent to their field of research
• Identify fundamental French grammatical structures and syntax
• Recognize essential French vocabulary words
• Increase confidence in translation abilities

Required reading

• Brickman, Celia.  A Short Course in Reading French , 2012
• French/English dictionary

Recommended text and study aids

• Morton, Jacqueline.  English Grammar for Students of French.  Olivia and Hill, 2002
• A notebook for vocabulary lists

Is this course right for you?

If you answer "yes" to the following questions, you are a good candidate for our online French for Reading Knowledge course:

• I am a skilled reader who is at ease with written instructions and lessons
• I am a self-directed learner, with the initiative to visit a course site regularly
• I am comfortable participating in a course in writing
• I can continue learning independently while waiting for feedback on assignments
• I am organized and able to meet deadlines
• I enjoy working on a computer
• I have 5 to 12 hours weekly that I can devote to this online course

If these statements do not accurately describe you, please consider taking a face-to-face class.

This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

Earn Continuing Education Hours

By participating in this class you will earn:

Explanation of Continuing Education Hours

Subject Area:

More french offerings.

• Basics of French Pronunciation More
• French for Reading and Translation More
• French 1 More
• French House Conversation More
• French 2 More
• View All French Offerings

Join our mailing list

• Name * first last
• Hidden List
• Please add me to your e-mailing list.

By submitting this form, you agree to receive marketing email from UW–Madison Continuing Studies. Read our privacy policy .

• Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Program Questions?

Contact Chris Moore at [email protected] or 608-262-7389

Registration Questions?

Email  [email protected] or call 608-262-2451.

Continuing Studies FAQs

Meet your instructors

(PhD, UW-Madison) has been teaching college-level French since 2008, after studying it at UW-Madison. She also used to work at the UW French House (a francophone residence hall and cultural center), where she was the Resident Assistant and (later) the Director. She believes that learning languages is one of the best ways to build a sense of community. As a teacher, she is passionate about offering personalized instruction and helping students discover new interests.

Sage Goellner

Sage Goellner (PhD, UW-Madison) is an associate professor of French and Continuing Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Fiona Rowe-Keefe

(MA, UW-Milwaukee) has taught French to all levels of learners since 2007. She currently teaches high school French, tutors at the Alliance Française de Milwaukee and teaches online adult learners. She has also taught Spanish and ESL. She enjoys teaching adults because of their dedication to learning and varied experiences.

What Attendees Are Saying

Great course, excellent instruction. Loved the materials. Adrienne Bosworth, PhD Candidate

The instructor went above and beyond. She was always super helpful and gave very prompt responses to questions. Karina Duncker-Hoffmann, College Instructor

This course was extremely thorough and very well organized. I am very pleased with how much I was able to learn in such a short amount of time. Jessica Staedter, Graduate Student

This online course has been fantastic and I've learned more [...] than I did taking four semesters of a traditional language course. Thank you. Lecturer, UW–Whitewater

I just got word that I passed my department's French exam! This course was really helpful and I will be recommending it to my colleagues. Graduate student, UC-Berkeley

The Instructor was great, provided very helpful material, and encouraged students to reach out with any questions they might have. Graduate student, Columbia University

I took your class last summer, and have taken up practicing again this summer with La Rochefoucauld . I started at the beginning of June and am already speeding up! I've even started reading a collection of letters to Rousseau about Julie , and I'm overjoyed to be able to conduct my research by looking at unmediated primary sources. I couldn't have done it without you — thanks so much! Visiting instructor of political theory

...not only has this French course been a kind of mental grace through these last crazy months, I feel enormous amounts of gratitude for you grace and flexibility to let me (and others) work through this at a slightly different pace. While, yes, I took this course to meet a requirement, as an avid reader of theory, the deeper we got into each chapter of translations, the more delighted I became by the texts I got to see in their original language. Actually has a hard time choosing what to translate for the Final Assignment because I'm so fond of so many of the great minds that authored the passages! FRT participant, summer 2020

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Common Writing Assignments

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

These OWL resources will help you understand and complete specific types of writing assignments, such as annotated bibliographies, book reports, and research papers. This section also includes resources on writing academic proposals for conference presentations, journal articles, and books.

Understanding Writing Assignments

This resource describes some steps you can take to better understand the requirements of your writing assignments. This resource works for either in-class, teacher-led discussion or for personal use.

Argument Papers

This resource outlines the generally accepted structure for introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions in an academic argument paper. Keep in mind that this resource contains guidelines and not strict rules about organization. Your structure needs to be flexible enough to meet the requirements of your purpose and audience.

Research Papers

This handout provides detailed information about how to write research papers including discussing research papers as a genre, choosing topics, and finding sources.

Exploratory Papers

This resource will help you with exploratory/inquiry essay assignments.

Annotated Bibliographies

This handout provides information about annotated bibliographies in MLA, APA, and CMS.

Book Report

This resource discusses book reports and how to write them.

Definitions

This handout provides suggestions and examples for writing definitions.

Essays for Exams

While most OWL resources recommend a longer writing process (start early, revise often, conduct thorough research, etc.), sometimes you just have to write quickly in test situations. However, these exam essays can be no less important pieces of writing than research papers because they can influence final grades for courses, and/or they can mean the difference between getting into an academic program (GED, SAT, GRE). To that end, this resource will help you prepare and write essays for exams.

Book Review

This resource discusses book reviews and how to write them.

Academic Proposals

This resource will help undergraduate, graduate, and professional scholars write proposals for academic conferences, articles, and books.

In this section

Subsections.

Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that they will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove their point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, they still have to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and they already know everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality they expect.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

Make a Gift

• Chair's Welcome
• Maison Française
• Pi Delta Phi
• Faculty Publications
• Links of Interest
• Affiliated Faculty
• Visiting Instructors
• Emeritus Faculty
• Graduate Students
• Faculty Service
• DEI Resources

Why Study French?

• What Can You Do With a French Major?
• Elementary and Intermediate Courses (FREN 1010- FREN 2320)
• UVA French Placement Diagnostic
• Course Placement
• Writing, Honor, and Community: A Guide for Compositions in French
• Undergraduate Advisory Council
• Career information for French majors
• French Summer Language Institute
• Prospective Applicants
• BA/MA Program
• Bridge to the Doctorate Program in French Studies
• PhD Program
• Graduate Reading Exam
• Graduate Handbook
• Graduate Job Placement
• Summer Program in Lyon
• J-Term in Paris
• Graduate TA Exchange Programs in France
• Graduate Study at the EHESS in Paris

Some people choose French because it is spoken in so many countries. Others enjoy exploring the rich literary, historical and cultural traditions of the French-speaking world. Some just fall in love. If you already chose French, you know your reasons. Here are a few practical reasons to study French you may not know.

• French is the language of the future.
• French is the second most useful language in the world for business.
• Studying French makes you smarter.
• French is one of the top ten majors most likely to lead to less unemployment and higher earnings.
• Studying in a French-speaking region makes you more creative.

Don't believe unsubstantiated claims? Read on for the evidence...

• Forbes reports that French is the language of the future, according to a study by Natixis investment bank projecting French will be the "most-spoken language in the world" by 2050. Read the article and think about the study's methodology, to see if you agree with the bank's analysis. Read article
• ABC News reports that according to Bloomberg Rankings, French is the second most useful language in the world for business. Read article
• Inside Higher Ed reports that French majors made far larger gains during college than students in other majors, in their writing, analytical, and critical thinking skills, as measured by the CLA (Collegiate Learning Assessment). Read article / Read analysis for possible explanations
• Newsweek reports a French major as one of the top ten most useful majors "according to science." " Useful, for our purposes, is defined by majors most likely to lead to less unemployment and higher earnings, and which are in industries projected to grow in the next decade according to research from Georgetown University and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Read article .
• Now more than ever, French speakers are in hot demand across all Peace Corps assignment sectors (Environment, Agriculture, Health, Business, Education, and Community/Youth Development), where French is considered a "scarce skill." Email [email protected] with questions, and check out www.peacecorps.gov .
• According to the US Census Bureau, French is the third most spoken language in the US other than English. See statistics
• Applicants for assistant professorships in French departments at colleges and universities regularly test the applicants' French language skills. If they are not good enough at speaking the language, they are not considered for the position. Read article
• NPR's Steve Henn highlights "Utah's secret weapon" for job creation: "Utah happens to have the highest percentage of foreign-language speakers in the country. It's the state's secret economic weapon.Every year, thousands of Mormon missionaries come back to Utah after spending two years abroad, learning a foreign language, foreign customs and intricacies of a foreign culture." Listen to story
• Robert Lane Greene, a business correspondent for The Economist, explains why he thinks French (not Mandarin) is the most useful language to learn for business. Read article
• Bilingualism makes you smarter, says new research reported in the New York Times . Read article .
• Learn French and protect your brain! Bilingualism protects the brain from age-related decline, reports the BBC, referencing a study published in the Annals of Neurology. Read article .
• There is an association between living abroad and creativity, say William Maddux, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD and Adam Galinsky, the Morris and Alice Kaplan Professor of Ethics and Decision in Management at the Kellogg School The longer the time spent abroad, the higher the scores on creativity tests, their study found. Read article .
• Why do foreign language majors make such gains in critical thinking skills, compared to other majors? In attempting to explain this, scholars at Kalamazoo College suggest that "second language learning might enhance competency in the native language as well as critical thinking and problem-solving skills [...because of] four attributes—metalinguistic awareness, critical reading, critical thinking and problem solving, and cross-cultural literacy—that receive explicit and regular attention in language courses and that may contribute to better performance on tasks like the CLA (Collegiate Learning Assessment)." Read article .

What's the opposite of Meaning of the word Words that rhyme with Sentences with the word Translate to Find Words Use * for blank tiles (max 2) Use * for blank spaces Find the of Pronounce the word in Find Names     Appearance ✓ Use device theme   ✓ Dark theme ✓ Light theme in French word for ? Here's a list of translations. la noun Use * for blank tiles (max 2) Use * for blank spaces noun bottom_desktop desktop:[300x250] go Word Tools Finders & Helpers Apps More Synonyms Copyright WordHippo © 2024 You are using an outdated browser. Upgrade your browser today or install Google Chrome Frame to better experience this site. French » Grammar » University Vocabulary in French Want to study in France? Here's a useful vocabulary list to help you! French vocabulary PauseContinue une université university la fac/faculté university / college un étudiant student (m) une étudiante student (f) universitaire academic / related to university un campus a campus une UFR (Unité de Formation et de Recherche) university department un amphi(théâtre) amphitheatre/amphitheater un cours magistral / un CM lecture Les travaux dirigés / Les TD tutorial classes / supervised practical work un travail de recherche research work, a research project un semestre semester un exam exam un partiel end-of-semester exam (university) un oral an oral exam un écrit a written exam une dissertation essay une thèse thesis / dissertation réviser to revise / to study for étudier to study (general) un diplôme a degree une licence Bachelor's degree / BA un master Master's degree un doctorat PhD / doctorate une bourse grant / scholarship une unité d'enseignement (UE) a course unit la bibliothèque universitaire / la BU university library / college library le restaurant universitaire / le resto U university canteen / college cafeteria une résidence universitaire student hall of residence / (college) dorm assignment translation | English-French dictionary assign , alignment , assignation , astonishment of trademark 'assignment' also found in translations in French-English dictionary report ; summons operator statement of receivables Edit the entry Delete the entry Add a suggestion Add comment ! Put in pending The numbers of these documents coincide, their assignment is automatic. Les numéros de ces documents coïncident, leur affectation est automatique. They're well beyond the scope of your original assignment. Ils sont bien au-delà de la portée de votre affectation initiale. The budgetary commitment for this assignment was € 210.000. L'engagement budgétaire pour cette mission a été de 210000 €. We adapt each assignment to the unique nature of the damaged documents. Nous adaptons chaque mission à la nature spécifique des documents endommagés. The customer is authorised to collect this claim even after assignment. Le client est autorisé à recouvrer cette créance également après cession. We are authorized to inform the debtor about the assignment ourselves. Nous sommes également autorisés à signaler la cession nous-mêmes au débiteur. Sign up to add your entry How can I create new assignments that encourage student use of AI? Integrating AI into assignments can enrich the learning experience and prepare students for future careers where AI is increasingly prevalent. Here are strategies to create assignments that encourage or require the use of AI in ways that promote deep and critical thinking: Critical analysis and reflection By incorporating critical analysis and reflection into assignments that require the use of AI, instructors can help students develop a deeper understanding of AI technologies and their implications. These assignments not only foster critical thinking skills but also encourage students to consider the ethical implications of AI in various contexts. Assign tasks where students critically analyze AI-generated articles, reports, or media for accuracy and bias. Engage students in discussions and writing assignments about the ethical implications of AI in various fields. Example prompts Analyze an AI-generated news article for accuracy and bias. Compare it to a human-written article on the same topic and discuss the differences in content and perspective. Write a reflective essay on the ethical implications of using AI  Research and data analysis By integrating AI into research and data analysis assignments, students can gain valuable experience in handling large datasets and extracting meaningful insights using cutting-edge technology. These assignments not only enhance students’ research skills but also prepare them for data-driven decision-making in their future careers. Assign students to use AI tools like Google Scholar, ResearchGate, or specific AI literature review tools to identify relevant research articles, summarize findings, and generate research questions. Have students use AI-powered data analysis software, such as IBM Watson, SAS, or even simpler tools like Excel’s AI features, to analyze datasets, identify trends, and draw conclusions. Use AI to conduct a literature review on a specific topic in your field. Summarize key findings, identify gaps in the research, and propose a research question based on your analysis. Analyze a dataset related to your course using AI-powered software. Present your findings in a report, including visualizations created by the AI tool, and discuss the implications of your results. Creative projects Incorporating AI into creative projects empowers students to explore new possibilities and push the boundaries of traditional artistic and design processes. By leveraging AI, students can unleash their creativity, experiment with innovative techniques, and produce unique works of art that blend human ingenuity with machine intelligence. Assign projects where students use AI tools like Adobe Sensei, DeepArt, or Canva’s AI features to create visual art or graphic designs . Have students use AI writing assistants like GPT-4 or Jasper to draft content, then refine and critique the AI’s output. Encourage the use of AI in video editing or music production, using tools like Adobe Premiere Pro’s AI features or AIVA for composing music. Create a series of digital artworks using an AI art generator. Write a reflective essay on the process, discussing how the AI influenced your creative decisions and the final outcome. Use an AI writing assistant to draft a short story or essay. Review and revise the AI-generated content, and provide a critique of the AI’s contributions versus your own. AI in real-world applications Assignments that explore real-world applications of AI enable students to bridge the gap between theory and practice, gaining insights into how AI technologies are shaping various industries and sectors. By analyzing case studies and researching AI implementations in specific fields, students can understand the potential impact of AI on society, economy, and individual professions. These assignments equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the evolving landscape of AI-driven innovation and contribute meaningfully to their chosen fields. Assign projects that involve using AI tools commonly used in specific industries , such as AI for medical diagnostics, financial forecasting, or marketing analytics. Have students analyze real-world case studies where AI has been implemented, discussing the successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Research a real-world application of AI in your field of study. Prepare a presentation that explains the technology, its impact, and the challenges encountered during implementation. Analyze a case study of an AI-driven project in a specific industry. Write a report on the project’s goals, outcomes, and the role AI played in achieving those outcomes. Simulation and modeling Assignments involving AI-driven simulations and modeling provide students with practical experience in solving complex problems and predicting outcomes in various domains. By using AI for simulation and modeling tasks, students can develop valuable analytical and predictive skills that are essential for addressing real-world challenges and making informed decisions. Have students use AI-driven simulation software to model scientific phenomena , such as climate change impacts or chemical reactions. Assign tasks that involve creating models of economic systems, social behaviors, or market trends using AI tools like MATLAB or R with AI libraries. Use AI simulation software to model the impact of different variables on climate change. Present your findings in a report, including a discussion of the potential real-world implications. Develop an economic model using AI to predict market trends based on historical data. Write a paper discussing the model’s accuracy and the factors that most influence the predictions. Collaborative projects Encouraging the use of AI in collaborative projects fosters teamwork, communication, and efficiency among students. By leveraging AI-powered collaboration tools and brainstorming techniques, students can streamline their workflow, generate innovative ideas, and collaborate effectively to achieve shared goals. These assignments prepare students for collaborative work environments and empower them to harness the power of AI for collective problem-solving. Use AI-powered project management and collaboration tools like Trello with AI features, Microsoft Teams, or Slack to manage group work and streamline communication. Assign tasks that involve using AI for brainstorming and idea generation , such as mind-mapping software or AI-based ideation tools. Work in a group to develop a project proposal using AI-powered collaboration tools. Document how AI facilitated your teamwork and decision-making process. Use an AI brainstorming tool to generate ideas for a class project. Present your top ideas and explain how the AI contributed to the ideation process. By creating assignments that encourage or require the use of AI, instructors can help students develop important skills and a deeper understanding of AI technologies. These assignments not only promote critical thinking and creativity but also prepare students to navigate and succeed in a world where AI plays a significant role in various professional fields. This content was developed with the assistance of Open AI’s ChatGPT. Faculty and Staff Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Excellence Guidance on ai. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds promise in improving higher education, offering both opportunities and challenges for universities. AI-powered tools can provide new learning modes, personalize learning experiences, and enable students to receive tailored support and feedback. Additionally, AI can streamline administrative tasks, enhancing efficiency and potentially reducing operational costs. However, the integration of AI also raises important questions about data privacy, ethics, algorithmic bias, and the need for faculty and staff preparation. Balancing AI’s potential and addressing these challenges is important, as the advent of these tools is already reshaping aspects of higher education. AI and Academic Integrity The UHM student code of conduct (IV.B.1.a) addresses “Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty.” It gives the instructor authority over defining unauthorized assistance, authorized sources, and specifically prohibited behavior in classes. For this reason, instructors are strongly encouraged to: Be specific about expectations and limitations on student use of AI in assignments, Hold students responsible for the accuracy of facts and sources used in assignments, and to Talk through scenarios with classes to provide clarity on expectations Syllabi and class discussions should make instructor expectations clear with respect to use of AI tools. UHOIC maintains sample statements for adaptation in a syllabus or specific assignments. Assignment and Assessment Redesign The widespread availability of AI tools creates both challenges and opportunities for instructors. Similar to the reframing required at the onset of digital calculators (at least for math and science instruction) and internet search engines, assignments and assessments may need redesign to achieve our learning objectives. Some useful redesign strategies are:  Instructors might consider Google Docs version history and/or draftback , a tool to record the writing process,  to review students’ writing progression. Versions of a document can be renamed to show stages of an assignment. Replace a writing assignment with an audio file , podcast, video, speech, drawing, diagram, or multimedia project. (make running to AI more work than it’s worth) Incorporate AI. Ask students to generate a ChatGPT response to a question of their own choosing, then write an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the response. Reference class materials or sources that are not available on the internet   Include visuals — images or videos that students need to respond to Connect to current events or conversations in your field Ask for application of personal knowledge /experience (Khan Academy’s, AI for Education ) Additional strategies include:   Employ authentic and contextualized assessments . Design to require critical thinking, analysis, and application of knowledge in real-world contexts. By tailoring assessments to specific scenarios or case studies, it is challenging for students to rely solely on AI for complete solutions Use open-ended questions that prompt students to demonstrate their understanding, creativity, and ability to articulate ideas. These are less likely to have direct answers generated by AI tools, encouraging engagement in original thinking and reflection Incorporate elements that evaluate the process students followed to arrive at solutions. This could include written explanations, justifications, or reflections alongside final submissions, demonstrating the individual thought processes and learning journeys ( UH Recommendations on Assessment) AI Resources for Teaching & Learning Many resources can be found in this annotated listing maintained by UHOIC , which includes sections on Accessibility, Assessment, References, Copyright, Educational Considerations, Ethics, Pedagogy, Classroom Policies, Prompting, Tools, and Supplemental Resources. UH Recommendations Learning About Generative AI Experts agree that generative AI tools are here to stay. Teaching and learning about AI is one piece of a need to assist students in learning appropriate 21st century digital skills. Like other new technologies, there are challenges and concerns that come along. Faculty and students are encouraged to experiment with AI tools while staying within legal and ethical parameters to the best of their ability. Proliferation of AI-integrated tools is predicted, and university personnel should be aware of policies and procedures that relate to the adoption of new technologies, including: EP 2.219 Student Online Data Protection Requirements for Third Party Vendors EP 2.215 Institutional Data Governance EP 2.210 Use and Management of Information Technology Resources And UH Approved 3rd-Party Online Tools   Photo by Hitesh Choudhary on Unsplash Français Español Intern - Tax for SDGs Initiative (multiple positions) Remote, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Type of Contract : Starting date :. 16-Sep-2024 Application Deadline : 25-Aug-24 (Midnight New York, USA) Post Level : Duration of initial contract :. From 2 to 3.5 months Time left : Languages required :. English   Expected Duration of Assignment : UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the knowledge frontier organization for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy and programme work, carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office (CO) levels, form a contiguous spectrum of deep, local knowledge to cutting edge global perspectives and advocacy. The UNDP Tax for Sustainable Development Goals Initiative (Tax for SDGs) supports developing countries in increasing domestic resource mobilization and achieving the SDGs. It is managed by the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS’s) Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH), with resource persons embedded in the SDG Finance Teams in Amman, Bangkok, Istanbul, Panama and Pretoria. Taxes are the key funding source for investments in achieving the SDGs. Tax policy can influence desired behaviors and help attract additional investment. In addition, taxes are vital to fostering a stronger social contract between the citizens and the state. Tax for SDGs has a particular emphasis on linking tax administration and tax and fiscal policies with the broader SDGs. As one of its workstreams, Tax for SDGs supports the implementation of the Tax Inspectors Without Borders Initiative (TIWB). TIWB is a joint OECD/UNDP initiative, sharing tax knowledge and skills through a targeted, real-time 'learning by doing' approach." Another initiative is the SDG Taxation Framework (STF) which helps governments in aligning their tax systems with achievement of the SDGs. Building on UNDP CO portfolios and already existing engagements with Ministries, Tax for SDGs further brings a stronger focus on the role of tax and fiscal policy in achieving the 2023 Agenda. It covers the following thematic areas: tax and gender equality, health, environment, extractives, energy transition, digitalization of tax administration, tax transparency, tax expenditures, evidence-based policy making. For more information, please refer to the Initiative’s event page: www.taxforsdgs.org/about and www.tiwb.org. Duties and Responsibilities Under the rules and regulations of the UNDP Internship policy, UNDP Tax for SDGs offers multiple internships; interns will work on global coordination, involving also regional, country office and thematic colleagues, communications, and support on technical work.   Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following: Support ongoing and upcoming program work related to Tax and the SDGs at the global level, with different world regions and countries. Support ongoing and upcoming program work related to Tax Inspectors Without Borders at the global level, with different world regions and countries. Provide management support (planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring, reporting etc.) for ongoing and upcoming work related to the STF, helping compile data and conducting data analysis, conducting research and literature reviews. Assist the Tax for SDGs team with the preparation, running, and follow-up of global conferences, meetings, draft meeting notes. Support the development of concept notes, briefs and talking points for key events and meetings. Support monitoring and evaluation, and drafting of presentations and reports. Attend, support organization, and summarizing meetings, conferences, and side events to strengthen strategic engagement with partners both within and outside the UN system. Support in project communication and outreach including drafting articles, blog posts, press releases, flyers, images, tweets, and social media content as needed. Competencies Technical / Functional Competencies: Good understanding of the 2030 Agenda and Financing for Development; Good understanding of tax/fiscal policy, tax administration processes, public finance reforms, and/or project management, and/or external and internal communications, design, public relations Ability to work flexibly and innovatively and meet tight deadlines; Good organizational, time management, and interpersonal skills; Attention to detail and ability to work independently and effectively; Strong social media skills (mainly Twitter and LinkedIn); Knowledge of web publication tools and photo editing tools; Excellent English-language writing, editing and communication skills: able to communicate clearly and concisely and to translate complex topics into simple language for a general audience; Personal Competencies: •   Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards; •   Demonstrates openness to change and ability to receive/ integrate feedback; •   Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues from different national and cultural backgrounds to achieve organizational goals; •   Establishes, builds, and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external partners and supports team efforts; •   Positive and results-oriented attitude. Required Skills and Experience Education:  Applicants to the UNDP internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements: Currently enrolled in a graduate school program (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) as a full-time student in taxation, economics, finance, law, political science, public policy, communications, and other related fields, OR Have graduated with a university degree (as defined above) and, if selected, must commence the internship within one year of graduation. Area of Interest/Experience Although applicants are not required to have work experience, relevant knowledge/experience will be a strong asset. A strong interest in the area of public finance/ fiscal policies/ taxation/ project management/ communications is required, which could be demonstrated by past work experience, education, or training; Proficiency in the use of software like Word, Excel, Canva and PowerPoint as well as digital collaboration and knowledge management tools; Knowledge of Mailchimp would be an asset. Fluency in both written and spoken English Language is required. Fluency in other UN languages is an asset. As of 1 January 2020, Interns may be given a stipend according to the UNDP Internship Policies, if is not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation, or scholarship programme; Interns who are not financially supported by an institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation, or scholarship programme, will receive a stipend in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations.  A stipend is intended to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, such as meals and transportation at the duty station, must be paid by the receiving office. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, passports, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of: (a) The nominating institution, related institution, or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or (b) The intern. UNDP full-time interns accrue leave at a rate of 1.5 days per month; During the internship period, interns are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of their internship with the UNDP and must provide a medical certificate of good health before starting the internship. Any costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship assignment will be the responsibility of the intern; The purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment within the UN System, but to complement an intern’s studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship. Selected candidates must submit   the following documents prior to being offered a Letter of Acceptance for Internship: A duly completed UNDP Internship Application Form; A signed UNDP Internship Agreement; Copy of updated CV/resume; Official letter from the university confirming current enrolment and graduation date or graduation certificate; Copy of passport/national ID card; A copy of his/her university transcript Letter of endorsement/recommendation from a Professor Proof of both Medical and Life Insurance which is valid for the duty station and covers duration of the internship programme Medical Certificate of Good Health Application Process Please upload your resume (not more than 2 pages), cover letter (one page), and transcripts as one PDF attachment. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply. UNDP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of color, gender, or any other status. The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names, and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web. 411 IMAGES SOLUTION: French Assignment SOLUTION: French assignment Class 7 French Assignments Download Pdf with Solutions French Assignment by Deven Mayes Writing Assignment 9 French Assignment 2 COMMENTS French Academic Vocabulary Very few university students will get an overall mention of très bien, and this distinction is typically reserved for at most the top 3% of students. Here's some more vocabulary to help you through the French academic setting: s'inscrire à l'université enroll in the university. faire un mémoire do a thesis. la résidence universitaire ... How to Write an Essay in French Before we get to the four main types of essays, here are a few French phrases that will be especially helpful as you delve into essay-writing in French: Introductory phrases, which help you present new ideas. French. English. tout d'abord. firstly. premièrement. Resources for academic writing in French Purpose of this document. This document offers resources to students writing in French at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It has been inspired by the recurring questions and issues encountered during consultations with students and it includes: Grammatical and vocabulary help. Advice on dissertation structure and dissertation writing. university assignment cedric-baillet.fr. Many translated example sentences containing "university assignment" - French-English dictionary and search engine for French translations. How to Write a Stellar Mémoire (French Master's Thesis) July 20, 2022. Pursuing graduate studies in France entails mastering all sorts of assignments, but perhaps none as daunting as the notorious mémoire, or master's thesis. Writing and defending a master's thesis is the cornerstone of many, though not all, French graduate degrees, making it a rite of passage for degree-seeking students in France. How to write an essay in French The first paragraph of your French essay should briefly introduce the topic and engage the reader. Here are some examples to help you write your essay: In recent years, the [topic] has become a hotly debated issue, with [brief outline of arguments]. The [subject] has been the subject of controversy for several decades, with [brief overview of ... PDF Writing in French: Tools & Techniques (intermediate) PAGE 4 Topics: The vocabulary for CVs in French, CV-writing techniques. SESSION 6 Biographies and autobiographies Activities: Identifying salient features of a text, writing one's own self-portrait. Topics: Autobiographical writing techniques; noun gender, descriptive vocabulary. SESSION 7 Stories Activities: Reading a story, learning how to summarize the main ideas. 5 tips on writing better university assignments Here are five tips to help you get ahead. 1. Use available sources of information. Beyond instructions and deadlines, lecturers make available an increasing number of resources. But students often ... French Homework Help: 10 Essential Resources So, when French assignments seem like a puzzle, Tex's French Grammar steps in to help you put the pieces together and ace that homework. 10. Le Conjugueur. This site by popular French language newspaper Le Figaro is a great online resource for French students who are looking for help with verb conjugations. French for Reading and Translation FRT participant, summer 2020. Gain the basic skills you need to read and translate French texts to English. Learn fundamental French grammar and vocabulary while translating texts from disciplines in the social sciences and humanities. This course is excellent preparation for a French graduate-level reading knowledge exam. university assignment translation in French university assignment translation in English - French Reverso dictionary, see also 'university, university degree, university education, Open University', examples, definition, conjugation Common Writing Assignments This handout provides information about annotated bibliographies in MLA, APA, and CMS. These OWL resources will help you understand and complete specific types of writing assignments, such as annotated bibliographies, book reports, and research papers. This section also includes resources on writing academic proposals for conference ... PDF Writing Your Assignment nment. Some people find it easiest to write the introduction first, whereas others leave it until. the end. Neither approach is right or wrong, so write the assignment in whichever order feels best. for you. The introduction might be up to around 10% of the word count (e.g. up to 200 words for a 2000 word ass. Understanding Assignments What this handout is about. The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms ... Why Study French? Here are a few practical reasons to study French you may not know. French is the language of the future. French is the second most useful language in the world for business. Studying French makes you smarter. French is one of the top ten majors most likely to lead to less unemployment and higher earnings. Studying in a French-speaking region ... assignment canadagames2011.ca. Many translated example sentences containing "assignment" - French-English dictionary and search engine for French translations. academic assignment extension o n an assignment, to being provided wit h an academic tuto r, to writing. [...] your exams in a quiet, separate room. acsm.ca. acsm.ca. Ce peut être n'importe quoi : un devoir repo rté à une date ultérieure, un. [...] professeur particulier, une salle d'examen individuelle, etc. acsm.ca. French translation of 'assignment' French Translation of "ASSIGNMENT" | The official Collins English-French Dictionary online. Over 100,000 French translations of English words and phrases. How to say assignment in French What's the French word for assignment? Here's a list of translations. French Translation. affectation. More French words for assignment. la affectation noun. allocation, posting, appropriation, affectation, allotment. la mission noun. University Vocabulary in French la bibliothèque universitaire / la BU. university library / college library. le restaurant universitaire / le resto U. university canteen / college cafeteria. une résidence universitaire. student hall of residence / (college) dorm. assignment translation in French The course has heavy reading assignments. Il y a beaucoup de lecture à faire pour ce cours. Translation English - French Collins Dictionary. See also: Collaborative Dictionary English-French. assignment. n. 1) la mission, 2) une attribution. university assignments in French Translation of "university assignments" into French . affectations universitaires is the translation of "university assignments" into French. Sample translated sentence: An universal assigning method for the networking computer to assign computer's address with full decimal algorithm ↔ Procede d'affectation universel pour ordinateur de reseaux destine a affecter une adresse d'ordinateur avec ... Former Cornell student sentenced to nearly 2 years for ... A former Cornell University student was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for threatening to kill members of the university's Jewish community last fall, according to the prosecutor's ... How can I create new assignments that encourage student use of AI? Integrating AI into assignments can enrich the learning experience and prepare students for future careers where AI is increasingly prevalent. Here are strategies to create assignments that encourage or require the use of AI in ways that promote deep and critical thinking: Assign students to use AI ... PDF Pre-class Written Assignment- 2024 Perkins Course of Study School writing project in this pre-class assignment, however, the other two books are indispen-sable to gain a good grasp of major features of early Christianity. We will discuss them in our class time together (in person and online). Read them with great profit. Wilken, Robert Louis. The Spirit of Early Christian Thought. Yale University Press, 2003. assignment at the university altran.ch. altran.ch. Many translated example sentences containing "assignment at the university" - French-English dictionary and search engine for French translations. PDF 2024-25 Faculty Service Institutional Animal Care and University Assignments FACULTY SENATE Luc Boisvert Nick Brody Gwynne Brown Megan Gessel Chris Kendall Jung Kim Jan Leuchtenberger Isha Rajbhandari Dan Sherman [F24] Aimee Sidhu Jason Struna Justin Tiehen [chair] STANDING COMMITTEES Academic Standards Johanna Crane Maggie Hayes Ben Lewin David Moore Alisun Thompson Alison Tracy-Hale [F24] Rand Worland Guidance on AI The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa provides guidance on artificial intelligence (AI) for its faculty, staff, and students. Learn about the ethical, legal, and social implications of AI, as well as the research and education opportunities in this emerging field. Explore how AI is used to study and conserve fish, marine ecosystems, and salinity changes in Hawaiʻi and beyond. UNDP Jobs Expected Duration of Assignment : 3.5 months. ... Excellent English-language writing, editing and communication skills: able to communicate clearly and concisely and to translate complex topics into simple language for a general audience; ... Currently enrolled in a graduate school program (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) as ... Columbia University President Minouche Shafik Resigns Columbia University President Minouche Shafik told a House committee that she was 'personally committed' to confronting antisemitism on campus. Photo: Ken Cedeno/Reuters Minouche Shafik ... assignment homework phd report resume review speech thesis