[FREN W1201] Intermediate French I

If you want to spent the entire semester in a class wrought with inexperience, go ahead and sign up. She seems incredibly nice and sweet, and does know french (you'd think that was just expected) however, she has no ability to impart that knowledge to students. Essay comments like "There's a better way to say this in french" will knock your grade down very quickly and when you go to ask her about it she'll say things like "well, yes, it's grammatically correct, but that's not how we say it in France" and you will stupidly inquire "Oh, how would you say that in France" and she will say "Oh, you just have to understand it to use it" Honestly. This class is the world's biggest waste of time. You'll learn nothing, and pass fail it out of frustration if you're even halfway worried about your GPA. She has no idea what she's doing so she pretty much asks the class what they want, no one agrees naturally, and she tries to cater to all of it, the department, and her own style. It's a mess.

Bingshu was an absolutely amazing professor. I took her 9AM section and she was able to keep everyone awake with her awesome energy and enthusiasm. She cares about her students and is very willing to give help either after class or by appointment; she's also really understanding about extensions. The classes were generally pretty casual, and she would always be thrilled when someone volunteered to speak in class -- she's really big on participation, so if you go to class and show a general interest in what's going on, it's not too hard to get a decent/good grade.

I have to say, I think Greet is borderline genius (and check your egos at the door because this class will most likely be quite the humbling experience) but the rest of us (specifically myself included) are not. I’m a literature/
writing major, no talent for foreign languages, possibly the same handicap another reviewer mentioned, but nonetheless with an enormous admiration and jealousy for those who do have it. My French tutor, also Belgian, picks up language fluency like colds, in fact I had no idea she was not a native Parisian speaker until she made a comment about translating from French to Dutch to English.

Either way, I sincerely had a chuckle, in identification with some frustrated reviews and a completely lost, FOREIGN alienation from others. I once did a radio show with a DJ friend and he said that the only people who call or write in are those that either love you or hate you. With that subjectivity in mind and the nature of these reviews, I never really planned on writing this—spell check please—
this is supposed to be Ivy.

Anyhow, that said, she has that inexplicable quality (in spades) that makes or breaks a professor, i.e. an ability that cannot be taught, to reveal and instruct, in an epiphany way. She is entertaining, charming and really quite stellar….but will that win you a grade on an exam…
not so much. If you are more advanced than you claim to be, which I suspect some GPA-saving fellow students are, then this is the class for you. Otherwise buyer beware…

I am an unsuspecting and naïve student, that schedules a course because of strict and stringent time constraints on my part. I study my ass of specifically because I am not naturally gifted in this area and plan on imminent graduate studies, or in other words and in all honesty, because I have to. But more times than not I experience that ‘deer in the headlights’ moment, feeling completely vulnerable and lost. Which is in fact part and parcel of the entire experience of learning a foreign language or travelling in a foreign country.

Yet, for all my enjoyment, and for remarkably the most gratifying and exceeding amount I have ever actually learned and walked away with from a language course, I feel there is a major disconnect between what I have learned and what I am being evaluated on. Even the collecting of workbooks, a minor twice-a-semester-
inquiry, that inputs information of effort into the grey area of the grading process would be a fair and justifiable point of reference. I am well aware that this is Intermediate French and that comes with many assumptions, some soft-skills accompanying the hard-
skills of language learning would be the icing on the cake.

Lest I ramble…If I had to do it all over again, I would take any of her courses (ideally a literature course because her talent and artistry lie there) but with more forewarning. Be prepared to kill yourself with (sometimes un-rewarded effort) assignments compared to any of your other course load…but as they say, ‘no pain, no gain.’ Will my GPA (that sacred ground) suffer, probably, but am I getting my money’s worth, hell yeah. She packs a punch, every class (regretfully including those missed) is a bang for your buck. She is the antithesis of the professor that goes through the motions.

This class was very stressful for me as I do not intend on pursuing French any further than I have to in order to fulfill the language requirement. I mean, seriously, my major is psychology. She is very thoroughand a good professor , but a bit much if you do not intend on continuing French or if you are not serious about it. There is a LOT of work: 3 composititions, 3 quizzes (with plenty of vocab you won't know), and a midterm adn final. She also assigns homework every night, and assigns little assignments that she thinks will be "fun" for us that se randomly thinks of in class. This class got annoying for me pretty quickly. But if you really want to learn the language and aren't just trying to fulfill the language requirement, than it is a good and thorough class, and I have to say, I did learn quite a bit.

I loved this professor! I know some people in my class really disliked her, but this was one of my favorites. She is engaging and funny and her strange methods really do work if you have an open mind. While I think it involved a little more work than the other sections, it was all useful.
We read interesting texts and had a fun writing assignment at the end of the semester.
Overall, I found it a very stimulating and rewarding class.

Awesome teacher. So nice and engaging. Her class is the best.

Gerrit is a good guy. He tries to keep class interesting and does a pretty decent job of it. He is fairly funny and easy going. I always felt bad if I had to turn something in late, but he was always fine with it, at least to a certain extent. I would recommend him, although I have yet to have a bad teacher in the german department.

Instructor O'Keeffe is by far my favorite teacher I've had at Columbia. He brings witty humor and dialogue to his discussions and really seems to care about whether his students are grasping the material.
Not only does he take whatever time needed to explain the mechanisms of the french language to the students, but he actually appears to enjoy his job as well.
I was disappointed that he won't be teaching Intermediate French II during the Fall 2005 semester, but if he were, I would not hesitate to sign up to partake in his wonderful class once more!

Mlle Dutoit (she goes by Annie) is a genuinely kind and lighthearted person. That said, she is not the most enthralling teacher. Classes are grammar-intensive and tend to drag on as it doesn't take very long for fill-in-the-blank worksheets to get old. Homework is minimal, but if you're searching for a class that will truly improve your grasp of practical French, this just isn't it. At semester's end, you may know the imparfait cold, but you'll have spoken hardly any casual French all course long. If you just want to get the Core language requirement out of the way, this class works just fine. Barnard language only meets twice a week, which is very scheduling friendly, but it might be in your better interest to look elsewhere.

I appreciated Dr. Gersten and his TA, Jeremy very much. They are a bit of a one two punch! Dr. Gersten is redundant to the book, which is very helpful to understanding and solidifying the basis of the material. He also is clear and it is obvious based on how he answers questions that he has a thorough knowledge of the material. Jeremy, the TA is obviously brilliant. He seems to have trouble keeping things simple as he seems to see the world of physics as all interconnected with one thing leading to another. It can get overwhleming as we are usuallyjsut starting to learn abotu this larger world of physics. However, this approach coupled with Dr. Gersten allows your mind to both be solid and stretched. I loved it - but some think I'm sick!

Basically, if you do all the practice problems and old exams your aok.

Andrea's a gem. While I've had a good experience with the French department, Andrea has been hand's down my favorite. She's fun and interesting and nice to a fault, so that no one is afraid to attempt conversation because she's encouraging and gently correcting. My French couldn't help but get better, and she genuinely wants to help you learn the material. Her classes were organized and she managed to present really difficult grammar in accessible ways so that, no matter what it was, I always understood it. She was approachable and friendly and incredibly helpful. My class was in the worst time slot imaginable-- TRF 6:10-
7:25-- but she made it worth it. I can't recommend her more highly.

this man is the shit. he is chillaxing out max with a british accent and partially unbuttoned shirt. it dont matter if you turn your compositions in late or re-take a quiz your stupid-arse failed. he is flexible and can bend it like beckham and loves french.

This was by far the best class I took this semester. After high school, I didn't really think that I'd enjoy French, and I was just taking this class to complete the Foreign Language requirement. But after finishing this class with Brian, my initial passion for French was revitalized!
Brian is such a cool professor! Although many may think that he is not organized, I tend to disagree. He first presents a topic, gives examples, practices with the class, and toward the end of the class day he has us split up into small groups and pratice what we've learned by writing a summary of a certain reading, or an original story in French using the tenses that he just went over. He spends a lot of time reviewing for even the smallest quiz, and especially dedicates several classes to reviewing for both the midterm and final. Brian is very flexible with due dates and extra help. He is always ready and able to assist his students, with much enthusiam. Plus, Brian's sarcasm and humor adds much fun to the learning environment. I would heavily suggest taking Brian's class...

Since I only have one more semester of French to finish myself, I am looking forward to having Brian as my professor once again. Because his class conflicted with my schedule this semester, I am waiting until next year to finish up my requirement for the sole reason of having Brian as a teacher again! The class was that great!

Best French class I have ever taken. Girard is very enthusiastic and easy-going, and really wants the class to be engaged and interesting. As a native French speaker, he is sometimes kind of unintelligable in English, but English is rarely spoken in class so that's not much of a problem.

I really think Bingshu is a wonderful teacher and if you are lucky enough to get into her section, you should stay. Although her Chinese accent is a litle daunting at first, she is a great teacher who is not only nice and funny, but very good at what she does. She made us typed up review sheets for every grammar topic we covered, so we basically had a review packet for each test and then the final. We also got to talk in class a lot (only if you wanted to) and you could talk about whatever you wanted... a TV show... just as long as you spoke in French. We also did other fun activities like watch movies and then make fun of the characters afterwards. She is definately the most engaging teacher I have had at Columbia and I really learned a lot. (gasp!)

I thought this class was really fun, overall. Charles is pretty funny, and he likes to keep everyone engaged in the class. You listen to music, watch movie trailers, and talk about different subjects in french all class. You definitely speak french alot. Also, you end up learning a lot of tongue twisters. And if you are even slightly good at french, you can pretty much guarantee that you'll get a B with little to no effort.
i'd definitely recommend taking this class.

Flora is pretty wacky. She often goes on random tangents in class that stray so far beyond the realm of Spanish grammar that you'll forget what class you're in, but you'll be having fun. Flora is always amusing and friendly, and your grade will be largely determined by how much you laugh at her jokes, engage in flattering conversations with her, and shower her with praise in class (whether or not that praise is in Spanish is usually irrelevant). If you want to work hard and learn a lot of Spanish, Flora is not the professor for you. If you want a ridiculously easy and fun way to fulfill your language requirement, Flora's your best bet. Be prepared to perform a lot of skits, and bring in food when you do class presentations if you want even more assurance of a good grade.

This was my first German class taken at Columbia. Irene is a very sweet lady - very understanding, but, in a very stereotypically German way (even though she's Austrian), won't accept things late, and MEANS it when she says she'll lower your grade if you have more than 3 absences.

Other than the responsibility of going to class, the class was very light. The homeworks were helpful (just enough to make you learn - not so much that it was excessive). Essay subjects were always presented with enough options to please everyone. Since Irene's teacher training I believe is for a younger audience, she does tend to speak a little slowly, but, the way I see it, you don't want a very fast speaker at this level anyway.

Overall, quite enjoyable. Nice way to get through German 1201.

Irene is a very personable professor and, if anything, not a harsh grader. She is also very enthusiastic. That said, however, you will feel at times that you are learning somewhat less than you want to. Also, some topics, especially at the very beginning and at the very end of the course (kids' tales and early 20th cent. musicians) tend to be on the boring side. And, at times you wonder if you are back in high (or grade?) school, since you write-in your name on attendance sheet every class.

Anjali is a great teacher, I should know, I've had so many courses with her! She is so available and excited to help her students succeed. Interesting assignments and fun in class activities tended to spice up the boring grammar stuff. French is hard and the language req can be a pain in the ass, but french with anjali can be rewarding and pretty painless. Come to class and do your work, that's all she asks.

GREAT teacher, if you've taken French before. She assumes you know certain things, which some complain about, but that's because this is INTERMEDIATE and not ELEMENTARY French. She is so funny and very approachable. She is very energetic and sweet, and loves participation. There's no way to mess things up, even if you're having a hard time. She practically gives you the answers to tests before and during them. She does everything in her power to get you an A.

If your french is out of this world and your knowledge of french grammar is over the top then this is the professor for you. If however, you have trouble learning languages, have any learning disabilities, or are just plain human then this is NOT the professor to be taking for french.
I could barely maintain my sanity with this teacher. Her expectations were unrealistic and unwarrented. She acted as though the class ought to have been light years ahead of its time. She would give us homework assignments and expect that we should know the material inside and out by the next day. Forget the fact that one might have three, four, or five other classes--she did not care and assigned bizarre amounts of homework and then barely explained any of it in class.
She was late everyday to not to mention that she did not post the homework until after 5:00p.m. and sometimes not until past 7:00p.m. It was even worse on weekends---class ended on a Thursday and homework would not be posted until Saturday and at times Sunday. It was crazy!
She was not the most approachable teacher and she often became frustrated with people in the class if they did not know what she was talking about, half the time we did know what she was talking about.
I could not take it anymore. Finally, I had to imagine I had been abducted by aliens who, sans the anal probe, were forcing me to learn french and would release me some time in December.
That is how I got through this class with this teacher.

Andrea is a gem. She's got a great presence in class and a sense of humor as well. Moreover, she is genuinely interested in the subject matter and her student's progress. Her classes are fast-paced, but always very engaging. Be prepared (as one other student as said) because from the start to the end of class, you will be speaking nothing but French. At the end of the term, you will be impressed with yourself about how much you've learned in Andrea's classes.

Vincent Aurora is the best professor I have had at Columbia in any subject. All these reviews say what I am saying, but here it is again: you will not find a better teacher anywhere. Funny, intelligent, dramatic, insightful, Vincent Aurora is a fabulous teacher. Don't worry about the grade you will get-- it will all work out ok in his class. The only problem is that everybody knows he's the best...consequently, his classes fill up immediately. Get in as soon as possible and rearrange your schedule for him if necessary.

Burton is a friendly old man, and he teaches well, and straight out of the book. He seems really friendly and engaging, although don't try to ask him about your grade: he gets that question all the time, and his response is to be a toughass about it. He does not believe in generous curves, which doesn't help in a class full of post-bacs. Take Tuts if it's at all an option, even if you can't make it to lectures, you'll get a better grade without a doubt.

MIght as well just memorize the assigned text chapters. He doesn't seem to have a whole lot of interest in teaching the class. Professor Tuts is hard, but he at least shows interest in teaching the subject matter and in the individual student.

Vincent is brilliant!!! He's absolutely hysterical. This class was very entertaining. He's soooo nice and he really wants you to learn. Also very generous in the grading.

Professor Postlewate is THE BEST!!!! If you ever have to take French as a language requirement, DEFINITELY take it with her. She is sooooo sweet, and she goes out of her way to help you. She has such a genuine interest in the subject matter, and she always tries to get students involved and interested. She even shows us movies! She is a very good and organized lecturer, and she goes over everything, which makes it a nice review for those of you with the background in French. She is extremely knowledgeable and is a great professor. Take this class!!!

To begin with all the reviews are accurate (including the one saying he is offensive). If you are considering his class here are a few pointers: attend class, do the homeowork, and stay on his good side which is easy to do. If you manage to do all this then the class will be cake, and you will learn. If you manage to fuck this up (coming from experience) the class will backfire on you, and your once seemingly easy class will turn into your worst nightmare making you dread every 4 days that you meet. I must admit he was my favorite teacher in the beginning, and even at the end will still recommend him to people (but remind them never to accidently name drop me cuz that would result in a failure by association). So good luck he is very nice, and respects a person with a sense of humor (but make sure not to laugh too hard).

Professor Postlewate is an organized and caring teacher who makes an effort to have all the students in the class understand and appreciate the material that she teaches. She is always open to questions and makes sure that the whole class grasps material before testing.

Anjali is a pretty good choice for those of us trying to get out of the language requirement. The class isn't particularly difficult, at least not more difficult than any other section... The only problem is that I sometimes find that I have a hard time concentrating because she's so attractive. Well, I suppose that's a decent problem to have.

Kaiama is a fabulous teacher. I was lucky enough to get her first semester, and signed up for her class again the next semester even though it was at 9am. She makes sure everyone understands the material, keeps in close communication with the students through office hours and email, and is a fair grader. Take her class if you can!