Professor
Sara Melzer
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Most Helpful Review
One of the worst teachers in French Department at UCLA. Horrible french accent, horrible grammar. Not interesting and not interested in students. She reads the french aloud in class instead of the students. Completely disorganized, sometimes it was obvious she had not looked at the literature until that minute in class. She stands there asking for an explanation of something and after 6 people have tried and were wrong, she says "it's very simple." Well, obviously not. So boring, class seemed to last forever and then she would go over because she just stood there waiting for somebody to say something. Very unclear on what she wants. There is a midterm paper that is take home, but requires 3 papers and then a final that is the same. So hopefully you guess what she wants on the midterm which is so late in the quarter there is no chance to change your approach for the final.
One of the worst teachers in French Department at UCLA. Horrible french accent, horrible grammar. Not interesting and not interested in students. She reads the french aloud in class instead of the students. Completely disorganized, sometimes it was obvious she had not looked at the literature until that minute in class. She stands there asking for an explanation of something and after 6 people have tried and were wrong, she says "it's very simple." Well, obviously not. So boring, class seemed to last forever and then she would go over because she just stood there waiting for somebody to say something. Very unclear on what she wants. There is a midterm paper that is take home, but requires 3 papers and then a final that is the same. So hopefully you guess what she wants on the midterm which is so late in the quarter there is no chance to change your approach for the final.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2017 - This class is taught entirely in French. You do need the texts and should have them during class, but you don't need to buy them most of them are available online or at the UCLA libraries both in French and in English. There were three assignments. The first paper was actually two papers and each were about 1-2 pages and about different, but related topics. The second paper was a similar situation, but the two papers were each 2-3 pages long. The first and second papers needed to be turned in on TurnItIn and in class. The final paper was due the last day of finals week and only needed to be turned in online. The final paper consisted of only one paper that was 5-8 pages long. The workload was not bad though there was a fair amount of reading. The reading was very interesting (particularly in the second half of the class when Molière's plays were introduced). The number one part of this class was participation. Professor Melzer does not judge your French and actually seems to be more impressed with you when your French is not particularly good, but you attempt to participate. She is incredibly encouraging and very willing to help if you ask for it. She repeats stuff a lot in class to help everyone understand better. Ask questions when you don't understand and she will explain again. She smiles a lot, she's very kind hearted, and she seems to really enjoy teaching. Each class is much more of a discussion than a lecture and she really wants a lot of participation. It is a nice class if you like literature and discussion. It is a perfect, encouraging place to practice your French conversation skills.
Fall 2017 - This class is taught entirely in French. You do need the texts and should have them during class, but you don't need to buy them most of them are available online or at the UCLA libraries both in French and in English. There were three assignments. The first paper was actually two papers and each were about 1-2 pages and about different, but related topics. The second paper was a similar situation, but the two papers were each 2-3 pages long. The first and second papers needed to be turned in on TurnItIn and in class. The final paper was due the last day of finals week and only needed to be turned in online. The final paper consisted of only one paper that was 5-8 pages long. The workload was not bad though there was a fair amount of reading. The reading was very interesting (particularly in the second half of the class when Molière's plays were introduced). The number one part of this class was participation. Professor Melzer does not judge your French and actually seems to be more impressed with you when your French is not particularly good, but you attempt to participate. She is incredibly encouraging and very willing to help if you ask for it. She repeats stuff a lot in class to help everyone understand better. Ask questions when you don't understand and she will explain again. She smiles a lot, she's very kind hearted, and she seems to really enjoy teaching. Each class is much more of a discussion than a lecture and she really wants a lot of participation. It is a nice class if you like literature and discussion. It is a perfect, encouraging place to practice your French conversation skills.
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Most Helpful Review
Taken Fall 2010. I loved Professor Melzer and her material for the course, despite seriously considering dropping after the first lecture. That being said, if you are looking for a typical powerpoint/bruincast type lecturer, she is not the professor for you. Some have criticized her as being "disorganized". I disagree. She outlines her lecture points before each class on the board and goes through them all, time permitting. The time factors in not because she wanders on rants or rambles, but because she actually seeks real input from students. She really wants you to learn how to think through the material and learn to see multiple perspectives of the important issues she raises. She does know what she's talking about, but seeks your input. She does have high expectations for writing, due in part to the fact that she also teaches writing courses. When it comes down to it, just have her read over your paper and do what she says--she definitely looks for a certain type/style/format of writing. The good part is, if you ask, she'll tell you what she wants and how to achieve it. She also awards improvement in writing over time with more points. Also, unlike many French classes, she does not require in-class verbal participation. However, by the end of the quarter, each student had spoken because the atmosphere was more relaxed due to her friendly invitation (not requirement) to participate. In my opinion, one of the best classes and professors of my 4-year UCLA career. Requires some work, but definitely do-able. I would take Melzer again. One of the most encouraging and engaging professors!
Taken Fall 2010. I loved Professor Melzer and her material for the course, despite seriously considering dropping after the first lecture. That being said, if you are looking for a typical powerpoint/bruincast type lecturer, she is not the professor for you. Some have criticized her as being "disorganized". I disagree. She outlines her lecture points before each class on the board and goes through them all, time permitting. The time factors in not because she wanders on rants or rambles, but because she actually seeks real input from students. She really wants you to learn how to think through the material and learn to see multiple perspectives of the important issues she raises. She does know what she's talking about, but seeks your input. She does have high expectations for writing, due in part to the fact that she also teaches writing courses. When it comes down to it, just have her read over your paper and do what she says--she definitely looks for a certain type/style/format of writing. The good part is, if you ask, she'll tell you what she wants and how to achieve it. She also awards improvement in writing over time with more points. Also, unlike many French classes, she does not require in-class verbal participation. However, by the end of the quarter, each student had spoken because the atmosphere was more relaxed due to her friendly invitation (not requirement) to participate. In my opinion, one of the best classes and professors of my 4-year UCLA career. Requires some work, but definitely do-able. I would take Melzer again. One of the most encouraging and engaging professors!
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