2.8
Quality4.0
Difficulty31%
Would Retake98
Reviews31%
Would Retake
98
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
22
4
14
3
15
2
23
1
24
What Students Say
“I am now a masters student studying to be a teacher & love to learn”
ENGL361 - 1.0 rating“He is the worst teacher I've ever had”
ENGL361 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
77%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.02 avg changeRatings by Course
FRENC101
5.0
(1)LINGU663
5.0
(1)ENGL663
5.0
(1)ENGL1
5.0
(1)FRENCH101102
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
FRENCH
5.0
ENGL569
5.0
ENGLI361
5.0
ENGL469
5.0
GRADGRAD
5.0
Reviews (98)
terrible.. lol. i struggled, i think he's a little to sarcastic and thinks everyone should learn and the same level... he made me feel stupid because i wasnt at the same level as the other students and i had a lot of tutors too... hmm...
You will really work for your grade in his class. Great sense of humor and makes a hard subject enjoyable.
He's not helpful or clear at all! I asked him questions concerning my major because he was assigned to me as my advisor. He told me that he could be of no help and wouldn't tell me who would be. He didn't know anything about generals either!
Ettien is a great prof--if you are willing to work hard. He is brilliant in linguistics. Don't take any of his classes if you are just looking for grades. However, if you really want to learn something take all that you can.
I thought he was a wonderful teacher. Definitely knows what he is teaching..probably becuase he is from a french-speaking country. Hard to understand sometimes, though.
Dr.Koffi is a very good professor. He is very smart in linguistics. You have to work very hard to get an A in his class.
He was an excellent teacher. He pushed me to do my best work and I learned a lot. His class isn't easy, but it was one of the few times at St. Cloud State that I felt like I was at a university and not highschool or technical school.
What a great prof! Cute personality, funny, good humored. His exams are hard, but he pushes you to learn, which is the whole point anyway. I've had three different French profs and he was my favorite by far!!
I greatly admire Dr. Koffi for many things including his seminary degree and his work in eagerly creating a language for his Ivory Coast people. However, he is tough. You must sweat blood for an A, but you definitely learn a lot (you can't help it, actually). :)
Very interesting! Knew so much about the topic. He had a lot of points I had never thought of before so I really enjoyed the class!
There are a lot of inconsistencies in info. that were provided both in the lectures and workbook. For tests, students have to do lots of memorization, which cannot be fully considered as learning. The prof's expectations to students is extremely high, and it's almost like unfair.
I think he was a great professor, but he expected us to have way more information coming into the class than most students have.
His classes are very difficult, but when I was done, I felt like I had learned a lot. Don't take a class with Dr. Koffi if you are not VERY interested in the subject, it certainly won't be an easy A.
If you take the prerequisite for the course, ENGL 361 this class is much more understandable. The class is very benefical in learning French.If you don't stay up on your exercises you won't do well in the class.My recommendation for the prof would be to have power points ready in a more timely manne
There are a lot of inconsistencies in info. that were provided both in the lectures and workbook. He went so fast!! Questions were never given a direct straight answer and 99% were left unanswered.For tests, students have to do lots of memorization and research, which cannot be fully considered as l
Extremely intelligent guy, I admire his determination in all he takes on. His humor really helps keep long lecture interesting. His passion for the Bible is contagious!
I beleive that Dr. Koffi, knows the info very well, he just doesn't know how to clearly teach it. The tests he write are pruely memorization and a lot of it; too much info is required to know for each exam.
The notes were not always clear: scripture references were not always accurate and questions were not well answered, but he is willing. He had good information, a lot of interesting facts and valuable experience.
The class was really intersting, assignments not too hard. This is one of the first professors that I've seen not wanting you to go over 3 pages on an essay. Overall the class was great, but sometimes I felt that he expected us to know more about the Bible than some students already did.
Very confussing professor. There is absolutly no clarity from what is read in the book and what he lectures on in class. This was a summer class, so we had to read 600 pages in a month, and memorize the whole thing for the final.
Koffi is a tough prof.- you have to really work for your grade in this class. Grades are based only on tests and the tests are not easy! They cover so much info. that you are forced to memorize it. His lectures and the book do not correspond with each other, and he doesn't like to give you straight forward answers to questions.
I took his Intro to African Studies class and it was a lot of fun. The 1st part with Nayenga was not the best, but when Koffi taught, it was really interesting. The tests weren't too bad. I liked that class alot.
Great class, Koffi is a wonderful professor and passionate about what he does. He might have a bad rap as being hard but he's really not.
Koffi is the worst teacher I have had. He can be a nice guy,and is a genius in his feild but he assumes to much and that kills the class. Also, I think women get far better treatment in his classes than men.
I have a huge amount of respect for Koffi. He is incrediably intelligent in his field, and loves teaching. He's a little tough, but not unbearable, and the challenge is part of what makes the class interesting. I would take a class with him again.
Awesome teacher! Very organized and explains lessons clearly! He gives you the questions to the test, impossible to fail. Just do the homework and study the questions! You have to work in this class, but it's hey it's college!
Dang, he's hot! Great teacher too. Highly recommend.
I took this class online and it was the hardest thing that I have ever done. The discussion board was NO help and the TA was usless...she never got back to me...EVER. The tests were impossible and took forever. I would NOT recommend him to anyone ever.
He can be distracted and absent minded, but he knows his stuff. This was also the very first class in this Phonetics and Phonology
The best professor ever. He is intelligent, has a great sense of humor, and loves what he teaches. I will highly recommend all his classes. I can't wait to take another class from him.
Awesome professor! Awesome online class. He participates on the discussion board. You have 30 hours to take exams. Answers are found either in textbook or workbook. Easy to get an A if you care to study.
I was afraid of grammar until I took this class. I never knew grammar could be this fun. We laughed in class a lot! We laughed at our mistakes. The atmosphere of the class was very relax. Anybody that can make grammar fun has my vote definitely. Prof Koffi is definitely knowledgeable, and not boring! I would recommend his courses, for sure!
Toughest class I've taken. So much homework that you won't have time to do your best for your other classes. Otherwise, he's funny, cute and you can tell he loves his subject area.
Take him 4 French! You go through 2 pages a day, no homework ever besides study vocab/grammer easy if u do that, quizes about once every 2 weeks. He's so nice,smart, makes really funny jokes in class- attendance is mandatory for pts, but the class is fun, cares about all his students, from a French speaking country. He's great!
He knows French (its his first language). But he moves a little too quickly for a beginner in French. I would recommend him as long as you don't mind moving very quickly. No homework, just to study.
He knows his stuff, but he's even more in love with his own brilliance than with the material. He assumes we know what he does, is not good about answering, and can be very rude. The books, which he wrote, are filled with mistakes and inconsistencies. I would never take a class with him again, and I have heard the same comment from others.
Hard class. He lectures out of his own written book the whole time. His tests are hard. Homework he is relatively light on. Not a very helpful teacher. Likes to make jokes in class but will also make fun of you for a poor response or a bad question. Heavy accent.
Good prof. I'd take another class from him.
he is a brilliant professor, st cloud should be proud of having him, very nice person to talk, demanding in his work, so for everybody who likes challenges and learn new stuff, he is just "the" professor in linguistic.
workbook he made to take notes makes class very clear and easy to study for. If you go to class and do the readings its easy to get an A
He is a very good teacher when it comes to getting you to learn. But when it comes to tests he is horrible. He says stuff will not be on the test, and then puts them on the test. Basically anything he says might not be true when it comes to the test. He sometimes writes quizzes that have 20 possible points, but you can get 30 points off? RIDICULOUS
Very unorganized and all over the place. Hard to follow and when you asks questions he purposely goes right by them ignoring what you said. He never responds to e-mails and his tests have stuff that he said wouldn't be on it. DO NOT take his class. You work your butt off to get a bad grade. Waste of time.
Dr. Koffi was very motivating. He made a lot of effort to keep us engaged in our online class. He contributed to discussions and responded quickly to emails. He definitely loves Linguistics and his excitement makes it easier to learn
Linguistics made interesting!
Dr. Koffi is someone that is passionate about Linguistics. I have always enjoyed his classes even though at times I found myself crying about the homework. Koffi wants you to learn and he forces it. It is almost a tough love feeling, but in the end I was proud that I made it through the class. He cares about his students if they care.
The better half of AFST 250. Just go to class, take the notes in the workbook, and study the review handouts and you'll ace his tests. He is very strict, but fair in his grading, and he's a respectable guy. Still wouldn't recommend the class though due to how horrible the first half with Nayenga was.
Passionate about what he does. Very good teacher although his tests are ridiculous and way over the top. Will push you to learn, but can be very inconsiderate to student's feelings.
He gets mad when you ask questions. He refuses to listen to you. He makes it so you can't even begin to understand the subject. No one in the class has a clue what he is talking about. He is the worst teacher I've ever had!!! Avoid at all costs!!!!!
Seriously, Don't take his classes!!!!!!
Professor Koffi is rude to students. There are several grammatical errors and spelling errors in his workbook and exams. He will not let students see the final exam because he uses the same one every semester. When I have asked him questions regarding the material he is unclear and not helpful. He should be fired.
Dr. Koffi is passionate about what he teaches. If you come to class, read the text, participate, do a -group- study sessions with the study guide that is word-for-word on the test, you'll get an A. Dr. Koffi just does not tolerate half-assed work. If you try to "get by", you definitely won't.
Dr. Koffi is a very difficult teacher, but if you go to class, it helps. He is a great guy and I would highly recommend his classes. However, if you are not a hard worker, do not bother. I have taken 3 Koffi classes and have done well in all. Be prepared to work and ask questions. Follow all guidelines in the syllabus and do study guides.
He is very passionate about what he teaches, but he is difficult to get in contact with outside of class. He directs everything to his TA. If you understand the material then you're fine, but if you don't, then you're pretty much on your own for figuring it out.
Dr Koffi is a great professor and an exeptional person. His classes are very difficult. I took 4 of his classes. If you have a group study, and u do your homework, and work very hard, you will do fine, if you don´t like to study or learn then forget it. I´ve learned a lot with him, totally recommed him as a professor. He is great for Grad students
Unfortunately, we must keep comments clean, which hinders my ability to express my total rage with this professor. This class is ridiculous---he's pompus beyond measure and unwilling to provide any sort of guidance to a student who recognizes they're having trouble at the beginning of the semester. If you want your GPA to survive, skip Linguistics.
I can't believe all these people complaining. I took 6 classes from Dr Koffi and got an A in every one (including one A+). You need to study, read the book, attend class and then study some more. This is a university, not high school. Put some effort into your work and you will be rewarded. Sure, he is tough, but he is also very fair.
It's not about people not studying; this professor is the most difficult I've had. I have always been an A student until taking his course (online). He will not answer questions, leaving you to automatically get a poor grade on assignments. Your GPA will definitely plummet so if you absolutely do not need this course, you're better off skipping it.
This professor is definitely passionate about what he does, but he can also be very arrogant. He has a good sense of humor, but my issue with him is that when you ask a question he acts irritated or makes some sort of a comment that immediately makes you feel stupid for being wrong.
If you failed this course, you didn't study. The coursework is difficult, but to help ease the pain, Koffi actually gives out the test questions a week before the exam. They are the ACTUAL test questions. He also grades homework based on it being turned in rather than accuracy. He is a good prof. Just do your work, after all you are in college.
The online class is an independent study. Don't expect any help from the prof or TA. If you ask you'll feel like you are pestering them. The audio lectures are good, but are posted on the homework due date or later. The workbook is full of errors. The topic is great, but the prof doesn't help you learn it. I got a good grade but no thanks to him.
I have such mixed feelings about this professor. He makes you feel stupid for answering questions incorrectly, which makes you want to talk in class even less. He was kind in other ways though, and was very patient and understanding with me. However, I didn't like how he didn't appropriately prepare us for his incredibly difficult tests.
If you value your GPA, don't take his intro to linguistics course online. You have little resources if you are lost, and unless you are a natural linguist, you will get lost. His tests are designed perfectly, that is, you will not be able to utilize the web for help, only the limited resources he provides.
VERY DIFFICULT. Tests are essentially memorization of fifteen pages of questions. Assumes you take Latin in high school and doesn't take the time to lay groundwork before jumping into difficult topics. I'll put up with it because I like linguistics, but others should take it with someone else.
A very smart man who can't teach to save his life. Doesn't understand questions, makes people look stupid in front of class, DOES NOT cover the basics before jumping into ridiculously difficult topics, and is extremely arrogant. His textbook is a horribly written dissertation of his that doesn't explain any concepts. TAKE WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
An extraordinarily intelligent professor who does not know how to share his knowledge. His course is presented in a confusing manner. Homework, textbooks, and tests contradict each other. Disappointing and demotivating.
I graduated from one of the top-ranked liberal arts colleges with a 3.8 GPA. I am now a masters student studying to be a teacher & love to learn. However, you do not learn in his class. Students approach him with concerns & he merely repeats what he has already said & does not offer clarification. Contradictory info in text, workbook, & tests.
People, do not pay attention to negative comments cause the people who wrote them are obviously slackers. The guy wants you to learn and understand the material, and you are already in college, that SHOULD BE the standard. He IS helpful, answers questions. If you feel stupid, you're provably not cut out for it. WONDERFUL PROF!
Intelligent linguist but does not teach.Course materials contradictory:workbook does not follow the lectures,he says just figure it out;he says DO NOT do tree diagrams with TP;then on the test he says ok,do TP;HE DOES NOT RETURN EXAMS,you don't know what you did incorrectly.He says do not email me with your stupid questions,I am not your tutor.
Koffi is a hard grader and expects his students to participate, do the homework, and read. If you do all of these and study for his three exams you will do fine. It's all about hard work in this class.
Hard class, hard tests, and hard work. Does anyone know if he curves the test scores? The average test score is a C - for the first test, so I hope so!
He enjoys belittling students & subtracting points from exams. He does not return exams, so students cannot learn from errors or check his scoring. He is too lazy to create exams, so he thinks he is prohibiting student cheating. HE DOES NOT TEACH; instead, he provides a text full of inconsistencies & students must try to teach themselves.
Lectures are long and have a lot of unnecessary information. Study guides are almost an exact replica of the exams. Classes are boring, tests are fairly easy if you go to the classes and memorize the study guide.
I'm a hard working student, and I found this class horribly hard. I felt like I taught myself, despite the fact that I bought the professor's textbook and listened to the lectures.
I'm taking this class right now. I feel like the quality of the class is very poor. The audio lectures are outdated and do not match up with pages in the textbook. The workbook that he has you get is honestly unnecessary. It's just a bunch of powerpoint slides printed out that don't match up with the lecture. I only learn from reading the textbook.
I took two classes from him. He is very intelligent in the Linguistic field, but he doesn't seem to be able to relate very well to his students. Most of my problems were from a lack of clear communication and misunderstandings because of cultural differences. If you take a class from Professor Koffi, make sure you clarify everything with him.
Recorded lectures are confusing and not helpful Do not waste 50 on his workbook it is poorly organized not helpful This material really requires much more in depth explanation hard to learn it from textbook Unless you need linguistics for your degree avoid just complicates the English language Maybe would be better to take class in person
excellent professor. He knows his subject. difficult class, but this is university! you need to work hard.
This professor is the go-to guy for linguistics knowledge. He is an encyclopedia on anything linguistics related. He keeps the classes interesting. My only grip is his communication skills. Often, his project requirements are vague. He doesn't mind answering a million questions about them, but it would be nice to not have to.
Makes you buy a $50 textbook that he wrote, it is NOT helpful, AT ALL. The first thing he graded was the first test, TWO MONTHS into the class. He has still yet to grade the rest of the work we've done. Ridiculous. Don't waste your time.
He makes you buy his "workbook" which is literally just his power-points printed off and put in a spiral binder. This was frustrating-as I don't understand why he can't just post them on d2l instead of making us buy them! Overall he is impossible to ask any questions to, and his exams are difficult. Wouldn't recommend...
Dr. Koffi's class was a huge waste of my time! He clearly knows a tremendous amount about phonetics and phonology, but I was seriously disappointed about the lack of useful information we received in sociolinguistics. I am currently a teacher trying to become a better teacher as I pursue my masters, but this course made me consider dropping out.
He is very knowledgable. The teacher requires that you buy the book, which is awful. The book is unhelpful as you must teach yourself anyways. He is often unwilling to answer emails in a productive manner that answer the questions addressed, which is essential in an online class. Teacher also has unrealistic expectations, even at a graduate level.
Worst professor ever.
The class itself is difficult, but Koffi is willing to help answer any questions. I suggest seeing him in person with questions rather than over email. I also suggest taking in-class rather than online because of the complicated material. He is passionate and hilarious. The dude also created the written language for his native language. Amazing.
Professor Koffi is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to linguistics and you can tell that he's passionate about it and enjoys what he does. However, sometimes he has trouble conveying it on a level his students will understand. Other comments talked about his workbook being extra and unneeded, but I felt as if the workbook helped immensely!!!
I have taken this class twice and it is very difficult. Professor Koffi loves his job and loves this subject. However, he can tend to be rude and comes off very stand offish. He is an amazing linguistics professor and knows what he's talking about. Just hard to communicate with. The workbook does include some things that he will not provide.
ENG664 is supposed to help teachers TEACH grammar, not for teachers to LEARN grammar. I felt it was more of an intro to linguistics class than a pedagogy class. The paper was a nice part to show your knowledge, however. The tests were a bit much, and I feel like I didn't really learn anything that I'll use out in the wild. Koffi as a person? Great!
Awful teacher. Will not answer questions; belittles and degrades students; more interested in making a name for himself as a published scholar than teaching.
Asynchronous course = extreme challenge. He is an expert in his field and passionate, but class is poorly designed, making it unnecessarily difficult and inefficient. Lectures were recorded 12 yrs ago & don't synch up w/ the wkbk or text. Text is dense & assumes a lot of prior knowledge. Google is your best friend for this class. Disappointing.
Weight-heavy exams and lots of discussions
Three exams are worth like 70% of your grade even if you do perfect on all of the homework and discussion is does not matter. The entire class is reading a book and answering questions. There was almost no engagement from him other than saying he doesn't do extra credit or late assignments. The book is hard to understand and boring.
I enjoyed this prof, I could tell he is a very driven person. I found my class (Bible as Lit.) to be decently easy, although I am a Catholic, so that could have been part of it. His class isn't like a lot of literature classes where you convince someone of an argument. The tests were very objective in finding the correct answers to questions.
The course isn't easy and requires significant effort, but the professor's enthusiasm for the subject is truly inspiring. He values hard work, and while his feedback can be pretty tough at times, it's always constructive. You WILL know what's required to know! If you put in the effort, you'll find that his grading is fair in the end.
Professor Koffi is knowledgeable, but his teaching materials can be confusing. The workbook is overpriced, and lectures don't always sync well. Try using unstuck ai and other resources alongside the textbook to succeed in this challenging but rewarding course.
Not a great communicator. Doesn't seem like a bad guy but often his instructions and due dates on assignments are contradictory and unclear.
We had to buy his book which was super expensive. Had to teach myself the material. He is obviously very knowledgeable and knows his material, but can't teach it effectively and left me confused and unsure at times. I tried to avoid him after my first class with him, but unfortunately a few of my major courses required his classes.
Not a bad professor but does not really encourage students at all. If you don't do required work on time then he will either tell you to drop out or you won't pass his class. You have to be able to at least pass the three exams, do all of the homework assignments, discussions and also reply to them. Not a hard course, just a lot of work to do.
We had to buy his expensive "workbook" which was just printouts of his powerpoint slides. Then, he posted 3 year old syllabus with old due dates. When I emailed him he just said "I don't know what you are talking about" and didn't fix it. What few emails I exchanged with him were always terse and condescending. Just trying to learn here.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
77%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.02 avg changeRatings by Course
FRENC101
5.0
(1)LINGU663
5.0
(1)ENGL663
5.0
(1)ENGL1
5.0
(1)FRENCH101102
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
FRENCH
5.0
ENGL569
5.0
ENGLI361
5.0
ENGL469
5.0
GRADGRAD
5.0