FRENCH Program

Department Statement

The study of languages gives students a sound foundation in the liberal arts. Graduates with language backgrounds possess a resource for continuing intellectual growth and personal fulfillment, a passport for moving easily within the world community and its diverse cultures and a practical tool for earning a living.

Programs in the department of modern languages concentrate on the acquisition of language and a knowledge of the culture that the language expresses. The department offers baccalaureate degrees in French, German and Spanish, as well as basic instruction in Japanese.

Special encouragement is given to students who wish to pursue a minor emphasis in modern language to support a major taken outside the department. With the changing population of the United States and the growing interdependence of the international community, career opportunities are expanding rapidly for graduates who know a second language. Second language competency has become highly desirable in teaching, government and social services, diplomacy, law and medicine, mass communications, science and technology and international trade and marketing. The programs in modern languages have the latitude and flexibility to fit nearly any career goal.

The department encourages students who wish to acquire proficiency at a "professional" or "near-native" level to spend time in the country whose language they are studying. Programs available through the Office of Studies Abroad give students a chance to master a language and learn more about the culture and customs, often while studying at foreign universities and living with local families.

French Placement Exam

In order to be placed in the correct French class, students must take the French placement exam.  The exam fee is $5.00, payable in the Payment and Disbursement Center, Administration Building, Room 211, prior to taking the test.  Bring the fee receipt and photo ID to the test, held in the  Technical Services Assessment Center (TS115)  Scoring is immediate.  Call to verify current hours 208-426-2762.

Modern Languages Resource Center

Located next to the Department offices in the Library, Room L144, the Modern Languages Resource Center provides state of the art, interactive lab equipment  to assist students in their language studies. Computers, TV/VCRs, satellite television, videotapes, audio tapes, CD ROM programs, video disc programs and word processing software enhance the language learning experiences. Students can access language newspapers, international bulletin boards and other internet resources. Most elementary and intermediate language courses require conversation practice in the resource center for which students pay an additional laboratory fee.

Credit for Prior Learning

Once a student enrolls in and successfully completes an language course beyond the 101-level with a grade of C or higher, he or she may petition to receive credit for all courses that are prerequisites to the course that the student has successfully completed. See the detailed explanation of Challenge Exams and Credit for Prior Learning.

FRENCH MAJOR

Bachelor of Arts

1. To begin the program for the B.A. in French, the student must demonstrate
   competency in French equivalent to the completion of elementary (FREN101-102)
   and intermediate (FREN201, 202, 203) French - 16 credit hours.
   Competency must be demonstrated by course work or placement/challenge
   procedures.
   
2. The program must be developed in consultation with a major advisor in French.
   
3. The student must demonstrate advanced levels of language proficiency by means of an oral proficiency interview administered as part of the senior seminar (FREN 498), which must be taken during the last year of the program.

French, Secondary Education Major

FRENCH MINOR  Cultural, Literary Emphasis

French Minor: Business Emphasis

French: Foreign Language Minor Certification Endorsement

French Course Descriptions

FORLNG - Foreign Language

FORLNG 340 TOPICS IN FRENCH AND FRANCOPHONE LITERATURE (3-0-3)(F/S) A focused study of French and/or Francophone literature in translation organized around a historical period, a genre, a movement, an author, or a theme.  Topics will vary each time the course is offered. Frequent writing assignments. Course conducted in English.  May be repeated for credit with PREM/INST.  Available once as an upper-division elective towards the French major or minor if writing assignments are done in French. PREREQ: ENGL 102.

FORLNG 410 APPROACHES TO FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION (3-0-3)(S) An overview of theories of language acquisition and of changing pedagogical practices in secondary foreign language education.  Examination of contemporary approaches to language teaching and competence, the oral proficiency interview, assessment techniques, syllabus preparation, development of lesson plans, and the integration of cultural components with the four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  PREREQ: minimum of six credits upper-division language or PERM/INST. PREREQ/COREQ: LING 305.

Lower Division

FREN101, 102 ELEMENTARY FRENCH (4-1-4) (F/S) These two courses provide the opportunity to develop functional competency in understanding, reading, writing, and speaking French.   Students will read cultural and literary selections and compose essays in French.   Format of the course: classroom instruction, conversation lab, and practice in the language laboratory.  Students who have had more than one year of high school French or its equivalent may not enroll in FREN101 for credit except by PERM/INST.

FREN 201, 202 INTERMEDIATE FRENCH (3-1-3) (F/S) (Area I) [FREN 201, FREN 202]. Further development of all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Intensive review of fundamentals of structure and vocabulary in a communicative context. Topics for conversation focus on Francophone cultures. Course conducted in French. PREREQ: FREN102 or equivalent as determined by placement exam and/or PERM/INST.

FREN 203 INTERMEDIATE FRENCH CONVERSATION (2-1-2) (F,S). Cultural readings from various disciplines and from a wide range of sources will serve as the point of departure for conversation and discussion as well as further refinement of linguistic skills. May be repeated once for credit. Course conducted in French. PREREQ: FREN 102, equivalent or PERM/INST.

Upper Division

FREN 303 ADVANCED FRENCH CONVERSATION AND COMPOSITION (3-0-3) (F) Expands ability in all four skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening with special emphasis on accuracy in the formal registers of spoken and written French. Offers analysis of grammar and expansion of vocabulary through cultural readings. Discussion of topics related to contemporary French and Francophone trends. Includes frequent writing assignments. Course conducted in French. PREREQ: FREN202 and FREN203 or PERM/INST.

FREN 304 INTRODUCTION TO FRENCH AND FRANCOPHONE LITERATURES (3-0-3) (S). Develops and expands composition and conversation skills through the use of literary terms and forms in French. A broad introductory course for students wishing to concentrate in culture and literature and for those students who will be teaching at any level. Includes frequent writing assignments. Course conducted in French. PREREQ: FREN 303.

FREN 307 FRENCH FOR BUSINESS (3-0-3) (F/S) (Alternate years). Introduction to the terminology and etiquette of business practice in the French-speaking world. Emphasis on appropriate vocabulary and structures for business letters and other forms of communication, including telephone, fax, and e-mail. Simulation of a commercial enterprise from beginning to end: creation, location, legal aspects, hiring, contracts, preparation of résumés, etc. Frequent writing assignments. Course conducted in French. PREREQ: FREN 303.

FREN 376 FRENCH CULTURE (3-0-3) (F/S). An overview of various aspects of French culture, including geography, history, social structure, art, music, science. The course will include readings, discussions, and frequent writing assignments. Course conducted in French. PREREQ: FREN 202.

FREN 404 SURVEY OF FRENCH LITERATURE (3-0-3) (F) (Alternate years.) A global survey of the forms and genres of French literature from the Middle Ages to the present. Analysis of literary texts and their socio-historical circumstances. Frequent writing assignments. Course conducted in French. PREREQ: FREN 304.

FREN 412 ADVANCED FRENCH GRAMMAR AND PRONUNCIATION (3-0-3) (F/S) (Alternate years). An intensive study of the formal written and spoken registers of French. Addresses the subtleties of French phonology, morphology and syntax. Also develops awareness of and sensitivity to the variety of spoken and written registers of French. Frequent writing assignments. Course conducted in French. PREREQ: FREN303.

FREN 420 TOPICS IN FRENCH LITERATURE (3-0-3) (F/S) (Alternate years.) A focused study of French literature organized around a historical period, a genre, a movement, an author, or a theme. Topics will vary each time the course is taught. Frequent writing assignments. Course conducted in French. May be repeated once for credit with PERM/INST. PREREQ: FREN 304.

FREN 430 TOPICS IN FRANCOPHONE LITERATURE (3-0-3) (F/S) (Alternate years.) A focused study of the literature of a Francophone region: North Africa, West Africa, the Caribbean, Quebec. The course will be organized around a historical period, a genre, a movement, an author, or a theme. Topics will vary each time the course is taught. Frequent writing assignments. Course conducted in French. May be repeated once for credit with PERM/INST. PREREQ: FREN 304.

FREN 475 FRANCE TODAY (3-0-3) (F/S) (Alternate years). An analysis of contemporary problems and events in France. Readings and discussions will be interdisciplinary, drawing from social, economic, political, educational, artistic, and scientific sources. Emphasizes the comparative study of French and American customs and viewpoints in their socio-historical contexts. Course conducted in French. PREREQ: FREN 303.

FREN 485 THE FRANCOPHONE WORLD TODAY (3-0-3) (F/S) (Alternate years). Topics in contemporary Francophone cultures, including recent historical background, and developments in society, literature, cinema and politics. Content will rotate to cover various Francophone regions, including 1) Quebec, 2) Maghreb (North Africa), 3) West Africa and the Caribbean. Course conducted in French. May be repeated once for credit with PERM/INST. PREREQ: FREN 303.

FREN 490 TOPICS IN FRENCH AND FRANCOPHONE CINEMA (3-2-3) (F/S) (Alternate years.) An advanced culture course using films from French and Francophone cultures for further refinement of linguistic and analytical skills. Topics will vary each time the course is taught. Film lab required. Readings will include critical articles on the films and/or literary texts from which films were adapted. Frequent writing assignments. Course conducted in French. May be repeated once for credit with PERM/INST. PREREQ: FREN 304.

FREN 498 SENIOR SEMINAR Selected Topics in French Literature and Culture (3-0-3)(F/S) Required of all majors.  Seminar discussion and individual research into areas of special interest, with attention to research methodology and presentation of a culminating project or paper. PREREQ: Senior standing or PERM/INST.

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