French

Professors O. Selles, J. Vos-Camy (chair)
Associate Professor V. De Vries

The French Department offers courses of study for students interested in careers in which a world language plays a key role, for those interested in teaching French at the secondary or elementary school levels, and for those interested in continuing work on the graduate level. Programs in the department include major or minor concentrations in French and major or minor concentrations in secondary and elementary education. Approved courses from Calvin’s Study in France program may be applied to the program of concentration.

Major and minor students are encouraged to consult the French Department website.

In order to qualify for the elementary or secondary teaching internship in French, all major and minors students are expected to pass, prior to the teaching internship, a departmental competency exam in addition to the competency exam administered by the State of Michigan. French education majors and minors must obtain a minimum score of 80% on the French Departmental competency exam. French education majors and minors are also required to take an external oral proficiency interview in order to be certified. A ranking of Advanced-Low on the ACTFL Proficiency Scale constitutes the minimum required level of proficiency. Directed teaching in French is available only during the spring semester. Students interested in the teacher education options should consult the Teacher Education Program Guidebook, available from the Education Department. To be admitted to the teacher education program, a student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 in the courses required for the major and/or minor.

Note: In order to obtain Advanced-Low on the ACTFL scale, students are strongly encouraged to participate in the French semester-abroad program or in one of the French interims abroad.

College Core Language Requirement

Completion of FREN 113 , FREN 202 or FREN 203 satisfies the college core foreign language requirement. Students who have not had any prior French may complete the foreign language requirement in four semesters by taking FREN 101 (fall), FREN 102 (spring), FREN 201 (fall), and FREN 202 (spring). Students may also complete this requirement in one year by taking FREN 131 (fall), FREN 132 (interim), and FREN 202 (spring). Students who meet the criteria for the Multisensory Structured courses may complete the requirement in one year with FREN 111 (fall), FREN 112 (interim), and FREN 113 (spring). Students who have had prior French may start with any course in a given sequence according to their ability as measured by the departmental placement exam, and comfort level. Students may also complete the requirement with the Study in France program. See below.

Other College Core Requirements

The cross-cultural engagement core requirement may be met by the department’s W60, W80 interim courses, or by the Study in France program (STFR) STFR 330 .
The core literature requirement may be met by FREN 351 or FREN 361 .
The global and historical studies core requirement may be met by FREN 362 /STFR 362 or STFR 363 .
The arts core requirement may be met by FREN 375 .
The integrative studies core requirement may be met by FREN 394 , FREN 395 or FREN 396 .

Study in France

Calvin offers an advanced language and literature program and a core language program in Grenoble, France. Through courses taught by the program director and those offered at the Centre Universitaire d’Etudes Françaises (CUEF) of the Université de Grenoble 3 Stendhal, students obtain 15 semester hours of language, literature, and culture credit. The Study in France program allows students to complete the core Cross Cultural Engagement requirement with STFR 330 and the core Global and Historical Studies with STFR 362 or STFR 363 . Students have the possibility of completing other core requirements depending on the courses they choose to take at the CUEF. FREN 301 and FREN 302 are prerequisites for the advanced program. FREN 351 is recommended.

Students with little or no previous French may complete the foreign language core requirement through the Study in France program. Students enroll in intensive language courses at the Centre Universitaire d’Etudes Françaises of the Université de Grenoble 3 Stendhal and live with host families. In addition to completing the foreign language requirement, students also fulfill the core Cross Cultural Engagement requirement with STFR 330 . Students obtain 12 semester hours of language credit and 3 hours of credit for STFR 330 for a total of 15 semester hours.

The advisor for this program is V. De Vries. The program is not offered fall 2016 and will be offered again in fall 2017.

Programs

Major

Minor

Courses

French