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2016-2017 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Bachelor of Arts in French

Requirements for a Major in French

Students majoring in French are required to complete 36 hours beyond the FRE 202 course, including the core curriculum courses (FRE 301, 304, 306, 307), and FRE 495. A student must have completed the core or be completing it the semester he or she enrolls in advanced courses. FRE 495 must be taken in the last year preceding graduation.

Upon successful completion of the core curriculum, students must elect one of three emphases: literature, linguistics, or civilization.

Literature Emphasis

For the literature emphasis, students must complete 9 credits:

Linguistics Emphasis

For the linguistics emphasis, students must complete 9 credits:

Civilization Emphasis

For the civilization emphasis, students must complete 9 credits:

Electives

In addition to the preceding, all students must complete four elective courses (12 credits) at the 300 and 400 level, at least two of which have a focus on literature. Students should take careful note of the prerequisites for their chosen courses. Elective courses should be pre-approved by a faculty advisor. Students can choose to have two emphasis.

Students seeking to pursue a graduate degree are advised to complete a minor or major in a second language. All majors (and minors seeking teaching certification) should complete a study abroad program.

Suggested Order of Coursework for a Major in French

Suggested order of coursework for students without prior language background:

Students entering GVSU with previous experience in French may start French courses at the 200 or 300 level, based on a placement exam, CLEP or AP credits, or consultation with a member of the Modern Languages and Literature department.

Requirements for a Certificate in Secondary Education

Students majoring in French Secondary Education are required to complete 39 hours beyond the FRE 202 course. Students must first complete the French core curriculum (12 cr): FRE 304, FRE 307, FRE 306, and FRE 301. Other required courses include FRE 314 (3 cr), FRE 355 (3 cr), three courses (9 cr) in their chosen emphasis (see below), and three or four electives at the 300- or 400-level (see Note below). Students must have completed the core or be completing it the semester they enroll in advanced courses. Finally, students must take FRE 495 in the last year preceding graduation.

In addition, students with a French Secondary Education major must study abroad in a French-speaking country for a minimum of one semester (12-15 credits in French at the 300- or 400-level) in a departmentally approved program. Courses taken during the study abroad semester may fulfill some of the courses required for the major. The semester abroad should take place after students have completed at least 2 courses (6 credits) of French at the 300-level. Students who cannot meet this requirement will need to complete an alternative plan approved by a French advisor. Students interested in pursuing a teaching degree in French are urged to meet with a French advisor as early as possible in their program.

It is a requirement of the Michigan Department of Education and Grand Valley's College of Education that teacher candidates achieve the Advanced-Low level on the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in French before student teaching. Information sessions on the OPI and the requirements for certification are provided regularly, but students should work closely with their advisor in French. Students interested in pursuing a teaching degree in French are urged to meet with a French advisor as early as possible in their program. Students planning to teach French are strongly encouraged to fulfill the study abroad requirement before attempting the OPI.

Note: If students choose the linguistics emphasis, for which FRE 355 is already a requirement, they will be required to take a total of four electives at the 300- or 400-level to fulfill the 39-credit requirement for the secondary education major.

French Secondary Education: Linguistics Emphasis

French Core Curriculum (12 credits)

Linguistics Emphasis (9 credits)

Additional Courses (6 credits)

Electives (12 credits)

Electives (4) at the 300- or 400- level: at least 2 in literature and one at the 400-level.

French Secondary Education: Literature or Civilization Emphasis

French Core Curriculum (12 credits)

Literature Emphasis (9 credits)

Civilization Emphasis (9 credits)

Additional Courses (9 credits)

Electives (9 credits)

3 Electives at the 300- or 400-level: at least 2 in literature and one at the 400-level.

Michigan Department of Education and Grand Valley's College of Education Requirement

It is a requirement of the Michigan Department of Education and Grand Valley's College of Education that teacher candidates achieve the Advanced-Low level on the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) in French before student teaching. Information sessions on the OPI and other requirements for certification are provided each semester. Students interested in pursuing a teaching degree in French are urged to meet with a French advisor as early as possible. Students planning to teach French are strongly encouraged to fulfill the study abroad requirement before taking the OPI.


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