2016-2017 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
French Minor
Requirements for a Minor in French
Students choosing French as a minor program must complete 22 hours of French beyond the FRE 201 course, including 202 or its equivalent and the French core curriculum (FRE 307, FRE 306, FRE 304, and FRE 301). Six credits of electives beyond the core must be completed at the 300 or 400 level.
Requirements for a French Secondary Education Minor
Students choosing French as a Secondary Education Minor must complete 24 hours of French beyond the FRE 202 course, including the French core curriculum (FRE 307, 306, 304 and 301), FRE 314, FRE 355 and two electives at the 300 or 400 level.
Required courses:
- French Core Curriculum:
- FRE 355 - Introduction to French Linguistics (3 credits)
- FRE 314 - Secondary Foreign Language Teaching Methods (3 credits)
- Two electives at the 300- or 400-level.
*Note: FRE 202 does not count toward the 24 credits for the Education Minor.
Students must have completed the core or be completing it the semester they enroll in advanced courses.
In addition, students with a French Secondary Education minor must study abroad in a French-speaking country for a minimum of one semester (12-15 credits in French at the 300-level) in a departmentally-approved program in a French-speaking country. Courses taken during the study abroad semester may fulfill some of the courses required for the minor. The semester abroad should take place after students have completed at least 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.