French

French

Contact
Lourdes I. Torres, Ph.D.
Program Director
Madame Cadillac Building, Room 357
Direct: (313) 927-1363
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Programs Offered
Minor in French
Translation Certificate in French
Elementary Teacher Certification
Secondary Teacher Certification

French Overview

You will be interested in a French minor if you want to teach or work in a multicultural environment. A French minor can also prepare you for graduate school in many fields.

You will be interested in a French Translation Certificate if you have advanced French proficiency and plan to pursue a translation career. This curriculum will prepare you for the American Translators Association (ATA) certificate exam. You can also pursue this certificate if you wish to communicate more effectively in a multilingual work environment.

Specific Information
A French minor consists of 20 total credit hours. By completing a minor in French, you will:

      •  Gain broad knowledge pertaining to the history and culture of France
         as well as French Canada, Francophone Africa, and the Caribbean.

      •  Achieve competence in the four areas of language learning and  
         acquisition: writing, reading,understanding, and speaking.

      • Gain an understanding of topics such as the literature, history, popular
        culture, art, and social issues of the French-speaking world.

      • Apply what you have learned in the classroom by living in a French-
        speaking country, interning in a French-speaking environment, or taking
        part in a similar immersion experience.

The Translation Certificate Program
This program is a five-course sequence taught online that will provide you with training to translate from French into English. You will also gain some familiarity with oral interpretation, and you will have the opportunity to complete an intern­ship.

You can seek admission to the Translation Certificate program if you have completed at least third-year college French classes, or if you have native or near-native reading and writing proficiency in French and English. A placement exam and an interview with the Program Director is also required to complete the admission process.

Translation workshops are open to all qualified students, including native and heritage speakers. Enrollment in a degree program is not necessary for these classes.

Special Elements of the Minor

1. FRE 150 and FRE 151 can be used to fulfill general education requirements. Credit earned for FRE 150 and 151 cannot be applied toward a French minor.

2.   Advanced Placement and CLEP credit in French can be applied toward the elective hours needed to complete a minor.You can receive up to 12 hours of credit. A language proficiency exam is required to be placed in courses FRE 250 and above; this is administered by the Program Director.

3. If you are placed into FRE 350 Advanced Grammar and Composition, you must still complete the 20 credits required for a minor in French; you will not receive credit for FRE 250 or FRE 251.

4.   First-hand Language Experience. You will find that you will get the most out of your language program if you take every opportunity to speak French and to immerse yourself in French-speaking cultures. You can earn French credit while studying overseas through Marygrove’s Study Abroad program. Work and volunteer abroad opportunities, summer jobs, and work/study placements can also put you in touch with French-speaking people. To earn a French minor, you are encouraged to participate in an approved study abroad program in a French-speaking country, or approved equivalent.

French Course Descriptions

FRE 150 Elementary French I 3 hours
Term 1. General Education option
Introduction to the French language and culture using the four skills approach – understanding, speaking, reading, and writing – with an emphasis on communication.

FRE 151 Elementary French II 3 hours
Prerequisites: FRE 150 or placement. Term 2. General Education option
Continued development of basic grammar as well as oral and written communicative skills. Further exploration of French and Francophone cultures.

FRE 250 Intermediate French I 4 hours
Prerequisites: FRE 151 or placement. Term 1
Continued development of language skills, especially of vocabulary and idiomatic expressions for oral use. Further practice with reading and writing. Greater appreciation for Francophone culture.

FRE 251 Intermediate French II 4 hours
Prerequisite: FRE 250 or placement. Term 2
Continued development of language skills and multicultural competence. More advanced grammar, conversation, and composition. Reading of a variety of short texts.

FRE 310 Business French 4 hours
Prerequisite: FRE 251 or equivalent. Term varies
Practical guide to acquiring oral and written linguistic competence in French in a variety of business and work situations. Conducted in French.

FRE 320 Conversational French 4 hours
Prerequisite: FRE 251 or equivalent. Term varies
Development of oral language skills at the intermediate/advanced level. Conducted in French.

FRE 325 European Humanities 3 hours
Prerequisite: FRE 350 or equivalent. Term varies
European literature, expressive arts, and cultural values. Cultural impact of European colonialism. Conducted in French.

FRE 335 Caribbean Humanities 3 hours
Prerequisite: FRE 350 or equivalent. Term varies. General Education option
Expressive arts and cultural values of the Caribbean, focusing on the African Diaspora. Conducted in French.

FRE 360 Francophone Film 4 hours
Prerequisites: FRE 251 and ENG 108. Term varies.Viewing of several Francophone films. Students gain an understanding of Francophone film directors of great importance. Students also study the cultural background of the films viewed and discuss/write in French. Conducted in French.

FRE 347 Methods in Foreign Language Teaching and Language Acquisition 3 hours
Prerequisite: FRE 350 or placement. Term Varies.
Strategies for developing and implementing detailed lesson plans based on a diagnostic-instruction model for both developmental skills in language acquisition. First half of the course will prepare the student for field-based experi­ence. Peer, instructor, and self-evaluation of lessons.

FRE 350 Advanced Grammar and Composition 4 hours
Prerequisite: FRE 251 or placement. Term 1.
Advanced grammar, composition, and conversation based on a variety of cultural and literary selections from the Francophone world. Conducted in French.

FRE 351 Introduction to Francophone Literature 4 hours
Prerequisite: FRE 350 or equivalent. Term 2
Representative readings of Francophone literature, with an emphasis on twentieth-century authors. Conversation and composition, and advanced grammar review, conducted in French.

FRE 400 Principles of Translation 3 hours
Prerequisite: FRE 351 or equivalent. Term 1
Introduction to the Translation Certificate programs in French, Spanish, and Arabic. Survey of the main theories of translation and interpretation; methodology section dealing with the linguistic and cultural aspects of language transfer; professional component including an overview of career opportunities and current practices. Course taught in English. Taught online.

FRE 401 Translation Workshop I 3 hours
Prerequisite: FRE 351 or equivalent. Term 1
Translation of journalistic, commercial, legal, and scientific texts from French into English. Includes an overview of the French language and a contrastive analysis of the two linguistic systems. Also introduces the interpretation process. Taught online.

FRE 402 Translation Workshop II 3 hours
Prerequisite: FRE 351 or equivalent. Term 2
Continuation of Translation Workshop I. Also includes translations of contemporary literary excerpts from French into English and practice tests from the American Translators Association. Taught online.

FRE 403 Business Translation Workshop 3 hours
Prerequisite: FRE 351 or equivalent. Term 2
Translation of French business texts into English. Texts include printed and online promotional and informational material, as well as various types of business correspondence and transactions. Taught online.

FRE 488 Cooperative Field Experience 3 hours
Prerequisites: For translation, FRE 400, 401, 402, and 403; for other bilingual field experience, FRE 351. Term varies
Opportunity for supervised field experience and preparation of a professional portfolio.

FRE 491 Independent Study 1-4 hours
Prerequisite: FRE 350. Term varies
Enrichment of a regular course or research project.

Translation Certificate - French

Required Courses
Students must complete each of the following courses with a grade of B or better.

FRE 400 Principles of Translation
FRE 401 Translation Workshop I
FRE 402 Translation Workshop II
FRE 403 Business Translation Workshop
FRE 488 Cooperative Field Experience

French Minor

Required Courses
Students must complete each of the following courses with a grade of C or better.

FRE 250  Intermediate French I *
FRE 251  Intermediate French II *
FRE 325  Francophone Culture & Civilization**

               -OR-

FRE 335  Caribbean Studies

               -OR-

FRE 360  Francophone Film
FRE 350  Advanced Grammar and Composition**
FRE 351  Introduction to Francophone Literature**

*  These courses are counted as electives toward Teacher Certification

** Mandatory for Teacher Certification

Students must complete three additional credit hours, with a grade of C or better, from among the following courses:

FRE 310  Business French
FRE 320  Conversational French
FRE 401  Translation Workshop I
FRE 402  Translation Workshop II
FRE 403  Business Translation Workshop
FRE 488  Cooperative Field Experience
FRE 491  Independent Study

Students seeking Teacher Certification are required to complete FRE 347 Methods in Foreign Language Teaching and Language Acquisition before they take their state certification exam.

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