French (Minor)

Summary

Courses in French provide a grounding in the essential structure of language and foster practical communication while incorporating cultural learning. Small classes, close relationships with professors, multi-media technology, and interactions with native speakers encourage General Education students to speak, write, listen and read in French while gaining broad perspectives on the Francophone world. Majors and Minors refine their language skills and at the same time immerse themselves in the literature, history, film, art, and culture of the French-speaking worlds, in Baltimore, the United States, and beyond.

General Education Language Requirement

Native Speakers of English

Women’s College students of traditional age—first-year and transfer—may fulfill the General Education Foreign Language Requirement in one of three ways:

• AP Exam: Provide evidence of an earned grade of 3 or higher on the Advanced Placement Language or Literature exam
• Language Department Placement Exam: Place into the advanced level (301) on the language department placement exam. (These students may wish to satisfy the General Education Literature Requirement through a literature course in the foreign language.)
• Course work: Complete one course at the intermediate level (103, 233 or 234), preferably building upon foreign language skills acquired at the secondary level.

Students in the Women’s College ages 25 years and older at the time of matriculation, as well as students in the College of Adult Undergraduate Studies, may fulfill the General Education Language Requirement in one of two ways:

• Exam: Provide evidence of completion of one semester of foreign language study through the Advanced Placement Language or Literature exam or the CLEP test (available in French, Spanish and German through the College Board).
• Coursework: Complete one semester at the appropriate level (101,102,103 or higher).

Native speakers of English who are bilingual should consult with the Chair of the Language Department for guidance regarding the language requirement.

Language courses that satisfy the General Education Language Requirement are: 103, 233, 234 or any Latin course above the 102 level.

Non-Native Speakers of English

International students may fulfill the General Education Foreign Language Requirement in one of three ways:

• TOEFL Exam: At entrance, provide evidence of a score of 550 or higher on the TOEFL exam, or 213 or higher on the TOEFL: BT Test or 80 or higher on the IBT Test.
• Language Department Placement Exam: At entrance, score on the advanced level on all parts of the language department's English Placement Test.
• Language Department Placement Exam: Complete LEF-203, LEF-204, LCL-331 or LCL-332, based on the results of the English Placement Test.

Placement Testing

Placement testing will assure every student studies at a level consistent with her current abilities. Students at Notre Dame must complete one semester of foreign language at the intermediate level (103) or above. The sequence of foreign language courses offered is as follows:

101-102	Beginning Spanish I and II (do not fulfill the language requirement)
103	Intermediate Spanish I (Courses beginning at this level fulfill language requirement.)
233/ 234	Spanish for Oral/Written Proficiency
301-302	Advanced Conversation and Composition I and II

Placement result	Courses needed to fulfill the language requirement
101	101, 102, 103
Start a new language	101, 102, 103
102	102, 103
103	103
233	233
234	234

Students who have achieved a score of 3 or above on the Advanced Placement Language or Literature Test are considered to have fulfilled the language requirement. No additional courses are required.

Transfer students

Those who have studied a foreign language at the college level satisfy the requirement with one course at the intermediate level. Those students who have college level language credit must make this information known to their advisors! Since course numbering varies, failure to do so may result in taking the same course twice and being denied credit.

Foreign Language Major

Through language courses at NDMU and schools in the consortium, students study and demonstrate proficiency in two modern languages courses. This Major is highly recommended for those who want to become language teachers.

Requirements

       Forty two (42) CREDIT HOURS (14 courses)

       GRADE OF C OR ABOVE in all language courses in the Major

Checklist

       LFN 201 World of Language (Introduction to the discipline, taught in English)

First Language

       233 Oral Proficiency
       234 Written Proficiency
       301 Advanced Conversation & Composition I
       302 Advanced Conversation & Composition II

Second Language

       101 Beginning Language I
       102 Beginning Language II
       103 Intermediate
       233 Oral Proficiency
       234 Written Proficiency

Literature

       258 Readings in __________ Literature
       3__ Literature Course

Other

       358 Culture and Civilization
       450 Research Seminar

Options for 300 or 400-level courses

       ** prior departmental approval required**

       Consortium (Loyola, Hopkins, Goucher, Towson, Morgan)
       Study Abroad (strongly recommended)
       Internship or Teaching Apprentice (strongly recommended)
       Notre Dame Study Tour Abroad