Academic Program

During the overseas orientation, students complete a placement exam to determine the French level appropriate to their language skills. Beginning French is taught by visiting faculty and is held at the ACCENT Center. Classes range in size from 20-25 students. Students can expect to be in class spproximately four hours per day, five days per week.

Students with no prior French may take either the beginning French course taught by visiting faculty or the elementary French course at the Sorbonne.

The following class is held at the ACCENT Center:

French 1: Beginning French (5 semester units - 15 hours/week)
This class will enable students to understand native French and to express themselves in basic situations. Emphasis will be on listening, comprehension, and speaking, with opportunities outside the classroom for reinforcement. This course is especially designed for students with no prior study of French who do not wish to take the immersion course at the Sorbonne.

The following classes are held in the morning at the Sorbonne:

French 1 and 2: Elementary French (5 semester units - 12.5 hours/week)
A class intended for students who need to review their knowledge of basic grammar, phonetics, and written and spoken expression. It includes 10 hours of small group phonetics work. It is taught entirely in French at the University of Paris, Sorbonne.

French 3 and 4: Intermediate French (5 semester units - 12.5 hours/week)
The class will cover and reinforce basic grammar as well as lead students into more advanced aspects of the language. Emphasis is on written composition and style. It includes 10 hours of phonetics work in the language lab and is taught entirely in French at the University of Paris, Sorbonne.

French 5 and 6: Advanced French (5 semester units - 12.5 hours/week)
With an emphasis on style, text study, and advanced grammatical analysis, this class includes 10 hours of small group phonetics work. It is taught entirely in French at the University of Paris, Sorbonne.

Students also attend the following French civilization lectures and optional French conversation activities offered once per week in the afternoon:

French 185: Directed Study (1 semester unit - 3 hours/week)
A series of informal lectures on French civilization taught by visiting faculty, designed to investigate the French culture through its art, architecture, and historical and political events through on-site lectures.

French Conversation (optional, non-credit - 1.5 hours/week)
This series of conversational activities enables participants to begin using French immediately in everyday situations and to develop practical vocabulary.

---