French

Q: What courses should be taken during the first year?

Students should start at the level they place into based on their total number of years of French study. Depending on their experience, this can be a language class or a more advanced course in literature or film, for example. Consult the Foreign Languages Placement Guidelines below. During their first-year students should consider CMLT 130: Studies in the National Imagination (offered Spring semester only).

Another option is an intensive one-semester beginning course (FRENCH 103) that builds on prior language-learning experiences. Students in these intensive courses have studied the material in the past but may have forgotten much of it. Since their purpose is to refresh knowledge, these one-semester courses move at a faster pace than the two-semester beginning courses. Click here to see French course availability.

Q: What courses should first year students steer clear of?

New students should steer clear of all 200-level courses offered in FL&L (including Comparative Literature). These are courses designed for students with advanced standing in one of the department’s majors.

Q: If key introductory courses are filled, are there good alternatives?

If specific language-level courses are not available, students wishing a French-language course should contact Professor Beth Gale or Professor Acosta Cruz, Department Chair. Given the specific sequencing of language courses, there are no alternatives to specific courses.