French Degree Requirements
Carthage offers a major and minor in French. To earn a Bachelor of Arts in French from Carthage, students must complete the Carthage Core, Distribution Requirements, and the French major requirements listed below.
As with all language majors at Carthage, the French major is structured around a requisite study abroad experience. Students spend a semester abroad immersing themselves in real communicative situations to become culturally aware and linguistically proficient professionals in an interdependent world.
Required Courses (33 credits)
- FRN 2010-2020 Language Acquisition (8 credits)
-
FRN 3010 Language Acquisition (4 credits) *
* During the term in which this course is taken, students will take and be required to pass reading and oral competency evaluation 3010L. Passing scores on these evaluations are required before students can enroll in courses numbered 3080 or higher. - FRN 3010L Language Competency Exam (0 credits)
- FRN 3080 The French-Speaking World: Social, Political, and Economic Issues (4 credits)
- FRN 3090 The French-Speaking World: Cultural and Intellectual Life (4 credits)
- FRN 3110 Interpreting Written Texts in French (4 credits)
- FRN 4010 Senior Seminar in French (4 credits)
- FRN 4240 French Theatre OR FRN 400T Special Topics in French (4 credits)
- MLA 2200 Cultural Awareness Orientation (1 credit)
Also Required (12-16 credits)
- GNR 3510 Immersion Abroad (12-16 credits) *
* Students preparing to study abroad are urged to take MLA 2200 Cultural Awareness Orientation.
About the Immersion Abroad Experience
Majors are required to study abroad over one term in an academic setting in a country where the target language is spoken. Classroom instruction for all courses, regardless of discipline, will be in the target language. Courses taken at foreign institutions are usually recorded on the student’s Carthage transcript as GNR 3510. This is a global designation for experiential learning and courses that may be in history, economics, political science, linguistics, art history, or a number of other fields supporting the MLA major. When faculty of any department agree, a specific course taken abroad may be accepted in lieu of a course in that department and be so noted on the student’s transcript. Students are strongly urged to get such courses approved by Carthage faculty before taking them.
Prerequisites to apply for study abroad in modern language majors: MLA 2200, 3010, and at least one of the following: 3080, 3090, or 3110. In exceptional cases, approval may be granted for substituting two summers for the term. Students must get such courses approved by the Carthage faculty before taking them.
Required Courses (16 credits)
- FRN 2010-2020 Language Acquisition (8 credits)
-
FRN 3010 Language Acquisition (4 credits) *
* During the term in which this course is taken, students will take and be required to pass reading and oral competency evaluations. Passing scores on these evaluations are required before students can enroll in courses numbered 3080 or higher. - FRN 3010L Language Competency Exam (0 credits)
- FRN 3110 Interpreting Written Texts in French (4 credits)
Choose One (4 credits)
- FRN 3080 The French-Speaking World: Social, Political, and Economic Issues (4 credits)
- FRN 3090 The French-Speaking World: Cultural and Intellectual Life (4 credits)
At least two additional credits above FRN 3010.
In addition to the professional education sequence of courses and 12 credits of student teaching (both required of all students wishing to be certified as teachers), students seeking certification to teach French in Wisconsin must have a major or minor in the language and complete these three additional requirements before they begin student teaching:
1. Successfully complete Methods and Materials in Teaching Modern Languages (MLA 4200).
2. Complete at least four weeks of immersion in the target culture (see below).
3. Achieve an ACTFL proficiency level of “Intermediate High” or better on the oral proficiency interview and the written proficiency test (see below).
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction requires those seeking certification in a modern language to complete an immersion experience in the target culture. For modern language majors, this will be met by the required semester abroad. Modern language minors wishing to be certified to teach must document an immersion experience of at least four weeks. Students preparing to study abroad are urged to take MLA 2200 (required for majors). Students who wish to be certified to teach French in Wisconsin must take the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) oral proficiency interview and the written proficiency test and receive a rating of “Intermediate High” or better prior to beginning their student teaching. Students should contact the Modern Languages Department as soon as they have decided to seek certification in French in order to receive information about preparing for the exam. The exams are given by examiners who are independent of the College. These examinations are arranged by the Modern Languages Department and the Education Department and are paid for by the student.
Please see the department chair for details. Basic requirements for honors in a major include an overall GPA of 3.5 at graduation, completion of all requirements for the major, a formal recommendation by department faculty, a rating of “excellent” on the senior thesis by department faculty, and presentation of the senior thesis to an audience beyond the department.
Current students: You should follow the official College Catalog from the year you entered Carthage and work with your advisors and the Photography and Film and New Media Program director to ensure all requirements are met.