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Undergraduate French | Careers in French Quick Time Movie | Careers in French Power Point
Degree Program | Courses | Current Course Descriptions | Study Abroad
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French is recognized as one of the two major international languages of business and diplomacy, and as a dominant language
in Third World countries. Americans' limited knowledge of other cultures is a contributing factor to America's declining share
of international trade and influence in international affairs.
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Career Opportunities
Mastering a foreign language can give students an edge in finding fulfilling careers in government agencies, banking, companies
involved in translation, import-export, travel, computer science or any business with foreign contacts.
Students may add French to a major in the physical or social sciences, the arts or the humanities for purposes of research.
The number of teaching positions is also increasing as an awareness of the need for foreign languages in a global society
grows.
Curriculum
Four years of high school French or two years of college French are required to begin a major program. Normally, students
will have taken two to four years of the language in high school. Students who do not have high school preparation may take
elementary and intermediate French at BGSU, perhaps in the accelerated summer program offered in Tours, France, where it is
possible to complete four semesters of elementary and intermediate French in one summer.
The major curriculum includes courses in composition, conversation, phonetics, civilization, literature, film, and business
French. Students opting to go abroad may take courses in French art history, geography, history, philosophy, political science
and popular culture.
Students who want to teach French in elementary or secondary schools should pursue the bachelor of science in education program
with a major or minor in French. This program requires a series of professional education courses, field and clinical experiences
and supervised student teaching, leading to certification from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Students may fulfill the
student teaching requirement in Montreal, Quebec, as well as in Ohio. http://www.bgsu.edu/catalog/EDHD/EDHD37a.html
All programs in French require the completion of general education courses which cover such areas as speech, sciences, arts
and social sciences to provide a balanced education.
Special Features
BGSU offers Business French which gives students the chance to study administrative writing and commercial practices of France
and the Francophone world. Students may prepare for the examination leading to a certificate from the Paris Chamber of Commerce.
The Academic Year Abroad program in Tours, France, offers students the language and cultural benefits from extended residence
in a foreign country. The program is directed by a BGSU professor. Other faculty members are drawn from the Institut de Lorraine
and the Université François Rabelais in Tours.
Recognizing French as an international language and the growing importance of cross-cultural experiences, the department has
established a study program in Francophone Africa, in the country of Burkina-Faso. This opportunity includes a two-week study
module at the end of the spring semester in France and a three-week summer session. In both France and Burkina, students live
with families carefully chosen to incorporate students into the family life. Organized tours to various parts of the country
are also arranged. French Embassy on Culture
The French House
The French House at BGSU offers women a unique chance to live in a small residential community with other interested students
and speak French with the house supervisor, who is French. The French Club also meets in the French House and provides opportunities
for both men and women to participate in various social and cultural activities.
High School Preparation
Students who have taken two years of high school French usually have to complete two college courses in French before courses
count toward the major. Students who come to college with four years of language in high school can usually move directly
into the major.
Students should follow a college preparatory curriculum that included four units (credits) of English, three units of college
preparatory mathematics, three units of science, three units of social studies, two units of the same foreign language and
one unit of the visual or performing arts. Students who have not taken all these recommended courses may be required to take
University courses to make up any deficiencies.
Sample Program
Following is a typical program for a student pursuing a major in French and a minor in business administration. Variations
on the program given here are possible, particularly if the student does not spend one academic year abroad. The numbers in
parentheses indicate credit hours.
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First Year
English Composition (3-8)
Intermediate French (6)
Principles of Speech Communication (3)
Science and Mathematics courses (12)
Electives (12)
Second Year (in Tours, France)
French Composition and Conversation (3-6)
French Phonetics (3-6)
Geography of Western Europe (3)
History of France (3)
French Art (3-6)
French Politics (3)
Introduction to French Literature I (3)
Applied French Linguistics (3)
Contemporary Touraine (3)
French Civilization II (3)
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Third Year
Introduction to French Literature II (3)
French Literature: Advanced Studies (8)
Career French (3)
Elementary Statistical Methods (3)
Introduction to Management Information Systems (3)
Principles of Economics (6)
Introduction to Accounting (3)
Business Finance (3)
Fourth Year
French Film (4)
French Literature: Advanced Studies (8)
French Civilization I (3)
Translation Workshop (3)
Marketing (3)
Government and Business (3)
Introduction to Production and Operations Management (3)
Electives (6)
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