Section 2 Program Summary
Eastern Michigan University
French Major and Minor for Secondary Certification FA (printable version)

Eastern Michigan University’s Mission Statement

Eastern Michigan University is committed to excellence in teaching, the extension of knowledge through basic and applied research, and creative and artistic expression. Building on a proud tradition of national leadership in the preparation of teachers, we maximize educational opportunities and personal and professional growth for students from diverse backgrounds through an array of baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral programs. We provide a student-focused learning environment that enhances the lives of our students and positively affects the lives of our students and the community. We extend our commitment beyond the campus boundaries to the wider community through service initiatives and partnerships of mutual interest addressing local, regional, national and international opportunities and challenges.

College of Arts and Science’s Mission Statement

The College of Arts and Sciences at Eastern Michigan University has as its mission intellectual growth and the pursuit of excellence in the study and enhancement of the arts and humanities, mathematics, and the social and natural sciences. The College is composed of students, faculty, and staff committed to teaching and learning, to research and scholarship, to creative endeavors, and to public service.

Through these pursuits, the College seeks to enrich the lives of all its members and prepare them for service in the local, national, and global communities. The College seeks to encourage dynamic engagement with the arts and the humanities and pursuit of an even deeper understanding of the science and of physical and social life in all its forms and manifestations.

The College seeks to develop in all its members the ability and desire to think critically, to act independently, and to communicate effectively. Finally, the College seeks to foster an appreciation for diverse multicultural, ethnic, and gender-related perspectives.

a. Describe the philosophy, rationale, and objectives of the program and explain how the program is consistent with the philosophy, rationale, and conceptual framework of the unit.

In accordance with both the mission statements from the University and the College of Arts and Sciences, the French section of the Department of Foreign Languages and Bilingual Studies (FLABS) teaches French for its inherent humanistic value and for the impact it has in contemporary society, bearing the National Standards in mind.

The French section of FLABS is committed to the following goals:

1.      Offer courses based on the consistent development communication in interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes;

2.      Offer a variety of courses that will provide students with a wide and profound knowledge of the cultural diversity which exists in the French-speaking world;

3.      Offer courses in a manner that will allow students to participate actively in classroom and homework assignments while honing their linguistic skills and opening their horizons to new concepts, ideas, and cultures;

4.      Offer students the opportunity to experience first-hand the knowledge they have acquired in the classroom (internships, immersion program in France, and eventually finding a job using French);

5.      Allow students to grow intellectually while stressing commitment to excellence in teaching, critical thinking, effective communication, and public service;

6.      Offer courses which help students connect with other fields of study;

7.      Offer courses that will equip students to become active and productive participants in their community after they graduate.

b. Describe the sequence of courses and/or experiences to develop an understanding of the structures, skills, core concepts, ideas, values, facts, methods of inquiry, and uses of technology.

The beginning courses (FRNH 121-122), while stressing the development of communication in interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes, are culture-based and introduce students at a very early stage to both French and francophone cultures. This allows them to realize that although their primary focus is to learn French it is not done in a cultural vacuum, that there exists a wide world of possibilities for them either recreationally or professionally in which to direct their interests. Students have to work with audio abd audio-visual resources. Since our classrooms are Internet-connected, whenever appropriate or possible, the instructor is able to use these resources. Our textbooks also have companion CD-ROMs and videos.

The intermediate courses further develop the previously mentioned skills. Whereas FRNH 233 and 234 (Grammar, Conversation, Composition) focus mostly on communication skills, FRNH 221 and 221 (Intermediate French-Reading) focus on culture-related literary texts ranging from Molière to Maupassant to Prévert to Carrier to Yambo Ouologuem.

The variety of courses offered at the 300 level allows for greater use of technology in the classroom, and in some cases students have to do extensive searches on the Web. FRNH 341, 342, 343 and 361  are book-based, but 361 also includes a strong technological component, and in all the National Standards are stressed to one extent or another (for example Communication is stressed in all classes, Comparisons are stressed FRNH 334-Conversation. See Section 7).

At the 400 level, the same core concepts, values, methods of inquiry, and methods of technology are used. Here, student proficiency in all modes of communication allows for a fluent exchange of ideas and for in-depth engagement with cultural perspectives of the French-speaking world. Students have to read newspaper articles on-line, have to do extensive Internet-searches for their Civilization and Business, classes.

For a French Major in Secondary Teacher Certification, students have to take the following courses (see sections 10 and 11 for details):

FRNH 341: Survey of French Literature

FRNH 342: Survey of French Literature

FRNH 343: French Composition

FRNH 344: French Conversation

FRNH 443: Advanced French Grammar and Composition

FRNH 444: Advanced French Conversation

Six credits in French at the 400 level

Six credits in French at any level

Total: 30 hours

For a French Minor in Secondary Teacher Certification, students have to take the following classes:

FRNH 343: French Composition

FRNH 344: French Conversation

FRNH 443: Advanced French Grammar and Composition

FRNH 444: Advanced French Conversation

Eight credits in French at any level

Total: 20 hours

Although the section does not require that students take at least one Civilization course or the Phonetics course, the great majority of them take as many 400 level electives as they can rather than use 200 level courses to fulfill their requirements.

Since both majors and minors have to take the same core language courses (FRNH 343, 344, 443, 444), they receive the same amount of basic language training. All courses develop language proficiency, in particular the four above-mentioned core language courses.

In the past three years, Special Topics courses have included:

Les Régions de France, in which all major aspects of regional life are studied, including the economy, music, literature, gastronomy, geography, history and folklore. This course emphasizes the fact that culture is found in places other than Paris, and that culture is found outside of museums.

FRNH 466: French-Speaking Cultures of the World focuses on the great cultural variety that exists on all five continents (French counting system). It stresses colonial history as well as post-colonial history, and covers such varied topics as the role of women in society, the impact of a western culture on “traditional” cultures, local oral tradition as well as written literature and cinema.

FRNH 467 and FRNH 476 are more traditional since they focus on France and French culture. FRNH 467, which is a survey of French civilization from Lascaux to la Belle Epoque emphasizes the influence of the past on modern France and is designed to allow students to understand better the attachment the French have for values and institutions that Americans may consider outdated. In that class, they find out through their own research that the coexistence of the past with a highly technological present does not create a dichotomy in the French mind.

FRNH 476, which covers the 20th century also emphasizes the influence of the past on the present, and presents information on history, the arts, the constant interplay between intellectuals and society.

FRNH 523, Contemporary French Scene, provides students with ample information regarding the French everyday way of life, the prevalent attitudes in society as well as some more marginal yet commonly encountered social phenomena. In this class, comparisons between the U.S. and France are very often made since one of the aims of this class is to offer an in-depth analysis of today’s French world.

All our civilization classes are designed to expand our students’ knowledge of French society and of the French-speaking world, while challenging them to use their skills to expand their horizons and fostering in them a life-long interest in these topics.

FRNH 445 is a particularly important class in their learning process, since it gives them the exact, precise rules they need to refine their pronunciation.

Although FRNH 361 (French for International Trade) is often considered a stepping stone for FRNH 446 and 447 (Business French I and II), it is also helpful to our prospective teachers who can become familiarized with some basic business terminology, with basic computer and Internet terms. Students understand that this knowledge will benefit them in their own classroom.

c. Describe how candidates are prepared to utilize a variety of instructional approaches to address the various learning styles of students.

Throughout their course of study in the French section, students are exposed to a variety of teaching styles and approaches to the topics which are taught. Each professor brings to his/her classes the highest level of proficiency in the subject matter while striving to provide an example for future teachers. This includes allowing for students’ differences and individual needs (e.g., according extra time for students with learning disabilities, etc.), conveying clearly what is expected of them in different ways when necessary to help them realize that there exist different learning styles. FLAN 411 (Theories and Methods of Modern Language Teaching) helps them synthesize all this behavior which they have witnessed over a period of time, and gives them the formal in-depth knowledge and training required so that they, in turn, can perform these tasks in the classroom. See section d.

d. Describe any differences that may exist between elementary or secondary preparation to teach in major or minor area.or minor area.

Not applicable.

e. Describe how the program incorporates gender-equity, multi-cultural, and global perspectives into the teaching of the subject area.

From the very beginning, all courses include the above-mentioned elements, by the very nature of the topics taught. Our perspective is multi-cultural and global since we start including cultural reading on France and the French-speaking world at the 100 level and continue to add to this knowledge in every class. The idea of gender-equity and roles is also regularly talked about since genders relate differently in different parts of the world.

In that manner, students are constantly exposed to a multitude of perspectives.

f.  Describe how the program covers multiple methods of student assessment appropriate to content area.

Students are assessed on their proficiency in the four skills as well as on the specific topics taught in each class.  Their individual capabilities and limitations (learning disabilities) are also taken into consideration. Finally

Students are also encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities.

The Cercle Français, which meets once a month, offers a variety of activities such as French movies and conversations on topics of interest to them.

The French section also offers an immersion program abroad, which has been extremely successful since its creation in 1998. Students who wish to take part in the program spend 6 weeks in a language school in Brest (France), where they take culture-based language classes every morning (9 to 1). In the afternoon, they can participate in extra-curricular activities organized by the school. Such activities include athletics as well as local field trips. On some weekends they can go on longer field trips, such as Saint-Malo, Le Mont Saint-Michel or the Ile d’Ouessant. They all stay with a French family which maximizes their exposure to the language and the culture.  The groups have ranged from 8 to 16 in numbers and have all exceeded our expectations as far as the progress made by students in developing their language proficiency is concerned. Students may participate in this program at any level (200, 300, 400). They receive the equivalent of 6 credit hours and are allowed to enroll for an extra 3 hours of independent study if they so wish.

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