Program in French
Mais oui! French remains an important language for diplomatic and professional use … not to mention for sampling some of the best cuisine in the world! At North Central College, you can develop your French skills and become more knowledgeable about French-speaking areas around the globe.
Do you like lively classroom conversations and debates? You’ll get plenty of that in your French classes! Want to find additional ways to practice your French? Check out the services of the Language Resource Center.
You’ll also find plenty of informal opportunities to help you develop your French skills. We schedule language tables, le Cercle français (French club), field trips to French-related sites in the Chicago area, and community events. Spending time with exchange students from France and other francophone areas will help you build your language skills. Venez voir!
Every year we send several students on our exchange program to Angers, France, where they study side-by-side with French students at the Université Catholique de l’Ouest. It’s a great way to perfect your abilities in French, experience French culture and meet new friends. We invite all our French students to participate in study abroad opportunities.
Explore the French-Speaking World with us!
Since 2006, North Central French students have traveled to France and to Morocco with our faculty members in French. You can be part of the next group to go!
French, B.A.
For additional programs and courses in this department, see Modern and Classical Languages.
The French major consists of a minimum of 33 credit hours (FREN or FRST), at or above the 201-level. Of the 33 credit hours, at least 28 credit hours must come from courses taught in French (FREN) and five credit hours must be at the 400-level including
Note:
Students seeking teaching licensure must also complete the
Students must demonstrate elementary competence in a foreign language. For more information, see the
French and Francophone Studies, B.A.
For additional programs and courses in this department, see Modern and Classical Languages.
A major in French and Francophone Studies (FRST) consists of at least 37 credit hours, including:
French Language
Four credit hours taught in French (FREN) at the 300-level. *
Note:
*FREN courses leading to the 300-level apply to the Additional Electives category below.
French Studies Courses
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FRST 480 - French Studies Capstone Seminar
FRST 480 - French Studies Capstone Seminar
2.00 credit hours
Advanced analysis of a problem related to French and Francophone studies. Includes a portfolio consisting of a collection of documents including revised work from prior courses, and reflections on the student's growth as a French Studies major. Additional assignments may be included, but the portfolio must represent any two of the four communicative skills and then three artifacts demonstrating three different avenues of study of Francophone cultures. Finally, the portfolio includes evidence of the student's extracurricular participation in the French program. Required for the French Studies major. Taught in English.
Seven credit hours from the following:
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FRST 360 - Just Outside of Paris: Art, Literature and Life in the French Cités
FRST 360 - Just Outside of Paris: Art, Literature and Life in the French Cités
4.00 credit hours
Study of the life in the banlieues surrounding major cities in France, and the artistic and literary production that has generated in and about them since the 1980s. Readings will include selections from novels and autobiographies. The art forms examined range from murals to film and photography. Theoretical perspectives include post-colonial theories, literary studies, and insights from anthropology and sociology. Taught in English.
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FRST 364 - Masks and Markers I: French Identities Through Time and Place
FRST 364 - Masks and Markers I: French Identities Through Time and Place
2.00 credit hours
Examination of historical and geographic factors that have contributed to the creation of French identities historically, and their implications for today. Supports
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FRST 365 - Masks & Markers: French Identities Through Time and Place
FRST 365 - Masks & Markers: French Identities Through Time and Place
1.00 credit hours
Travel/Study course to France to explore and experience the role place has played over the centuries in the construction of French identities. Offered during May term. Taught in English.
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FRST 380 - Francophonia
FRST 380 - Francophonia
4.00 credit hours
A linguistic, literary, cultural, and socio-political analysis of selected countries and regions across the world where the French language is extensively used. Taught in English.
Additional Electives
Remaining credit hours from the following:
- French Language (FREN) courses
- French and Francophone Studies (FRST) courses not taken for the requirement above
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ARTH 100 - World Art Histories I
ARTH 100 - World Art Histories I
4.00 credit hours
Art history survey of visual art and architecture until 1400 CE. Geographic regions considered include the Mediterranean, Near East, Europe, Asia and Africa, emphasizing interactions between cultures.
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ARTH 102 - World Art Histories II
ARTH 102 - World Art Histories II
4.00 credit hours
Art history survey of visual art and architecture from 1400 CE through today. Geographic regions considered include the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa, emphasizing interactions between cultures.
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ARTH 302 - Modern Art
ARTH 302 - Modern Art
4.00 credit hours
Historical development of modernism in the visual arts and architecture 1870-1970. Emphasis on theory, research and writing.
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COMM 317 - Intercultural Communication
COMM 317 - Intercultural Communication
4.00 credit hours
A study of the basic components involved in intercultural communication. Topics considered include, but are not limited to: cultural biases, cultural determinants of experiences and backgrounds, social perception, verbal interaction, nonverbal interaction and opinion leadership.
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ENGL 370 - Sociolinguistics: Language/Social Context
ENGL 370 - Sociolinguistics: Language/Social Context
4.00 credit hours
The principles and methods used to study language as a social and cultural phenomenon, examined from the linguistic viewpoint—the search for social explanations for language use—and the social scientific viewpoint analyzing facts about language to illuminate social structure.
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HIST 258 - Early Modern Europe
HIST 258 - Early Modern Europe
4.00 credit hours
An examination of the cultural and social changes in the aftermath of the Reformation up to and including the advent of modernity with the French Revolution (ca. 1550-1792). Particular attention is paid to the tensions of a religiously divided West (which laid the ground for the witch craze) in the regions that experienced the greatest growth, expansion and influence during the period: the Netherlands, England and France.
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HIST 280 - Nineteenth-Century Europe: Sex and Mass Hysteria
HIST 280 - Nineteenth-Century Europe: Sex and Mass Hysteria
4.00 credit hours
An examination of Europe from the French Revolution to the First World War, with special attention to issues of gender and sexuality. Major topics include the relationship between French terror and patriarchy, psycho-social consequences of the industrial revolution, Victorian socio-cultural norms, British imperial ideologies and the impact of the First World War on gender roles.
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HIST 385 - World Wars of the 20th Century
HIST 385 - World Wars of the 20th Century
4.00 credit hours
This research seminar analyzes historiographical debates over the causes of both World War I and World War II, and the consequences of mass destruction since 1945. Major topics include how each war was experienced globally through European imperialism, genocide, Nazi-occupied Europe and the Cold War. Each student designs, researches and writes a historical essay related to major course themes.
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PHIL 235 - Existentialism
PHIL 235 - Existentialism
4.00 credit hours
An introduction to existentialism as a 19th and 20th century philosophical and literary movement. Authors discussed typically include Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, and Camus.
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POLS 221 - Comparative Politics
POLS 221 - Comparative Politics
4.00 credit hours
An introductory look at the concepts, ideologies, and methodology that define the field of Comparative Politics. The course will provide a comparative analysis of the various institutions of governance around the world and how those institutions structure state behavior. Comparative Politics seeks to understand different forms of government by comparing them to one another. We will also investigate key topics such as the state, political culture, ethnicity, nationalism, authoritarianism & totalitarianism, democracy, development, globalization and political violence.
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RELG 280 - Islam
RELG 280 - Islam
4.00 credit hours
This course provides an overview of basic Islamic beliefs and practices through an examination of Islamic theology as articulated in Islamic classical traditions and reinterpreted for today. The course analyzes the impact of Islamic beliefs and values on social and cultural practices, and on the formation of institutions, communities, and identities.
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RELG 350 - Gender and World Religions
RELG 350 - Gender and World Religions
4.00 credit hours
An analysis of feminist thought in various global religious traditions with a focus on the redefinition of traditional concepts, rituals and practices.
Note:
*With department approval, the following courses may also serve as electives:
- GLST courses focusing on French or Francophone areas
Note:
Students may not complete both the French major and the French and Francophone Studies major.
Students must demonstrate elementary competence in a foreign language. For more information, see the
FREN 101 - Elementary French I
4.00 credit hours Introduction to the basic structures of the French language and cultural practices, with emphasis on listening and speaking. Taught in French.
FREN 102 - Elementary French II
4.00 credit hours Continued introduction to the French language and cultures of the Francophone regions of the world. Language skills expand to include expression beyond the present tense. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 101.
FREN 201 - Intermediate French I
4.00 credit hours Development of reading, writing, listening and speaking skills at the intermediate level in the context of an exploration of the cultures of the French-speaking world. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 102.
FREN 202 - Intermediate French II
4.00 credit hours Continued development of reading, writing, speaking and listening skills at the intermediate level in French, in the context of an exploration of the cultures of the French-speaking regions of the world. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 201.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities.
iCon(s): Thinking Globally.
FREN 250 - French Composition & Communication
4.00 credit hours Communicative approach to develop written proficiency in descriptive and narrative prose. Attention given to awareness of rhetorical techniques and cultural context.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 202.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Writing Intensive.
FREN 293 - French Enrichment
1.00-2.00 credit hours Individual projects related to other courses that support the development of proficiencies in French. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): Instructor consent.
FREN 295 - Practicum
1.00-4.00 credit hours Students assist faculty with pedagogical or other projects in French. Activities vary according to the project needs and student background, but may include such work as the preparation of materials for language learning or assisting faculty through bibliographic research.
FREN 297 - Internship
0.00-12.00 credit hours
FREN 299 - Independent Study
1.00-12.00 credit hours
FREN 320 - French-English Translation
2.00 credit hours Study of translation theories and their application to the translation of texts between French and English. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 250.
FREN 325 - Survey of French Literature
4.00 credit hours A survey of significant works of French and Francophone literature. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 250.
FREN 326 - French Poetry
2.00 credit hours Analysis of the form, content and context of significant poetic works from French and Francophone traditions. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 250.
FREN 327 - French Women Writers
4.00 credit hours An introduction to the works of women writers from Medieval France to contemporary France and Francophone cultures. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 250.
FREN 330 - History of France
4.00 credit hours A survey of the development of French culture and civilization from its origins to the beginning of the Fifth Republic. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 250.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Humanities.
iCon(s): Experiencing Place.
FREN 331 - Contemporary France
4.00 credit hours The institutions and social structures of France from the establishment of the Fifth Republic to the present. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 250.
Cardinal Directions Designation(s): Social Science.
iCon(s): Engaging Civic Life.
FREN 370 - The Maghreb
4.00 credit hours A survey of the literature, theory and cultural production in French from the Maghreb. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 250.
FREN 390 - Topics
4.00 credit hours Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): FREN 250.
FREN 397 - Internship
0.00-12.00 credit hours
FREN 399 - Independent Study
1.00-12.00 credit hours
FREN 420 - Medieval French Literature
4.00 credit hours A study of authors and texts from various periods in the French Middle Ages. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): One 300-level french course.
FREN 430 - Contemporary French Novel
4.00 credit hours A study of the contemporary novel in France and its social contexts. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): One 300-level french course.
FREN 440 - Vichy France
4.00 credit hours A study of France under the Nazi occupation in World War II, including topics on collaboration, rescue and resistance, survival and memory. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): One 300-level french course.
FREN 480 - Capstone Portfolio
1.00 credit hours Preparation of a collection of documents including revised work from prior courses, reflections on the student’s growth as a French major and intercultural questions. Additional assignments may be included but the portfolio must represent all five skills and include evidence of the student’s extracurricular participation in the French program. Required for the French major. Taught in French.
FREN 490 - Topics
4.00 credit hours Prerequisite(s): One 300-level french course.
FREN 497 - Internship
0.00-12.00 credit hours
FREN 499 - Independent Study
1.00-12.00 credit hours
Faculty and Staff
We offer extra-curricular and international activities that will enrich your French language education
Sur le campus. At North Central we know you want opportunities to use your French in real-life situations. Le Cercle français (French club) meets weekly to sponsor activities related to French themes. In conjunction with our courses, we schedule occasional trips to take advantage of French-related sites in the Chicago area. Additionally, the presence of French-speaking international students provides you with almost daily opportunities to use your French on campus.
A l’étranger. Every year there are options to travel abroad and earn credit for North Central while studying in French-speaking environments. For instance, we send several students on our exchange program to Angers, France, where they study side-by-side with French students at a French university. It’s a great way to perfect your abilities in French, experience French culture, and meet new friends. In recent years we have also sent students to study in Sénégal, in West Africa.
A quick, short-term way to experience French or francophone culture is to participate in one of the travel/study programs offered during D-Term. These are short, focused courses led by French professors to allow you to develop your understanding of cultural topics on site. Recent trips have gone to France and to Morocco! Venez avec nous!