FREN 211 French for Professions I
Whether you want to work in a Francophone country one day, be able to communicate with French-speaking business partners, develop your intercultural savviness by understanding a foreign business context better, or simply read the press in French, this course is for you! Fren 211 is a general introduction to business French, that will provide you with the linguistic tools applicable to any French-speaking professional contexts. By the end of the semester, you will have a greater understanding of the economic, social, and political context in France, you will be able to communicate in both writing (e.g. CV, letters, emails) and speaking (e.g. negotiations, presentations) in professional settings, and you will have developed a better intercultural competence by exploring the cultural particularities of business norms and customs across national boundaries. After completing this course, you will have the opportunity to take an exam and receive one of the official certifications offered by the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de région Paris Ile-de-France: Diplôme de Français Professionnel (D.F.P.), Affaires. This diploma is recognized by major companies and schools around the world and will be a token of your professional competence in French. The exam will be held on campus.; participation to it is voluntary but very much recommended.
FREN 313 French for Professions II
The course, conducted entirely in French, emphasizes verbal communication in business professional situations through three components. First, a series of student’s presentations, in-class activities (using newspapers’ articles, technical readings, radio shows and films), and debates on the following topics (list not exhaustive) related to France’s economy and society. Second, as effective communication is based not only on linguistic proficiency but also on cultural proficiency, cultural differences mostly between Americans and French will be explored. Finally, throughout the semester, students will work in groups on the creation of their own business, association, or other organization and will be invited to present their project to the class at the end of the semester. On completion of the course, students will also have the opportunity to take the Diplôme de Français Professionnel – DFP Affaires (C1) administered by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
FREN 322 French and the European Union
This course aims to provide an understanding of the European Union as a complex entity: its history, institutions, challenges and future. After reviewing the history of European integration and learning about the Community’s institutions, common programs and market, we will consider a wide variety of themes important to Europe: economics, education, immigration, the environment, social issues, national and European identity, a Federal Europe vs a Europe of nations, European social/cultural models vs American liberalism, relations between the EU and the rest of the world. Considering the acute and ongoing challenges facing the European community, we will focus on current events and discuss issues that are critical to the EU in general and to France in particular. Students will be responsible for pursuing substantive research on these and other topics and participating actively in debates. This class will be conducted entirely in French and is designed to improve cross-cultural understanding and communicative skills in the presentational, interpretive, and interpersonal modes.