French Language Program Courses
Pre-graduation level
Novice French 904.710 (Level I - 5 hours)
Novice French is the first in a four-course sequence. In this course students learn the basic French structures through everyday content and situations, as they develop the four macro-skills in French: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students entering this course are classified as French language beginners, and are expected to achieve the Intermediate Low level in the ACTFL scale.
Intermediate Low French 904.720 (Level II - 5 hours)
This is the second in a four-course sequence in the SAIS French Program. Students expand their grammar and structural knowledge of the language, practicing their newly acquired language skills in real-life communicative situations and gaining confidence in using French. Students entering this course are anticipated to be at the Intermediate Low level in the ACTFL scale, and are expected to achieve the Intermediate Mid level.
Intermediate Mid I French 904.721 (Level III - 5 hours)
The Intermediate-Mid I French course is third in a four-course sequence. In this course, students are gradually exposed to more abstract French language learning experiences as they deal with topics that relate to their concentrations at SAIS. Students review the grammar and structures introduced at levels I and II.. Thanks to an expanded vocabulary and a focus on grammatical accuracy, students gain confidence in their ability to speak and write in French. In this course, students are also exposed to authentic material (through a variety of reading excerpts and video clips) and begin to develop strategies on how to understand complex reading and listening documents.
Intermediate Mid II French 904.722 (Level IV - 5 hours)
This course is the fourth and last course of the basic French program. At the end of this course, students are eligible to take the proficiency exam. In French Intermediate Mid II, students are asked to perform more complex tasks in the language (ie. narrate or defend an opinion at a paragraph length level). The content is primarily related to SAIS topics (ie. economy, environment). While the course gives the students the opportunity to practice the abstract functions of the language (ie. summarizing an article, debating ), it also focuses on more concrete aspects of the language (ie. how to write a cover letter; how to take part in a formal/informal conversation)
Post-graduation level
In addition to the Basic Program, the SAIS French Program also provides courses that are beyond the SAIS language requirement scope. These courses are provided at a higher level of proficiency or tailored to the students specific needs or interests.