If you wish to attain proficiency in French and you’re fascinated with the French culture, you’ll appreciate this degree program which will increase your personal interactions and will lead to a wide array of careers and possibilities. With on-campus courses focusing on acquiring linguistic and cultural skills and a required Study Abroad program, you will engage in personal interactions and discover French civilization first-hand. You will also have the opportunity to develop a dynamic Christian worldview as you encounter differing cultural values and beliefs.
The French major is designed to equip students to interact in authentic situations in the French language and to live intentionally as global citizens. The major focuses primarily on proficiency, specifically developing listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills as well as cultural awareness. Through the Study Abroad program, students will be enrolled in advanced French and civilization courses in one of Grace College’s member institutions in France and have opportunity to apply their faith in the context of the French culture.
FRE101–102 Beginning French Language and Culture I and II
Students are put in the presence of authentic, unsimplified French and are trained to use it in the dynamic context of communication. The emphasis is placed on oral proficiency, the development of skills, self-expression and cultural insight.
FRE201–202 Intermediate French Language and Culture I and II
Continuation of language study advancing students toward comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing while gaining a deeper appreciation for the francophone culture, language, and people.
FRE205 French Conversation
This is an advanced proficiency-based approach to oral skill development. Students speak the language in a range of contexts likely to be encountered in the francophone culture, carrying out a range of functions likely to be necessary in dealing with others in the francophone culture. Students are exposed to a repertoire of methods or techniques of speech in order to increase sociolinguistic competence.
FRE210 Advanced Communication and Civilization
This course provides a link between basic language work done thus far and the increasingly diversified advanced work students will encounter overseas. The class focuses on underlying currents of the evolution of French culture. Students explore historical events and figures, cultural movements and trends that have shaped the French culture. This class is taught in French.
B.A. in Art Education, Grace College; M.A. in French, Middlebury College
About
Professor Jacqueline Schram teaches French and also serves as the Associate Dean of Students. In her role as professor, she oversees the language programs at Grace College, and in her role as dean, her responsibilities include coordinating the general education core curriculum. In addition, she also helps coordinate the Study Abroad Programs in Dijon and Paris, France. Prof. Schram was raised in France, where her family served on the missionary staff of Grace Brethren International Missions. She moved to the United States to attend Grace College, and joined the Grace College faculty in 1992.
Careers
Some of the positions you can obtain:
Translator
Translates documents and other materials from one language to another. Reads materials and rewrites materials in specific language or languages. May specialize in particular type of material such as news, legal documents, or scientific reports.
ESL Teacher
ESL stands for English as a Second Language. It refers to teaching English to people whose native language is not English, both in the U.S. and in other countries around the world.
Import/Export Agent
Prepare customs documentation and ensure that shipments meet all applicable laws to facilitate the import and export of goods. Determine and track duties and taxes payable and process payments on behalf of client. Sign documents under a power of attorney. Represent clients in meetings with customs officials and apply for duty refunds and tariff re-classifications. Coordinate transportation and storage of imported goods.
Foreign Sales Representative
Direct the actual distribution or movement of a product or service to the customer. Coordinate sales distribution by establishing sales territories, quotas, and goals and establish training programs for sales representatives. Analyze sales statistics gathered by staff to determine sales potential and inventory requirements and monitor the preferences of customers.
Missionary
Immersion within and forming relationships with the people of another culture with the purpose of sharing Christ in word and in deed. Often times missionaries will form relationships through the application of their gifts and talents, meeting the needs of the people within the culture. Those talents may be in the areas of construction, agriculture, literacy, teaching, or business to name a few.
Interpreter
One who orally translates a spoken message.
Linguist
One who is concerned with the exact equivalent of a unit of the source translation text without referencing cultural or contextual factors. Linguists write syntactic and grammatical rules for translation programs.
Study Abroad Coordinator
Study abroad coordinators, who work at colleges and universities, advise students in researching, selecting and coordinating a location out of the country at which to study. Reporting to the director of study abroad programs, the coordinator is knowledgeable of all policies regarding cross-cultural training programs.
Subtitler/Voice-Over
One who provides synchronized captions in the target language for film and television dialogue. Subtitling is one of the two main methods of language transfer used in translating types of mass audio-visual communication. The other is dubbing, which is narrowly defined to be a lip-sync process, designed to give the impression that the actors in the film are actually speaking in the target language.
Transcriptionist
One who listens to the sounds and words of a spoken message and converts it into a written translation. Generally, transcriptions refers to an interlingual transfer preserving forms of original sounds, letters, or words unchanged in the target translation.
Testimonials
What others are saying:
The French program at Grace was a significant contributor in my decision to enroll. Not only are the faculty amazing, but the classes are engaging and perfectly catered to the students. The required study abroad year is one of the best parts of the program. It's hard to truly grasp the syntax of the language until you spend time immersed in it. Being able to practice what you've learned with the owner of the bread store or cheese shop down the street is an amazing experience.
—Michelle Sweeten, B.A., French and Graphic Design (double major), graduating 2012
