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Become a French Teacher. A French Education Major at Grace College prepares students in a Christian Community to teach French language.

French Education Course Descriptions

French Education Course Descriptions

A major in French Education at Grace College will explore the ins and outs to become a French Teacher for grades K-12. As you consider an array of colleges with French Education majors near you in the Midwest, be assured that when you find your way to Winona Lake, Indiana, you will discover a top college for French Education taught with a Christian worldview. A Grace College French Education degree will help you make workable connections between linguistic and cultural skills, preparing you to weigh questions and create conversation in a Christian college context.

Language Requirements

In this intermediate French course, students will learn to understand more complex discussions of identity, society, and the modern world in the French language and in francophone cultures. Students will expand their vocabulary and fluency by engaging with extensive and targeted input, provided through in-class conversations and a range of audiovisual and written materials. The class units focus on authentic situations, building students’ ability to interpret, speak, and write for particular purposes. Students will also develop frameworks for comparing francophone cultural products and practices with their own home culture. By the end of the course, students will be able to engage in presentational and interpersonal communication at a level of intermediate low, and in interpretative communication at a level of intermediate mid. Prerequisite: FRE 1020 or its equivalent. Three hours

This intermediate French course builds on students’ knowledge from earlier courses and develops their ability to navigate written and oral French with confidence. In the course of the class, students will read five novellas that target high-frequency vocabulary—verbs, phrases, and grammatical structures that form the foundation of the French language as it is used today. Students will develop their speaking and listening skills through discussion of themes from the novels. This course will also focus on writing in the French language, allowing students to reach an intermediate-low ability level. Each novella features a specific francophone culture and historical period, giving insight into the experiences of francophone peoples. As a class, we will engage with these stories through analysis as well as creativity, recognizing that story-telling is fundamental to humankind. Students will produce their own children’s books in French by the end of the session. Prerequisites: FRE 2010 or its equivalent. Three hours.

Advanced French Conversation focuses intensively on speaking skills, building on grammar and vocabulary from the intermediate level to expand fluency with oral expression. Students will improve their speaking skills through regular French conversation, readings on a wide array of topics, writing activities, and videos and recordings of native speakers. They will also augment their vocabulary in seven areas ranging from everyday life to reflection on contemporary world issues. Prerequisite: FRE 2020 or its equivalent. Three hours.

A study of French literary genres, periods, and authors. Topics vary, but may include a thematically-focused survey from medieval to contemporary French literature, the development of a genre, or a literary movement in a particular period. Students will learn to analyze poems, short stories, and novels in French, and will engage with important francophone authors and/or literary movements. Major reading and written assignments will be in French. See LIT 3800 for a cross-listed section of this course for non-French-speaking students. Prerequisite (for French students): FRE 2020 or its equivalent. Three hours.

In this course, students learn to write in a range of genres—from the descriptive to the analytical as well as in personal and professional contexts. By reading and analyzing short sample extracts from established authors, students develop their confidence in imitating diverse styles. They acquire strategies for adapting to varied written communications contexts. Students will explore written language production at the sentence-level, experimenting with advanced grammar constructions. They will also look at the structure of several traditional genres, such as the European-style resume, and French academic genres like the compte rendu and the explication de texte. Prerequisite: FRE 2020 or its equivalent. Three hours.

This course develops students’ understanding of the civilizations and cultures in the Frenchspeaking world. It equips students to effectively engage not only with the culture of France, but also of francophone regions in Europe, Africa, and the Americas. In the class, we will explore the historical events that have shaped current economic and political realities, as well as the fabric of everyday life in these regions. Students will also encounter the literature, music, and gastronomy of la Francophonie. Prerequisite: FRE 2120. Three hours.

Study Abroad

The requirement for a teaching major in French or Spanish is 36 credit hours in the department, a portion of which are completed through an approved study abroad program. In addition to the above requirements, a student must also meet the requirements of the professional education core, a total of 39 credit hours.

Education Core Courses (36 Credits)

An introduction to the profession of teaching. Learning experiences are structured both in and out of the classroom with the purpose of assisting the college student in making career decisions relative to the profession, e.g., to teach or not, at which level, and in which subject area. Both content and field experiences are aligned with the missions of Grace College and the School of Education. A grade of B- or better is required to continue on toward candidacy status. Three hours

A study of the learner at all grade levels and the many factors affecting learning, including but not limited to, theories of learning, environment, heredity, cultural impact, discipline, classroom management, exceptionalities, and development. The measurement of academic aptitude and achievement is also covered. Practical application is stressed. Prerequisite: SED 1000. Three hours.

This course is designed for prospective teachers, elementary or secondary, and any interested persons working with children at home or in social agencies. The intent is to develop an introduction to children with exceptionalities and practical strategies to assist these children, especially in an educational setting. This course will examine the types of exceptionalities, the laws that apply to them, as well as adaptations and special services that are provided to them in a regular classroom setting and in alternative educational settings. Prerequisite: SED 1000. Three hours

The course consists of cooperative teaching and learning. The instructor’s role is that of a facilitator, rather than a “giver” of knowledge. There are lectures, small and large group discussions of readings and related information, writing, and research focusing on issues of diversity in schools. To better appreciate the influence of culture on behavior and values, students explore their own diversity through written and/or group discussions and inquire into the cultural diversity of school populations in Indiana and surrounding regions. Among the topics included in this study are multicultural education, social classes and socioeconomic status, ethnicity and race, gender, religion, language, community involvement, curriculum, justice, privilege, and other relevant topics that relate to multicultural concerns. Prerequisite: SED 1000. Three hours.

This course provides you with a theoretical, research-based background for classroom instructional and assessment strategies you will be implementing in your teaching. Key issues discussed will include how people learn, instructional planning, how we successfully assess student learning, and how our instruction and assessment strategies can lead to improved student learning and increased motivation to learn. Prerequisite: SED 1000 & SED 2200. Three hours.

The purpose of this course is to develop a working knowledge of responsive instruction by applying differentiation strategies and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Students will learn to promote all students’ development, learning, and success through ongoing assessment that informs instruction. Multi-tiered systems within the general education setting will be explored. Students will learn technology skills and culturally responsive teaching to enhance student learning. Prerequisites: SED 2600, and candidacy status. Three hours.

The content of this course builds from previous learning in SED 3310 and SED 3320. Candidates will understand reading difficulties and how the difficulties relate to the fourpart processor for word recognition. The MTSS process is introduced with the study and practice of explicit and systematic interventions utilizing encoding and decoding strategies. Candidates analyze data from Curriculum Based Measures and write a structured intervention plan aligned to the Science of Reading. Candidates will also grow in their understanding of explicit vocabulary and comprehension instruction. Candidates will apply knowledge through tutoring and in the elementary classroom setting. In addition, there are fifteen hours of clinical work in an elementary classroom. Candidates will teach whole class and small group literacy lessons. Prerequisites: SED 3310, SED 3320, candidacy status. Three hours.

Candidates spend Wednesday mornings in K-6 classrooms teaching whole and small group lessons. Candidates will foster learning through interactive read aloud, guided reading, and writing lessons. Candidates are supervised by college faculty and K-6 classroom teachers.

This course presents best practices in classroom assessment, environment, and behavior management. Topics include relationship development, organization of the classroom learning environment, classroom procedure development, and approaches for managing individual and large group student behaviors. Various strategies to instruction and assessment will be explored. Candidates will develop lessons utilizing formative and summative assessment tools. Candidates will understand how these assessments inform the teaching and learning process. Prerequisites: candidacy status. Three hours.

This course is an introduction to critical thinking 1 as a fundamental process instrumental in applying philosophy to the craft of teaching. Various topics that deal with classroom concerns, student teaching experiences are discussed each week. Topics include: school law, interviewing, résumé construction, best practices, and classroom management. Candidates will complete the TWS designed to help the teacher education candidates continue their development as reflective practitioners by systematically documenting and analyzing student learning. This course is an introduction to critical thinking2 as a fundamental process instrumental in applying philosophy to the craft of teaching. The course is a systematic study of the philosophy of education and the ethics that undergird the profession. Both secular and Christian philosophical views are examined. Candidates also integrate elements of a chosen set of philosophical beliefs to sharpen their competence as a professional. Candidates interact with key stakeholders associated with the craft of teaching. Describing the work of moral practice is part of the activities of the course. Prerequisite: All SED course work completed, additional school requirements me. Three hours.

Includes full-time teaching experience for an entire semester as well as a seminar for majors during the experience. This course deals with a variety of topics and issues especially germane to candidates who are about to enter the teaching profession. Each candidate enrolled in this course will be required to complete a Teacher Work Sample and earn a passing score of C or higher. Prerequisites: All SED course work completed, additional school requirements met. Nine hours.

Secondary Education Courses (6 Credits)

This course is offered to help the preservice teacher understand the special characteristics of early adolescents and adolescents and their school settings (middle and high school). Prerequisites SED 2200, SED 2600, candidacy status. Three hours.

The course is a study of the philosophy, curriculum, and methods of teaching English on the secondary level, concentrating upon skills, knowledge, and dispositions which need to be possessed by the teacher and fostered among students. Tutorial and observational contact with the secondary school is an integral part of the course. Prerequisites: SED 2200, SED 2600, SED 3600, candidacy status. Three hours.