French for Spanish Speakers

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course is designed as an accelerated introduction to French for students with an advanced proficiency in Spanish. Meeting three days a week, the course covers in one semester the material usually taught in two semesters of Introductory French. The course will cover the basics of French grammar and conversation, and present selected aspects of French-speaking culture through readings, music and other audio, videos, and films. By exploring the similarities and differences between the two languages, the course is designed to allow Spanish-speaking students to take full advantage of their prior language experience, reinforcing their knowledge of Spanish while working towards rapid proficiency in French as a third language. Full working proficiency in Spanish is a necessary prerequisite, since both in-class activities as well as the required text at times rely on Spanish as a pivot language to help students access more easily certain French grammatical forms. As such, students should have either been certified as a Heritage Speaker by the Spanish Department or passed the Oral Proficiency Exam in Spanish.